Brandon Kitchen
James Rispoli
The 2021 American Flat Track (AFT) season begins at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, with back-to-back half-mile races on March 12 and 13, 2021 and Vance & Hines is going all-in supporting the series, supplying the privateers with XG750 race bikes and sponsoring Singles and Twin class racers. "The 2021 AFT series is a huge event for Vance & Hines," says CEO Mike Kennedy. The company recently announced a comprehensive contingency sponsorship program offering thousands of dollars to riders in AFT Singles, AFT Production Twins and AFT SuperTwins.
In addition, the company has become the presenting sponsor of the Production Twins class, now known as "AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines." The new sponsorship program will offer more than $130,000 in prize money to riders in the class. The availability of significant prize money has most of the top riders using Vance & Hines products, including 2020 Production Twins Champion James Rispoli, Chad Cose (top ten finisher in both Production Twins and Singles), Dalton Gauthier (former AFT Singles champion), Ben Lowe (third place in 2020 Production Twins). Vance & Hines Racing Development Center is providing support to additional riders as the series gets closer to its initial events in Florida. Vance & Hines continues to be the exclusive producer of the XG750R race motorcycles for Harley-Davidson, as well as providing pit support for riders at every AFT race.
On the Singles side, Brandon Kitchen, one of the hottest young riders in AFT Singles, will be flying the Husqvarna flag in 2021, with Vance & Hines as his team's exclusive engine builder. Kitchen and team owner Brent Donley inked a deal to ride the Husqvarna 450 Single for their 2021 effort. Kitchen finished 8th in points during the shortened 2020 season and scored a win at the Indy Mile aboard a Vance & Hines-built CRF450 Honda. Kitchen's new HC450 utilizes Vance & Hines engine package, exhaust and custom tune.
This package is available to all racers in the paddock and already being adapted early by some Singles standouts. Other Vance & Hines powered racers in AFT Singles currently include Morgan Mischler and Billy “The Kid” Ross, with several more scheduled to roll out during the first few races.