Indian Wrecking Crew – American Flat Track Team Announced
Indian Motorcycle is making its return to the re-branded American Flat Track series in a big way. Last month Indian introduced its race-only FTR750, and now its an all-star lineup for the 2017 Wrecking Crew team.
The Wrecking Crew is a name that has been tied with Indian since the ‘40s, and Indian plans on tapping into that foundation to help reinvigorate flat track interest in the states. Indian has put together a competitive package for its American Flat Track return.
The 2017 Wrecking Crew Team will be comprised of: Bryan Smith, AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Grand National Champion; Brad “The Bullet” Baker; and flat track stalwart, Jared Mees. As it stands, Indian has put together a title contending team for the newly the American Flat Track series.
As we mentioned before, if you know a little bit of history regarding American motorcycle racing, the Wrecking Crew won’t sound too unfamiliar. Some of the original Wrecking Crew members included Ernie Beckman, Bill Tuman, and Bobby Hill (unrelated to Hank Hill). And all of this was announced to the public following the Ramspur Winery Santa Rosa Mile AMA Pro Flat Track race in Santa Rosa, Calif., during the American Motorcyclists Association Flat Track Awards banquet.
Jared Mees shared plenty regarding Indian’s new team: “Indian Motorcycle has a DNA in motorcycle racing. We will continue that push towards excellence on the street and in competition with the introduction of the Indian Scout FTR750,” said Gary Gray, Product Director for Indian Motorcycle. “AMA Pro Flat Track racing is highly competitive and we leaned on a global team for this factory effort and have engaged some of the best riders to exhibit our commitment to this legendary sport. That said, we are entering the series to do one thing – win.”
Having now successfully developed a lineup of nine award-winning models, Indian Motorcycle has fully dedicated its resources to a successful return to American Flat Track racing with a purpose-built new race-only engine, a clean sheet design race bike, and world-class racing team that reflects the history and rich heritage of the brand. Indian Motorcycle was born out of competition, and throughout its history has used racing to develop and improve the product as well as expand the appeal of the brand.
The new Indian Scout FTR750 is powered by an all-new, race-only 750cc V-Twin that was developed in-house for professional flat track competition. The chassis and overall design comes from the team at the Indian Motorcycle’s Medina, Minn., headquarters with input from highly experienced race team personnel.
The #3 Indian Motorcycle FTR750 was piloted in its debut by AMA flat track racing legend Joe Kopp on Sunday, September 25 at the Ramspur Winery Santa Rosa Mile Flat Track race in Santa Rosa, Calif. Kopp’s debut of the Indian Scout FTR750 was highly successful with strong heat races that put him on the inside front row for the final race.
After quickly locking in his position in “the show” he attacked the Dash for Cash race and won. In the final race, Kopp took a holeshot when the green flag flew, and led the first lap. Over the course of the race the rough track conditions slowed the veteran racer, yet he still earned a solid 7th place in the final.
“Our team worked hard and had a pretty confident feeling coming into the weekend,” says Reid Wilson, Director of Marketing for Indian Motorcycle. “Our goal was to make the main event, a great achievement for a 100% new motorcycle racing a highly competitive GNC1 class. Joe was outstanding on the motorcycle and taking a strong win in the dash for cash was an epic first AMA Checkered flag for Indian Motorcycle since the early 1950’s. With our performance this weekend, and the announcement of the new riders, we are showing our commitment to both the sport and the history and future of Indian Motorcycle.”
If you’d like to know more about Indian and all of its exploits, visit IndianMotorcycle.com.
