The sheer speed you will experience at American Flat Track’s (AFT’s) Oval racing track is second to none. The level of motorsport skills these athletes possess is truly mind-blowing. Their understanding of the sport goes beyond the speed and the reaction time – they understand the physics behind it all. Let’s take a look at what all went down during the racing weekend.

Understanding AFT Series and the Classes

For those who are unaware of the nitty-gritty of AFT, it entails three classes of dirt track motorcycle racing. There is an AFT Singles class, an AFT Production Twins class, and an AFT SuperTwins class. In AFT Singles class, you will witness 450cc thumper dirtbikes compete against each other. In the Production Twins class, you will see modified Yamaha MT-07s, Ninja 650, and Harley XG750Rs compete. SuperTwins class saw Indian FTR750 dominate the track. AFT is action-packed from start to finish.

How Shocking!

In a single day of racing, you will see a total of 18-on track sessions. It includes morning practice, two qualifying rounds, two semi-finals, and the main event for each of the three classes. The track is always busy, and every moment of it feels exciting. What most of the spectators (even those who regularly visit racing championships) would find shocking is that the racing line separated the pits by the distance of just 30 feet or so. The sight of people standing just a few feet away from the bikes racing at triple-digit speed was enough to induce all the adrenaline rush.

What Went Down at AFT Dirt Race

The most spine-chilling moment of the race would be to witness the flag fly during the Singles when two riders collided. Fan-favorite racer Shayna Texter-Bauman had someone crash into her. However, she carried on straight with four wheels tangled and interconnected and smartly slid into the inflatable crash barrier. Shayna settled for second place in that race. In the Production Twins class, Cory Texter won both of his mains. His speed was amazing, and no one could do anything about it. In the SuperTwins class, Jared Mees won both races by crossing the finish line several seconds ahead of the competition.

Lando Norris made his country proud when he broke a record on Formula 1’s return to the track in July. The British driver made an impressive run for the podium, and in doing so, managed to break a record held by the legendary Lewis Hamilton.

Kicking Things Off in Style

Formula 1 kicked off its 2020 season with a bang thanks to an exciting race in Austria. We are just one race in, and there is already a new British record as Lando Norris became the youngest Brit to secure a podium finish at 24 years old. He beat Lewis Hamilton’s record, setting up what appears to be an exciting future for the young driver.

Fighting for the Podium

Things weren’t easy for Norris to make it onto the podium, and he had to drive his car to its limits. Norris entered the hunt for a podium place late in the race when it was clear that Hamilton was getting a five-second penalty. The penalty would be awarded at the end of the race, so the chasing pack knew they needed to be within five seconds to leapfrog Hamilton. That’s when Norris put the pedal to the metal, earning the fastest lap of the race and securing his podium spot by just 0.2 seconds.

Unexpected Finish

Norris acknowledged a podium place was better than McLaren had expected. McLaren has been a struggling team for many years, but the team knew it had a fast car for the beginning of the 2020 F1 season. Norris said it was an unexpected bonus to finish on the podium, but he’d gladly take it.

This is just the beginning for Norris and McLaren as the driver and team look to make an impact at the championship end of the standings. McLaren might have been down and out for years, but it seems like the iconic racing team has found its groove once more.