DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2017) – Ryan Wells and the BriggsAuto.com race team have joined forces for the 2017 American Flat Track race season. The 2016 GNC2 Champion will debut the No. 94 Kawasaki Ninja 650 in the AFT Twins class at the DAYTONA TT on March 16, 2017.

GNC2 was American Flat Track’s breeding ground for up-and-coming riders and the class, now known as AFT Singles, has been re-envisioned for 2017 as a racing platform for 450cc single-cylinder motorcycles. Wells dominated the division in 2016, earning 264 points and five wins. The Albion, N.Y. native looks to carry his momentum into 2017 with a new team led by legendary tuner Johnny Goad.

“Last season, I achieved a life-long dream of earning my first professional Championship,” said Wells. “For 2017, I will be moving up to the premier class of American Flat Track, the AFT Twins class. I’m excited for the challenge and I look forward to moving into the class for my rookie year with the support of BriggsAuto. I can’t express how excited I am to finally make the jump to AFT Twins. That has always been my goal as a racer, so to finally be making the jump, especially with such an awesome team, feels pretty great. Also, going into the DAYTONA TT with a tuner like Johnny Goad is going to be huge. I believe with the support from this awesome and proven team, we will have a phenomenal 2017 season.”

For more than four decades, Johnny and his wife Sarah Goad have been involved in successful American Flat Track efforts. Johnny has spent more than 50 years on the circuit as a rider, tuner and engine builder.

“Champions have the ability to take adversity and turn it into a positive,” said Sarah Goad, Team Manager of the BriggsAuto.com race team. “Ryan bounced back from a tough 2015 season to win the 2016 GNC2 Championship. These characteristics, his attitude and his drive to succeed are what excite us about Ryan.”

The BriggsAuto.com team will have continued support from Martin Trucking and the Evel Knievel Museum, which is located at Historic Harley-Davidson Dealership in Topeka, Kan. Their support will assist in the successes of Wells and the entire race team during the 2017 season.

“Putting together a young champion with a legendary tuner makes for a potent combination,” said Chris Carr, Chief Competition Officer of American Flat Track. “The skills that Ryan honed coming up through the ranks show that the AFT Singles class will be a great breeding ground for up-and-coming talent next year. We’re expecting good things out of Ryan and the BriggsAuto.com effort next season.”

For more information on BriggsAuto.com, please visit http://www.briggsauto.com/.

To learn more about American Flat Track and to keep up-to-date with AFT Twins and AFT Singles athletes, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com/.

American Flat Track will kick off the 2017 season during Daytona’s Bike Week festivities on Thursday, March 16 with the all-new DAYTONA TT, built inside the trioval at Daytona International Speedway. The DAYTONA TT will mark the dawning of a new era for America’s most historic form of motorcycle racing, and the “World Center of Racing” will serve as the first battleground for the great American war between Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles in 2017. Tickets for the DAYTONA TT are now on sale and can be purchased at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

 How to Watch:

NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track events. All 18 rounds, from the season-opening DAYTONA TT to the American Flat Track Finals in Southern California, will air in one-hour, tape-delayed telecasts on Thursday nights throughout the summer and fall on NBCSN, while FansChoice.tv provides live streaming coverage of American Flat Track events. FansChoice.tv also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.FansChoice.tv.

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, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.