Estenson Racing Announces 2018 American Flat Track Team

2017 AFT Singles champion Kolby Carlile will return to Estenson Racing in 2018.

Estenson Racing will field a powerhouse team in 2018, consisting of two-time Grand National Champion Jake Johnson in AFT Twins and Kolby Carlile returning to defend his AFT Singles title.

Johnson brings 19 wins in the premier class and a pair of Grand National Championships to the Estenson party. After some rough sledding since his championship runs in 2010 and 2011, Johnson is looking ahead with optimism, especially considering he’ll be reuniting with tuner Teddy McDermitt.

“The last half dozen seasons haven’t been quite what I’ve wanted or expected,” Johnson says. “With Estenson, I feel like I should have everything I need to get back where I feel I should be. They have some of the best equipment in the pits and I feel like we’ll have everything we need to challenge for a championship. I’m also excited [to be back with] my old mechanic Teddy McDermitt, who I won the championship with in 2010 and ’11.”

Two-time Grand National Champion Jake Johnson sports new colors for 2018 with Estenson Racing.

Defending AFT Singles champion Kolby Carlile on the No. 1 Yamaha YZ450F returns to the Estenson squad for 2018, and could be the rider to pull off a repeat in the Singles class – the first to do so. Carlile will also do some Twins testing to prepare for his move to AFT Twins in 2019.

“I’m very excited about 2018,” said Carlile. “Not only to defend my 2017 title, but to start testing and preparing for the ultimate goal – the twins class. I have a few more things I want to accomplish this year in Singles, but Twins is where I’m going to end up.”

Estenson Racing will back up its two champions with a solid support team. Returning for 2018 are tuner/builders Teddy and Cory McDermitt on the Twins side, Singles tech Andrew Butler, and engine builder Mike Stauffer of Stauffer Motors.

“I’m very excited to have Jake Johnson joining us as our Twins rider,” said team owner Tim Estenson. “Jake and Teddy McDermitt have a long-standing relationship, and I believe we’re bringing together an outstanding team. And Kolby Carlile is a class young man. The maturity level and calmness he carries is so impressive to me. I was fortunate to pick him up halfway through the [2017] season with eight races to go. I’m happy to have him with us in 2018 and look forward to not only helping him defend his Singles title, but to help prepare him for the next step in his career – the Twins class.”

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