DTRA by Daniel Beres

There's something about the DTRA that attracts photographers like a campsite toilet block attracts Daddy Long Legs'. It means we're spoilt for coverage which is great.

These photos are from round 1, Leicester, and were taken by pro photographer Daniel Beres.

Above: Tim Greig #10; Pete Boast #54; Paul Baleta #40; Ade Collins #1.

 Les Wood

 Neil Martin #26; Andrew Collison #98

 Nick Ashley

Drogo Michie #27; Frank Chatokhine #5

Paul Baleta

 Lez Stevens

 Frank Chatokhine

Next round is a a week on Sunday, 18 May, Coventry. Spectators get in free. If you'd like to marshal it would be much appreciated. No experience necessary. Get there for 11. 

Racing from 12.

If you haven't entered to race you need to do it TODAY. 

UK Dirt Track Training Day

The long-running Peter Boast Short Track UK school (that I took about nine years ago when I first thought about racing) has moved to Leicester Speedway track. Sideburn reader Graham Braid (middle in the group shot) attended with a bunch of his mates and sent this report.

Easter Sunday is normally a day with the family, bunnies and chocolate eggs, but not this year, because myself and four friends managed to get a pass out for good behaviour and do what we planned and failed to do last year.

A day at the Short Track UK run training school where you learn the basics of dirt track racing. After two of us competed in last year's Dirt Quake we were inspired to attend the training day, as it was run by the 2009 UK Champion and founding light of the UK Dirt Track racing series, Peter Boast. We attended Leicester Speedway track and found a very relaxed but informative approach was adopted by the instructors, which included the 2013 Pro class champion Aidan Collins. We donned our steel shoe and set out on a small oval on the track aboard converted small capacity CCM dirt track bikes. We learned to put weight on our left leg and let the bike drop and slide under us. It was not long before all of us had managed to put it into practice.

The next exercise was to brake hard into the turn causing the back of the bike to break away, and get used to slowing down and sliding the back of the bike out. As these bikes have no front brake this is your safety measure if you are going too hot into the corner. 

Once we had all got to grips with the fundamentals,we practised race starts, which was done in pairs as drag starts. Great fun and got the adrenalin pumping!

For the final part of the day we were all let loose on the full track to practise what we'd learned, Unfortunately, we'd had quite a bit of rain during the day, so it made the track pretty slippy and tricky, but we still couldn't wait to get out there and have a go. 

It was an extremely enjoyable day,and as we say in Liverpool,it was a boss day! 

Bearing in mind that two of the group had no off-road experience they picked it up very quickly and at £135 for the day, which included hire of the bikes and refreshments, was very reasonable. It is something I would encourage any motorcyclist to try. Not only does it improve your bike skills ,but you might even catch the dirt track bug. We have!

DTRA News + Photos by Sam Christmas

The first official practice of the 2014 DTRA series took place at Rye house, Hertfordshire, last Saturday. Great weather, good turn out, decent track conditions, loads of new faces, no need for the paramedics.
All photos: Sam Christmas

Geoff Cain, on his new Honda 450, and Frank Chatokhine (on his old Metisse Triumph).

 The only female rider at the practice, Leah Tokelove.

Two-piece or one-piece leathers? Or motocross kit? Or speedway kevlars. Even Dimitri's jeans over BMX armour. We've seen it all, but never a Welsh dragon onesie (with wings and tail tied up) as worn by Olivier from France (studying in Swansea).

 Dimitri Coste on a borrowed Honda, Tom Firth on a rented CCM 230.

 Ross 'King' Herrod.

David Death Spray came for a few laps on the Rotax KTM he sprayed for Ross. He was quickly up to a good pace.

 Drogo and Ross waiting their turn on track.

 GI, riding without a brake all day, after a malfunction.

There was a French invasion. Five French riders - Olivier (from Les Petroleurs); Christophe and Frank, plus Dimitri and Olivier. There will be one more when Hubert gets his bike built.

Peter Boast (54 - number, not age - the godfather of British flat track) and Guy Sutherland, 97, plus Nick Ashley on his street tracker.

 Boastie, always on it.

 Top junior, Ollie Brindley, moves up to the adult class this season.

 Team Co-Built.

The DTRA are looking to fill two positions -

Commentator - Have you ever fancied yourself as the next Murray Walker? Or maybe you are already better than Murray was. Either way we are after your help at our rounds this year. Alex Ragby our usual commentator is busy at many of our rounds, we would like to develop our own presentation with someone who is enthusiastic about our sport.

Press Officer - We would like more people to hear about what happens at our events. Do you have some spare time to help promote the news from our club.

Contact: info@dirttrackriders.co.uk

Champions Flat Track School x Noyes Camp, Spain

From the Godfather of European Flat Track, Peter Boast.

Champions Training School & Noyes Camp Team Up For 3 Days of Rear Wheel Steering Action at Motorland Park, Aragon, Spain. 
7-9 MARCH, 2014 

Flat track is recognised by many up and coming MotoGP stars and World Champions as a valuable part of their training schedule and now we would like to offer you the chance to experience the skills of controlling a bike whilst using your riding position and throttle control, sliding on the fantastic dirt and tarmac tracks on offer at Motorland . 

Day 1 - Oval Flat track training, Short track and ¼ mile track. 
Day 2 - TT Flat track training (left, right handers and jumps) on two dirt only tracks. 
Day 3 - Supermoto training on tarmac and dirt, with three tracks to choose from. 

Training will be included all three days, with instruction from Kenny (#9 pictured battling Marquez above) and Pete.
The cost for three days training is £275 (with your own bike). 
Bike Hire KLX 140s is £60 half a day, £90 full day and £200 for 3 full days. 

We can transport your own bike to Motorland and back to the UK for £250 per bike. For more info call Peter Boast on 01673 878426 or Mob 07711 307306. 
We looking at between 6 to 10 riders for the course

DTRA Photo DVD

From Tom at FT Photos

The end of season DVD is finally ready. I've had an absolute blast and hope to work with you both next year :) Here's some blurb, and I have attached a pic of the cover. 

The end of season photographic review DVD is ready! It contains two discs, just under 1500 photos of everything I've taken this year following the Dirt Track Riders Association UK Championship around the country, including Dirt Quake II. The cost is £30 delivered, payable via PayPal to sales@thefooleryoftom.com 

Please send me either an email at sales@thefooleryoftom.com with your name and postage address, or a private message on here to grab your copy. They are extremely limited edition and first come, first served. Please share this and let the whole flat track paddock know. 
Many thanks, it's been a cracking year. Tom -- thefooleryoftom.com

UPDATE
The fellas in these photos are racing at this weekend's Dirt Bike Show at Stoneleigh, free to spectate once you're in. Races at 11am and 2.30pm

Review: Short Track UK Champions School

 Good body language, eyes where she wants to go, not 6in ahead of the front wheel.

Our reporter, Sarah Bradley, pristine, before the start...

One size fits all...

7ft Jake on a two-thirds size CCM practice bike.

When our friend, and well-respected automotive journalist, Sarah Bradley booked and paid (full-price) for her and her partner Jake to go on the Short Track UK flat track training school we asked her to review the experience...

Our Right elbow up? Check. Opposite leg out? Saddle snuggled under the left thigh? Check, check. Ready to eat dirt? Um, check! It’s good to know that when it comes to the basics of flat-tracking, someone here in the UK is willing to take on total novices and teach them some time-honoured oval-racing skills – and that they’ll do so under cover. That someone is 2009 British and European flat-track champ Peter Boast, and his indoor training school is a godsend for all wannabe racers, particularly when it’s snowing outside.

Just £120 will get you a day’s expert tuition, use of a CCM and steel shoe, and all the hot drinks, homemade scoff and undignified faceplants you can handle. You simply supply the rider and the gear – and make sure you leave your ego at home, because these instructors are the very best.

Body positioning, cornering technique, braking and throttle control, and gearshift timing are all covered, and you get plenty of riding time ­– and space to screw up. By the end of the day you’ll be doing things you didn’t think possible, and the lessons in bike control alone will prove invaluable on the road and a perfect introduction for anyone wanting to take their flat-tracking to the next level.

You’ll exercise muscles you didn’t know you possessed – who knew bingo wings could hurt so much? – so Inman’s pre-flat-track yoga is a must. Go fast, turn left and keep the rubber side down: easier said than done, but it’s a helluva lot of fun learning.

Short Track UK’s indoor flat-tracking school is based at Arena UK in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Short Track UK Champions School

Tom Neave: UK Indoor Short Track Champ

A complete Lincolnshire podium. 1st Neave; 2nd Boast; 3rd Pocklington

Tom Neave, twin brother of Sideburn 10 cover star Tim, won a bare knuckle indoor final to become UK Indoor champ at the age of just 16. From the press release...

Tom Neave pulled off a fantastic pass on the last corner to take the win in Grand Final of British Indoor Flattrack Championship at Arena UK on 27th December, after having a great start to day by taking 2 wins and second in his heat races. The only rider to beat Tom during the heats was Scunthorpe's Speedway Ace Ashley Birks who also took two wins in his heat races. Other heat winners were Tom's twin brother Team Suzuki rider Tim, who had two wins, Shorttrack regular riders Glyn Pocklington also on two wins, and the big surprise of the day was Shorttrack's # 1 Ade Collins without a win in his 3 heat races. 

Tensions were running high for the start of the 12 lap Grand Final for British Indoor, with Ashley Birks on pole from Birtwistle and Tom Neave on the front row, Doolan, Boast and Pocklington behind the and Collins, Tim Neave, Koppe and Trapmore off the back row. 

On the first attempt pole man Ashley Birks and Birtwistle clashed, stopping the race, with Birks put back to the penalty line for the restart. On the first corner of the restart Collins went down, was hit by another rider and took no further part in the final [see the photo of his helmet, below]. 

Only on the second restart did everyone get around the first corner safely, with Boastie and Birtwistle side by side for first lap, then Birtwistle just edged past Boast to take the lead, with Pocklington third Birks fourth, Tom Neave fifth and Doolan sixth. On lap 3 Birks went down on turn 3 and was out, with no chance of winning after a great performance all day. Tom Neave continued to work his way through the field passing Pocklington and later a great out side line to pass on Boastie. 

By lap 10 Tom was putiing pressure on Birtwistle, Boastie was holding 3rd spot from Pocko who in turn was under pressure from Doolan. On the final lap Birtwistle was still leading but going into last corner Tom Neave held it flat out around outside to surprise Birtwistle, who then gave it a big handful of throttle and went down, never making it to the chequered flag, as Tom bounced off the fence to take the win. Boastie took second spot and Pockington took the final podium spot. 

Final Results
1st # 68 Tom Neave...............450 TCR Honda
2nd # 54 Peter Boast................450 Team Suzuki
3rd # 71 Glyn Pocklington.........525 Kinrade KTM
4th # 14 Tim Neave...................450 Team Suzuki
5th # 42 Kevin Doolan...............450 KTM
6th # 62 Damien Koppe.............450 Homan Yamaha
7th # 20 Darren Trapmore..........450 TCR KTM
8th # 30 Alan Birtwistle..............450 Honda
9th # 16 Ashley Birks.................450 Truelove Honda
10th # 1 Aidan Collins................450 HRC Honda

The next indoor Shorttrack meeting is on 23rd of February - England V Rest of the World at 1pm and The International Shorttrack Arena Championship at 6.30pm. www.shorttrackuk.com

Saxby Gold Diggers

Boastie, Tim, daddy and Tom Neave, and Big Trappie with their hoard from the last race of the STUK season at Rye House. BP

UK Indoor Flat Track Training

New training news from Boastie, perfect for anyone wanting to race the indoor series, try out flat track for the first time or develop skills for next season... Both Ben and I have done the outdoor school, using the same principles, and learnt plenty. G

November 11th is the first date available for a chance to book on our new Indoor Training School. The school is the first to let riders experience how many champions of road race and flat track train in the winter months, by honing their skills indoors having fun on dirt bikes around flat dirt ovals. 

Our intructors will take you through class room sessions, body position, backing the bike in on the rear brake, getting the bike low in the turns and throttle control sliding out of the bends. There will be minimum 3 hours of riding and we provide the bikes to ride in the Arena. 

Instructors include: Steve Plater (TT winner and Britsh Champion); Christian Iddon (3 times British Supermoto Champion & Britsh Supersport rider); Peter Boast (2009 British & European Flattrack Champion). 

Arena UK location is just off the A1 at Allington, Gonerby Moor roundabout,Grantham, Lincolnshire. NG32 2EF 
The cost of a full days training for Adults is £120, Juniors £90, Christmas gift vouchers available. More dates coming soon! 
To book on November 11th call Shorttrack UK office 01673 878426