This Saturday...

...if the weather behaves. The final round of the 2016 DTRA season. Racing all afternoon, but finals from 6pm. Free to spectate.

DTRA Round 1 Report: Rye House

The first DTRA race of 2016 was the biggest ever UK short track race (except for the Dirt Quake two-dayers that we hold with the DTRA). The meeting was split into two, with self-contained morning and afternoon sessions. Juniors, rookies and minibikes ran in the morning. Pros, restricted, vintage and Thunderbikes got on track at 2pm.

Rye House has a new owner and is under-going renovation. The DTRA seemed much happier with the new regime and the track was well prepared and looked after during the meeting. In the past, the previous owner would dump 1000 litres on it halfway through the meeting and totally screw it.
One result of the track being looked after was a very safe meeting. I didn't see the medical staff called once.

There were a ton of new riders in all the classes and some of last year's top restricted riders moved up to the Pro class. The DTRA has introduced a B Final for the Pro class to encourage those without a realistic chance of making the final to enter the dwindling Pro class in the knowledge they'll get three heats and a B Main. The B Main also acts as a last chance qualifier (LCQ) with the top two from the B Main qualifying for the A Main. There was a slight mix-up with the race order of this meeting so the B Main riders went straight from their ten-lap B into the 10-lap A Main without a break. That was a bit of a poisoned chalice, meaning they had to race knackered against the best amateur riders in Europe. The DTRA will sort that for future races.

The race attracted riders from Italy, Germany, France and Belgium, 12-15 foreign riders in total.
Thanks to the DTRA volunteers for all they do for the sport. They were working for ten hours on Sunday, plus travelling time, to make the event run as smooth as an oiled eel. GI

Sean Vukovic entered his very first dirt track race on his Survivor Customs CCM Rotax and won the Thunderbike class ahead of a strong field. Ross 'The King' Herrod was second, Survivor Mike Hill was third.
Want a potential race winner for £3500-£4000? Talk to Mike at Survivor Customs.

Frenchman Frank Chatokhine, #5R, came back to the series after missing much of last season and bossed the ever-growing Vintage class. We featured his Metisse Triumph in Sideburn 17.

17-year-old Ollie Brindley #24, hasn't had an off-season. over winter he has raced both Superprestigios and a bunch of Florida races, plus spent two weeks with AMA Pro Johnny Lewis. He followed the hard-charging current champ, Aidan Collins, for a few laps before finally making a pass stick and then he cleared off. Aidan came in second, Alan Birtwistle (aka Moto Ninja) came a good third. 

Vintage class rookie John Harrison looked like he'd been parachuted in from 1974. He is one of many riders who lost their dirt track virginity at Dirt Quake and now are racing in the DTRA.

Another is Ross Sharp, one of the Bike Shed MC full-time staff. Ross bought a used DTX bike last year, did a few practices, entered the Rookies and won first time out. A very confident rider.

Alessandro Rossi from Deus Milan bought Jason's gorgeous Wood Rotax (that we have a blueprint of for all the Wood Rotax fans out there) and flew in with his family for a weekend of motorcycle fun.

James from Hard Luck Tattoo is another graduate from the University of Dirt Quake. He raced two classes and was smiling like a loon every time I saw him. 

And me? I missed the Eastbourne practice because of bike problems at the Rye House practice the week before, then didn't get the bike working properly until the Friday before this race. It ran like a dream, but I forgot I only wanted to leave that rear tyre on for the pre-season practices and turned up to the first race with a worn Maxxis DT1. Better riders than me could cope with worn rubber, but I need all the help I can get. This photo shows ambition getting the better of talent. Still I made the Thunderbike final, stayed on two wheels all day and had a lot of fun. 

The next race is at the MCN Festival, Peterborough over the weekend of 14-15 May and Colin Edwards is racing with us! G

Photos: Ian Roxburgh

Rye House Practice and BSMC Launch

The new DTRA season kicks off this Sunday at Rye House. It's free to spectate. Racing all day from 10am.
The club has attracted FIFTY new members this year. There are over 100 entries for this race, at a time when other motorcycle race series are struggling for enough numbers to continue.

These shots are my phone snaps from a practice at Rye House eight days ago.

Above, and at the top of the page, is Jon Bell's TT500. Jon raced in the Short Track UK series (forerunner to the DTRA) on a modern KTM a good few years ago and was very quick. He's come back with big-bore Yamaha XT/TT. It looks the part, with the aftermarket alloy swingarm and Jemco-style pipe. Jon converted it from dry sump to wet sump (not sure why) and it seemed to cause some problems on the practice day.

Darren and his Ossa Vintage class stroker.

Survivor Mike on one of the CCM road bikes he converts into race bikes. There will be four or five of these racing in the DTRA this year.

Guy and Norm Joss are sharing this gorgeous Trackmaster Triumph twin. They have two between them, so I think fastest rider gets to choose first. 

DTRA main man, Anthony Brown debuted his Death Spray village fete colours on his Honda 450.

Even my lad Max was out practicing on his XR100. 

Don't forget, Sideburn and the DTRA are having a launch this Saturday afternoon, the day before the first DTRA race. We've arranged with the track that riders can park within the Rye House track, get the train to Liverpool Street and visit the Bike Shed, then come back to the track to watch the Rye House Rockets Premier league speedway fixture, against Ipswich Witches, that night (adults £15, under-16s are £5).

The train takes 38 minutes and it means you don't have to take your van or trailer into London. 

Train times 

Return ticket is something like £20. 

Liverpool St to Bike Shed walking route. It takes 12 minutes. 

There will be :

A display of dirt track race bikes

DTRA organisers to talk to

Sideburn stuff to buy and editor to talk to

The impressive Bike Shed to look around

Good food to buy

Bike Shed's own stock of clobber or accessories

The chance of a good haircut in the on-site barbers

Drinks to be drunk (both acholic and non)

Great people to meet.

All the times and location details are on the poster. G

Sideburn 24 - Pre-Order and much more...

It's a couple of weeks later than it should have been, so thanks for your patience, but Sideburn 24 is finally at the printers and available for pre-order now. This is the biggest ever issue of the magazine, with 116 pages (up from 100) for the same price.

There are features on:

• Snow Quake
• Thor's XG750 street tracker
• Hell on Wheels hillclimb
• How To be a Short Track bad ass by GNC racewinner Briar Bauman
• Dirty adventures with Canada's Filthmode
• Australian race mutants, an essay on the movie Stone
• Travis races an Indian Scout hooligan bike 
• A new column by Guy Martin

Plus there are the regular interviews, photo portfolio, Trophy Queen, blueprint features and more...

Buy the issue for £6 plus post or subscribe for eight issues and get a free Sideburn gaffer tape T-shirt. (retail price £18) 

We love the cover design, that was created by Toria Jaymes of Stay Outside Studio, so much we made a Clear Your Head T-shirt and high quality Clear Your Head Giclee art prints too.

Not only that, we have new sticker packs from Maxwell Paternoster and Matt Wes and a new issue of the French magazine, All You Need Is Ride. Check all the fresh stuff out in the New Arrivals section of the Sideburn webshop.

The official launch of Sideburn 24, and the launch of the DTRA 2016 season, will be held at the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club in London, on Saturday 9 April. It's the day before the first race meeting of the Dirt Track Riders Association season at Rye House, Hertfordshire (just outside the M25). It's free to spectate, there's going to be a massive race entry, so make a weekend of it.

Hope to see you there, Gary

DTRA Pre-Season Practice dates

Anthony Brown at the Dirt Track Riders Association has forwarded these pre-season practice dates. Only one, at Eastbourne, is run by the DTRA themselves, the others are for flat trackers, though. Read the details.

Buxton Practice
Sunday 20 March
Hosted by UK #1 Aidan Collins and his Rideandskidit team.
Riders to pre-register for this one. It will only run if we have enough interest. Register now if you want to ride.
High Edge Raceway, Dale Head Road, Buxton, SK17 0RR
£40 per rider. 11am until 4pm
To pre-register or ask any questions email contact@rideandskidit.com

Rye House Practice
Saturday 26 March
Hosted by Rye House Speedway
Rye House Stadium, Rye Rd, Hoddesdon, EN11 0EH
Price and timings to follow. Turn up and ride

Eastbourne Practice
Saturday 2 April
Hosted by DTRA
Eastbourne Speedway, Arlington Rd, Hailsham, BN27 3RE
£40 per rider. Gates open - 9.00am. Riding 10.30 - 3.30
Open to signed up DTRA members only. Day Licences available on the day if required.
Turn up and ride