Butterflies, Butterflies, Frank

The next round of the 2016 DTRA race series is the Greenfield TT, next weekend. TT racing is dirt track's nod to going right and leaving the ground. To the best of my knowledge, TT races only ever have one jump per lap. They're contested by flat track bikes, usually with slightly more compliant suspension and front brakes. There have been TT races in the UK, when the national series was organised by Short Track UK, but this is the first DTRA TT. It's also the first all dirt TT. Previous races have had concrete sections when the course turned onto the infield of King's Lynn speedway track, with a dirt jump.

As a very amateur racer, I'm not a massive fan of the TT format as I've never been much of a jumper, but there was a small scale practice at the Greenfield track earlier in the year, and running a few laps over the jump gave me more confidence for the upcoming race. I think the racing is going to be wild and action-packed, especially as this year, most classes are running without a front brake.

It's free to spectate, and it's a two-day meeting at:
Greenfield Farm
Greenfield
Alford
LN13 0EB

Anthony Brown, big cheese of the DTRA, sent a link to this clip through to get us excited about TT racing and it is wonderful. Evel Knievel is the guest pundit and while he does get some good info over, when asked about TT racing, he compares Ascot TT with the Isle of Man TT. Perhaps he'd only heard of the Isle of Man TT, not actually seen it. I don't have to tell you the two couldn't be more different.

This 100-lapper is dominated by Rick Hocking. He must have been the big favourite, because he was interviewed before the race, with the clips inserted into the coverage. I saw Hocking race at Vegas in 2010, also on a Yamaha 500, like he using in this race, then I was in the hotel hot tub with him (it was a big outdoor hot tub, not that awkward). I wish I'd seen this clip before that impromptu meeting. And it's too late to ask him about it now as, sadly, he took his own life a year later, in early 2011.

Another fact, the late Paul Bostrom (incorrectly captioned Bostrum in this Wide World Of Sports footage) is running third for part of the race. He was the uncle of former superbike racers Ben and and Eric Bostrom. G

R1 Tracker

Ben Bostrom
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Gregg's Custom Yamaha R1 1000cc street tracker.
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Story by MotoGeo's Jamie Robinson.
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Sideburn 9 
Also available in a back issue deal, while stocks last. G

Big-Ass Motor in a Skinny-Ass Chassis

Bostrom Brothers’ Gregg’s Customs R1 Tracker, El Mirage is one of the playground's big enough not to pile straight into something. Modelled on Kenny's infamous 1975 TZ700, it's just as looney tunes. Superb action photos by Mike Svoboda and written by former GP rider Jamie Robinson (below). Read the full story in the Sideburn #9. BP

Bostrom's Family Album

We are honoured to have been given an otherwise private album of snap-shots by Eric Bostrom; of him and his brother Ben. Motorbikes being as much a part of the family as fluffy pets. There's even a shot of their Mum getting big air on a crappy KX80. BP

Indy Mile update

Rossi was supposed to ride but decided the night belonged to Roberts. I reckon he'll have a bit of practice and come back to put a real show on.


I'm a huge fan of blogs. I've found some great stuff that magazines just aren't publishing and few of the magazine staff are checking them out for leads or inspiration. Blogs are going to take over the world. Anyway, I say this because I turned on my computer this morning and we had a mail from Uncle John of Team Tenacious sending a bunch of images and this message.

Team Tenacious does the Indy Mile
Colin Heggarty running the Team Tenacious / Inglis Cycle / Kawasaki ended up 10th, the highest finishing Kawasaki in the Pro Singles event. Some of the folks representing Canada included Steve Ball and Mike Labelle running the Pro Singles and Don Taylor # 53 GN Twins, current Canadian Champion.
It was a busy day for all as that Indiana dirt gets everywhere and its a chore keeping up between races.
As everyone knows Kenny Roberts rode the TZ750 and maybe not as well known, Ben Bostrom took a spin after most of the crowd went home.
Cheers, Uncle John.

What synergy... we've got a big feature on the Bostroms going in issue 4. I bet Eric is gutted he didn't get to ride there.
So, I had a surf and found this good report on Superbike Planet. Now, blogs are good because we can link to sites that commercial sites would think of as competitors.

Finally, Giannis of the excellent Speed Junkies blog sent us a list of amateur footage of the Roberts' flying lap on the TZ.
clip 1
clip 2
clip 3
clip 4
clip 5
Yep, blogs rule.

Nicky had a good Sunday. I wonder if he'll ever race dirt track professionally again.

Brilliant new UK race bikes

Some great bikes being built this winter/spring. Here are three we're excited about.


First is is Simon Russell's ER-6. I've known, and worked with, Simon a few year. He and his dad came to a bunch of races and bumpstarted me. Then he bit the bullet, poured ALL his money into a race bike and him and his old man are quietly and quickly putting this together for very little money.He can't afford 19in wheels so he's running 17in Maxxis Supermoto wets, like Steve Coles did with much success on his Honda Hawk.
These are his Bostrom rep leathers too.
Simon says 'Six weeks time, I become a motorcycle racer.'
You, out there, can buy that feeling. It's a good one.

Ben sold the wild TL1000 to top UK racer Glyn Pocklington. Glyn's tidied it right up, spoken to the US Suzuki team about how best to tame it and will be out this season in the Thunderbike class.

And this Rotax is so neat. I have a full story on how Scotty built it. I'll post or print it in the future.

News from Daytona

Joe Kopp joins the elite band of Grand Slam flat trackers having won the short track, to add to his mile, half-mile and TT wins, on night two of Daytona. It's amazing for a rider of his talent and longevity not to have won a short track National before now. It brings home how hard it must be.
Brandon Robinson (from SB1) made the main on both nights. And Henry Wiles won the first night on a Kawasaki. How long is it since a Kawasaki won a GNC race? Anyone?

Over the other side of town, friend of Sideburn Ben Bostrom won the Daytona 200. Woo and indeed hoo! Sideburn loves the Boz Bros.
Photos: AMA

The Bostroms heart Sideburn

Ping! Goes the email, and it's only Ben and Eric Bostrom modeling Sideburn's Dick Mann T-shirt in their Malibu warehouse. There are warehouses in Malibu, right? Anyway, it is the Bostroms, brought up on the dirt tracks of California, before defecting to road racing.
Eric says this about Sideburn 'I hope '09 is treating you well. I'm still trying to play catch up. Ben and I love our shirts, thanks so much. I got to say, the magazine is such an achievement... Call or email whenever...'
Get a shirt like theirs here
Nice Ducati Scrambler too, fellas. GI