Northern Tool + Equipment and American Flat Track announced the launch of the Legends Build: Student Challenge, a nine-month journey where students in the La Vergne High School Career & Technical Education program will transform raw steel into a flat track race bike under the mentorship of legendary racers and builders.
Only knowing they’d been selected for the project, but not knowing what they’d build, students were surprised to see racing legend Scott Parker ride in on a XR750 flat track bike at a reveal event held Sept. 23 at Northern Tool + Equipment’s Murfreesboro store, announcing the students would have 174 days to build a race-ready bike themselves.
More young Americans than ever are earning vocational degrees. There’s momentum to build up the trades workforce and this project is part of the growing idea of trades-focused challenges created by Northern Tool + Equipment alongside motorsport and fabrication professionals.
This challenge shines a spotlight on one of America’s most iconic and untamed racing traditions: American Flat Track—fast, fearless, raw mechanical mastery on two wheels.
“We were sure it was going to be a sprint kart. When they told us we’d be building a race bike, it blew our minds. It’s insane,” said one student builder.
The students won’t be alone on this build; they will learn directly from some of the most respected names in racing and fabrication: Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Kenny Coolbeth, Billy Lane and others.
“The students had their theories—some of them pretty wild—and they were all wrong,” added Jason Bowers, the CTE teacher leading the class. “When we saw Scott Parker ride up on a flat track race motorcycle, we stood there with our jaws open. Our brains started spinning with questions forming. Now, we’re starting to realize just how tough this sport is—and how much the motorcycle we’re building matters to a racer’s success.”
To help the students get started, Northern Tool + Equipment, along with partners American Flat Track, Bubba Boswell, Boswell’s Harley-Davidson, DEWALT, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Milwaukee Tool, have decked out the school’s shop class with tens of thousands of dollars worth of donated tools, equipment, parts and safety gear.
“At Northern Tool, we believe in putting tools in hands and confidence in hearts. The Legends Build is more than a motorcycle—it’s a demonstration of how much the trades matter, that they’re rewarding and that the next generation can carry this torch forward,” said Frank Crowson, chief marketing officer with Northern Tool + Equipment. “I love everything about this program and this project, including the fact that this year the torch will be carried by our first female build captain!”
Racing legend Kyle Petty will host a series on Northern Tool’s YouTube channel following the La Vergne High School students throughout the build.
“Racing builds character, but building the bike builds a future,” Petty said.
The final bike will be revealed on June 6, 2026, at the Tennessee National Raceway in Hohenwald in an American Flat Track Legends exhibition race. After the race, the bike will be auctioned with the proceeds benefiting the Tools for the Trades program, Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction nonprofit and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
Find more on American Flat Track racing at americanflattrack.com; keep up with the build at youtube.com/@northern_tool.
