ESPN yesterday announced a multiyear partnership with Harley-Davidson as one of the official sponsors of the '15 X Games in Austin. Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing will make its debut at the event and will feature athletes racing high-performance motorcycles in close proximity around an oval track at speeds up to 130 mph (ESPN). In L.A., Charles Fleming noted Team Harley riders "will compete with riders on bikes from other major brands." Flat-track racing is "one of the few motorcycle racing events in which Harley is still competitive." The racing style, and the look of the classic flat track bike, "is currently undergoing a rediscovery." The sport itself is also "undergoing a renaissance," as facility like Del Mar racetrack near San Diego "now features periodic 1/8-mile dirt track racing." Harley-Davidson Dir of U.S. Marketing Dino Bernacchi said that the bike maker and ESPN "dreamed up the race event after partnering last year to showcase ice racing on Harley motorcycles." Harley believes the X Games event "will be a sustained effort, unlike the one-off ice racing." Bernacchi said, "It's here to stay, as far as we're concerned." Fleming noted the inclusion of flat-track racing "involves a substantial commitment," as the X Games "is building an entirely new 3/8-mile track for the dirt oval races on the grounds" of Circuit of the Americas (LATIMES.com, 4/14).
