Deus Go and Flow

FTWCo in the UK

 

FTWCo: good guys supporting some other good guys.
And they've got an awesome Hauler back in Iowa. G

The Stig

The Stig plugged in his iPod, turned up the Vivaldi, donned his Simpson Bandit, and hit the mud at Dirt Quake in the Street Tracker Class. His Mum is not going to happy about the state of his over-alls but we were more than happy to see the Sideburn project Royal Enfield flying. photo by James Boddy. BP

Dan Ingram

I posted some photos rom Springfield and saw a name I didn't recognise, saw he didn't have a national number and assumed he was a new young rider. Of course, you only keep your national number for one year, a rider has to make a main at least once every season to keep it up.
Roger put me right:

Dan Ingram, 1983 AMA rookie of the rear and former national #31, returns to racing for the first time in 19 years! He not only made the main at Springfield over the weekend, he finished 11th! I love it when old guys start racing again! .....roger

Sideburn in Finland

Dave Skooter Farm is representing Sideburn and flogging mags and T-shirts in Finland NEXT weekend. Hunt him down and give him all your money. G

The Bottom of Bray Hill

First night of TT practice last night, McGuinness is already on it, but Conor was out with an injured wrist suffered when he was torpedoed at the NW200 just over a week ago. Guy Martin made his normal cautious start to practice, lapping at 'only' 123mph.
It reminded me that Peter sent us this evocative, widescreen shot of McGuinness he took last year.

While I was trying to find the name of this kink at the bottom of Bray Hill, and failed, I found this amazingly detailed description of racing the TT course: Manx GP Course Notes. G

Airfences are good news

We mentioned a crash in the earlier Springfield Mile post. Dave found this video of it. Ouch. Get well soon everyone. I think that's Sammy Halbert flying through the air like a leather throwing star. G

Holiday Essentials

This is how Dirt Quake Vespa racer Gareth carries his Ambre Solaire and latest Jackie Collins to the beach. Get your Sideburn Tote Bag at the shop. G
NOTE: Due to holidays the next shipping date is June 14th BUT, but buy between now and then and you're entered into a free draw to win an issue of Sideburn 1 whether you want it or not.

I was so enamoured with the Vespa I posed for a photo. Next heat race it seized the piston - sorry for jinxing it Gareth! BP
UPDATE: Below Gareth on track. These photos from a DQ report from legendary Harley parts stockists W&W. Click the link to read it.

The Springfield Mile

Matt Weidmann - 15th in the main.

 Bryan Smith - third place in the main, first time out on the Howerton Kawasaki.

Mikey Rush on the Wood BMW, didn't progress to the main.

Daniel Ingram - 11th in the main (his first Mile in the GNC?). How tough does that bike look? Don't see many GNC bikes with Öhlins front ends.

Johnny Lewis led early in the main and eventually came fifth. He was less the quarter of a second off the winner at the flag. 

Nichole Cheza made the main but crashed out with Sammy Halbert, Brandon Robinson and Robert Pearson. She didn't restart.

Springfield freight trains.

Willie McCoy hadn't one a GNC National till last September's Springfield Mile, now he's won two Springfields back to back. Here he shows how the do it done Bombay Way, with a full family lap of honour, sorry, honor.

Jake Johnson was second, Smith third. Jared Mees was fourth and leads the GNC combined standings.

Photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing

Wiles wins Springfield TT...

By almost four seconds!
2nd #1 Jake Johnson; 3rd #9 Jared Mees; 4th #7 Sammy Halbert.

Jared Mees: On it.

Fishing Trip

Dimitri Coste Vans Flat Track Boots

These crappy photos, taken by me in my dining room, could get the perverted sneaker freaker world fizzed up. Why? They're the first ever pair of Vans to be made not using the waffle sole.
They were produced, as prototypes,  for Dimitri Coste to race in at Dirt Quake. They have Vibram soles (and looked better on and covered in Coventry clay). G
Good action photo: Grant Robinson

Iowa State Fairgrounds

Anyone going to this should try make time to call in on Jeff and Brad at the Kung Fu Tap and Taco, Des Moines. G

SB x the Portland Mercury

Stevie Gee drew this motorcycle-riding tiger for a Sideburn T-shirt (and we still have a very few left - here). He gave permission to the Portland Mercury to run the image and our friend Thor Drake of See See Motorcycles saw it. Tentacles around the world. G
PS Yes, we have a specific Portland label. And a Thor Drake one. We've been doing this blog for quite a while. And the magazine for a little while longer than that.

Socks and Strokers

Some great stuff going on over at the Iron & Resin blog. G
PS And yes, we have a specific 'socks' label.

Dirt Quake Inspired Art 2

Stevie Gee brought his dad and his boy Jesse to the race on Saturday. Little Jesse was up at the crack of dawn the next day and had finished this before his parents had even got out of bed. He's got the band under their awning (thanks for that Richard); Kenny and Conway and, I think, GuyGuy in the middle; the Vintage Speedway display, the pie parked in the middle while a race is under way and even the Burger Shack! All from memory. Accurate work, JayGee!

If you still want more Dirt Quake - and why wouldn't you? - there's a top report by Dutch of The Bike Shed (that's one of his photos, below) and another goodie by virgin race Jules called 'There will be mud'. The latter sums up a lot of what we were trying to do with this event. G

SB's GI on RSD

I'm a big admirer of a lot of what Roland Sands does, says and builds and have been for years, so it was pretty bloody cool for him to send me some questions to answer for an interview to go on his RSD blog. Go leave a comment, please.

Above is a fully-faired Sportster his company is working on. Love the tank work. G

Spaghetti Western

Paint job for an Aermacchi by Chris Watson. BP

UPDATE: There's a nice Dirt Quake ride home report on Chris's blog.

Gary Nixon Auction

Don at Metro got in touch to say the widow of Gary Nixon has appointed an auctioneer, a friend of the family, to sell a bunch of the former #1's memorabilia, riding kit and bikes. the sale is set for June 16 in York, PA. It's a shame this stuff didn't go in eBay. I'm sure it would've fetched a lot. I'd have loved to bid on some of this.
Get details here. G

Prized

Thanks to all at Davida for the made in England Classic pudding basin for the weekend's top Quakers. G