Sunday, 7 April 2013

DTRA First Practice: The French Connection

Frank Chatokhine (above and below) came over from France to try flat track for the very first time. He was going well (and looking the business) on his 500cc Metisse T100 (on 19s with Maxxis DT1s). He'll be back.
Dimitri Coste came over on his BSA to try it on a dry track. It was quick. And loud. He removed the silencer because he thought it was acting as a megaphone.
Waiting to go Paul Baleta (40R, KTM); Guy Sutherland (97R, Co-Built Rotax); Anthony Brown (45, Co-Built Rotax)
There were a few slide offs. 

The one and only pre-season test took place at Rye House yesterday and it was great to see a bunch of new faces (and plenty of old ones).
The UK Short Track scene has had a few changes behind the scenes and the new organisers, the DTRA have chased a different crop of sponsors and are being supported by Edwin jeans, Deus Ex Machina, FTWCo, Sideburn and Ruby helmets.
Ruby brought over a French delegation of four riders, three on Brit iron and Ruby boss, Jerome, on a KTM DTX bike rented from Peter Boast. They've got the bug.

NOTE 1. UK racers - you MUST get your entries in by this Friday or you won't be able to race at the first round, at King's Lynn. There are no exceptions.

NOTE 2/ UK spectators - The first round of the series is at King's Lynn. See the poster below and the DTRA website for more details. Entry is £5 for adults, under-16s are free.

Thanks to Ian Mitchell for the photos. More later this week.
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3 comments:

  1. Capion mc8 April 2013 at 12:40

    Nice to see des Frenchies getting involved, hopefully there will soon be some serious turn left action over here ( but please not just in Paris!)

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  2. Sideburn Magazine8 April 2013 at 13:34

    Dear Capion
    Why hope that someone who is getting off their ass and doing something will organise a race series in France and then demand that it isn't Paris? Why not think about organising something yourself and getting them to come to you?
    Just an idea.
    G

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  3. Capion mc17 April 2013 at 22:52

    Believe me I would, but I work 70+hrs/ week but paid for only 35 minimum wage to support a family and rarely get a weekend off. When most think of France they think of Paris, Biaritz, Nice, the Belle Epoque and Amelie, however this is a big country. Paris and the real France are not the same country.I try to get to Paris when I can but with the cost of tolls, fuel or train it's a once a year luxury!

    I would love to try to organise something here but to get anything done a)you need to know someone who knows someone and b) be 100 percent French. I have had problems from the far right (Front National) just for working at an 'English' styled garden and being English.

    I have tried to organize things before and have immediately been charged tax and social charges for an entire year as if I am running a business (not just a weekends fun at a loss)

    I am a big fan and subscriber of Sideburn, however please understand that France is not Britain.

    ReplyDelete