This was an era of high hopes for the resurgence of Flat Track due to a good number of Brands getting into and supporting the series. Joe Kopp won Ducati's first National at the Arizona Mile in Prescott, Arizona. He vanquished the Harley team and there was a chance Flat Track could be come exciting again with Kawis, Suzukis, KTMs and Triumphs mixing it up. It would have worked had the AMA not messed with the program. I was standing right on the edge of the Ducati Pit as the team was celebrating their stunning victory when Mike Kidd , AMA Flat Track Boss, stode right up to Kopp and with no emotion announced to him that they will be restricting the Ducati from the next race on ! The AMA didn't want an exciting, mixed Make series. The Lloyd Bros Ducati never really was competitive again. Even today, when they sporadically compete, they are hindered by an unfair rule book. That's why you don't see a full Factory effort or privateers investing their time and money into other brands. The Kawi revolution officially died when Zanotti Racing joined the Redskin ranks. Yamaha's attempt fizzled from the git go, because they weren't committed to winning. Indian dominate now with the smattering of other brands whose Factories are not willing to take up the Challenge wholeheartedly because of the age old favoritism shown to those who buy their way in and massage the rules to their favor. Indians total domination has made Flat Track Racing boring again. AFT to their credit, got the TV deal all thought to be the kick start to the big time for our Sport. It just happened to coincide with the Indian uprising which ironically has made the racing boring and that is not good for TV.
