SPRINGFIELD, IL. (March 27, 2019) – Legend of American Flat Track and five-year member of the Harley-Davidson Factory team Kevin Atherton, who also notched an impressive 14 wins in the Camel Pro series, has been named Grand Marshal of the 101st running of the Springfield Mile on May 26.

The No. 23 Michigan native is known for a rich racing pedigree and years of successful competition, including two wins at the Springfield Mile in 1997 and 1999.  

“It was always an honor and thrill to race at the Springfield Mile,” said Atherton. “The fans at Springfield are the best race fans in the country. I got my first win at the age of 17 at Springfield in 1988. I couldn’t be more excited to be going back to such an iconic track at such a beautiful facility.”

Atherton will sign autographs during the Open Paddock/Rider Autograph Session on Sunday at 12:00 pm CT (1:00 pm ET) and participate in the Opening Ceremonies activities. Atherton will also present trophies to the winners of the Springfield Mile in Victory Lane.

We are thrilled and honored to have Kevin as our Grand Marshal,” said Dave and Tommra Kiesow, promoters of the Springfield Mile. “He is such a talented rider and one of our favorites to watch. His personality makes it clear why he remains such a fan favorite to this day.”

Last year’s Springfield Mile I saw the Illinois-born, and contemporary No. 23, Jeffrey Carver, Jr. earn his first AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines victory in an epic battle against the cream of the AFT Twins crop, including current-champion Jared Mees, Kenny Coolbeth, Bryan Smith and Davis Fisher.

Attendees can look forward to pre-race activities including live music (from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm) by Broken Stone and a Vintage Iron Riders bike display in front of the grandstands.

On track activity will begin at 1:30 pm CT (12:30 pm ET) with an action-packed race program including both the AFT Production Twins and AFT Twins classes.

Fans dare not forget the Springfield TT to take place Saturday, May 25 featuring the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class.

Tickets for the Springfield Mile I start at just $35 and tickets to the Springfield TT begin at $15. Premier Pass tickets are $130. Get tickets by calling (217)-632-0277 or by visiting Springfield Mile Tickets.

American Flat Track will continue its 2019 season with the Texas Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at the iconic Texas Motor Speedway. Tickets start at just $40 online and are available for purchase now at www.americanflattrack.com.

For more information on American Flat Track and the upcoming 2019 season visit www.americanflattrack.com. 

Get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise at www.americanflattracker.com.

How to Watch:

NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.

About American Flat Track:
American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.

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