Barberville FL – October 15, 2022 – AFT Production Twins rider Jesse Janisch made the most of a two-race Volusia Speedway finale weekend by securing his first professional flat track championship aboard a Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R on Saturday. Janisch won seven of the 17 AFT races in the 2022 series, finishing seven points ahead of 2021 champion Cory Texter.
Janisch came into the final weekend with a nine-point lead , knowing how quickly that lead could disappear. His win in the Friday race along with a sixth-place finish by Texter meant that on Saturday, he needed to qualify for the Main event and get at least five points to secure the championship. His eighth-place performance was enough to put him in the series lead, even with the race win going to the veteran Texter.
Janisch joined the Vance & Hines AFT team with six races remaining in the 2021 season. He rewarded his sponsors with five top-four finishes and a win in Charlotte last year. He was named to the 2022 Vance & Hines team in February.
“What an awesome year,” said Vance & Hines Team Manager Craig Koontz. “Jesse is a great rider and a great team member. He trusts us to give him a fast bike and he goes out and does great things with it.”
“I have a reputation for being a great rider on TT tracks, but this year, winning three half miles, two miles and two TT’s, I think I proved that I can compete no matter what track I’m on,” said Janisch.
“I love my team from Vance & Hines,” he continued. “They never pressured me, just gave me great equipment and allowed me to go out and race. Next week I’m driving to Indy and buying pizza for the whole Vance & Hines crew.”
Janisch rode a Vance & Hines-prepared Harley-Davidson XG750R, Harley-Davidson’s purpose-built flat track racing motorcycle.
Vance & Hines is the only organization designated to produce the Harley-Davidson XG750R race-only motorcycle, a turnkey solution for riders wishing to compete in AFT’s Production Twins racing. In 2022, Vance & Hines was a presenting sponsor of AFT’s Production Twins class and offered a contingency sponsorship program that made nearly $100,000 in prize money available to racers.
ABOUT VANCE & HINES
The Vance & Hines brand has always been about enhancing the exhilaration of the motorcycle ride. It started over 40 years ago, when Terry Vance and Byron Hines were two young enthusiasts in the fledgling Southern California motorcycle drag race scene. Terry always wanted to go faster, and Byron knew how to make that happen. In short order, their on-track success and innovation drew the attention of other racers, riders and motorcycle manufacturers, which ultimately translated to commercial demand for their products and services. Today, the Company’s mission and activity is the same; make bikes go faster on the racetrack and take those learnings to make impactful products for riders around the world. Since the Company’s inception in 1979, it has run factory race programs in partnership with Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati and Harley-Davidson in drag racing, road racing and flat track. Vance & Hines is based in Santa Fe Springs CA and has its Racing Development Center in Brownsburg IN. Learn more about the company’s history and products at www.vanceandhines.com.