The Vallee Report: Hunter Bauer and NKR Canada Prepare for 2023 AFT Season

It’s a long way from Chippawa Ontario to Sacramento California, but for the second year in a row, eighteen-year-old Hunter Bauer plans on making the trip. Taking part in the extremely competitive American Flat Track series (AFT), Bauer will once again be doing battle in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by Kicker class aboard his potent KTM 450 machines.

Hunter on the outside doing battle with Factory KTM riders.

Now entering his third season in the series, Bauer ran almost the full schedule in 2021 before jumping in with both feet in 2022. Racing against the best riders that North America and beyond has to offer, Bauer barely missed finishing tenth in points on the strength of a consistent campaign, which resulted in 7 top ten finishes over the course of the schedule. Along the way Bauer also grabbed his first ever AFT podium position in Weedsport New York after an incredible charge to third place from the back of the pack. Bauer also picked up three race victories in Canada while making limited appearances on home soil, which easily made 2022 the best year the young Pro has had to date.

Along with the race in Sacramento, Bauer will also be hitting way off destinations such as Chandler Arizona and Sturgis South Dakota, as he criss-crosses America in search of racing glory. With an eighteen race schedule on tap for 2023, there is a good chance the team will eclipse the nearly 30,000 kilometres that they travelled last year while taking part in the series.

In a series where the primary competition consists of factory and big rig teams, Bauer and his team are facing an uphill battle to compete with some of the more fortuitous riders that will be lining up with Bauer every week. While Bauer is not lacking in talent, the NKR team is struggling to secure the financial backing required to execute the full season.

For the third year in a row Bauer will be riding for Niki Kendall and her NKR Canada team. With an insurmountable passion for the sport, Kendall had a dream a few years ago to once again bring a Canadian to the forefront in American flat track. As Bauer has long been a rider to watch in Canada, Kendall had the youngster on her radar from the start, and when her team was formed she eagerly announced that he would be her rider for the inaugural season as well as the foreseeable future. Along with the financial burdens involved in running her team, Kendall also has the distinction of being the owner of the only female fronted team in the AFT series. Joining Kendall and Bauer at NKR Canada is Bauer’s dad Bob who is the chief mechanic and driver for the team, as well as Bauer’s mom Krista who takes on many duties at the races she is able to attend.

With the season set to start March 9th in Daytona Beach, Kendall is still pounding the pavement as she seeks additional sponsors to help out for the 2023 season. With many costs involved including gas for the hauler as well as entry fees at each round, Kendall points out how critical something like new tires are if you want to run up front, and that last year, they went through a dozen fronts and almost 50 rears at a cost of over $15,000. Of course the biggest expense for the team is the bikes themselves, and NKR Canada has their hands full as they try to remain in the hunt for podiums in the upcoming season.

With the start of the new race season just a couple of weeks away, Bauer has headed to Pensacola Florida to train and get some seat time before the first race. After narrowly missing the top ten in points last year, Bauer no doubt has his sights set on moving up the ladder a few rungs this season. With the right combination of talent, work ethic and maybe even a little luck, there is a good chance that Bauer will be the top privateer in the Singles class in 2023.