Progressive AFT - News - X Games Harley-Davidson Flat Track Athlete Spotlight

X Games Harley-Davidson Flat Track Athlete Spotlight - Jeffrey Carver Jr.

May 25, 2015

Note: AMA Pro Racing will be highlighting all 24 of the athletes racing in X Games Harley-Davidson Flat Track, which will take place Thursday, June 4 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and be shown live on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.

In 2014, Carver would race whatever he could in AMA Pro Flat Track competition. Without a steady ride, the then-23-year-old still managed to qualify for seven main events on borrowed equipment. He even posted top 10s in the final two races of the season – both Half-Miles, not dissimilar to what he’ll be racing on at X Games Harley-Davidson Flat Track.

People kept saying, “What if Carver had a steady ride?” In 2015, he does, with the perennially competitive Don’s Kawasaki team. Carver has one win in the elite Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class, and that came on a TT course (one right turn with a jump).

Carver has shown speed on short tracks and his two best finishes were on Half-Miles in 2014. So a 3/8-mile circuit like the one built at Circuit of the Americas could perfectly suit Carver’s style. He’s on one of the best bikes he’s ever ridden, and has proven he can run with the best flat trackers in the world. Stepping up and stealing a podium spot, or even a victory, from the big names like Jared Mees and Bryan Smith might not be out of the question.

Name: Jeffrey Carver Jr.

Home: Alton, Ill.

Age: 24

Ride: No. 23 Don’s Kawasaki, Kawasaki EX650

In their words: “I think, to me, being an X Games athlete, it just really makes me want to work harder and makes me feel really good about where I am in this sport. Our sport is really going somewhere, and it’s just really cool to be involved with all these other top-notch athletes. It just makes me push harder.”