Scunthorpe Road Bike Dirt Track Racing

(Dirt Quake photo: Paul Bryant)

Dirt Quake racer Jon Lawson has helped organise a class for road bikes to race at Scunthorpe speedway at their dirt track/amateur speedway meetings this year. First one is February 28.
Here are the details Jon sent us... 

Road Bike Class 
Road bike based, we would like as near to what they looked like as they left factory but not strictly necessary. 
NO GLASS  or mirrors but can be taped up very well if ridden to the track. 
Plastic lights taped up  
Centre stand removed 
Ignition cut out (any type) fitted and working 
Wheels with large gaps between spokes should be filled in , with speedway style "Moon discs" 
NO sharp edges or points
Tyre choice is free
Shark fin protector on rear sprocket 
Number board on both sides of the bike and front. You chose your own riding number. We need to know before what that will be.
Look at your bike and think "is it dangerous " if you're happy then it should be ok to run. 

Riding gear
MX gear is fine. Leathers, boots, gloves, and an ACU stamped helmet with visor or goggles 

Entry payable on the day £30 Pre book with bike details, make and class, rider name and riding number. Sign on will be 9am approx. Racing (6 runs) for your class should finish mid-afternoon depending on entry levels, this will be run as a multi bike meet in conjunction with speedway, flat trackers and mini bikes. Food van will be on site. Park in the car park on left as you arrive and wheel ( not ride ) your bike into the pit /garage area ( no riding in pit area ) 

Rules /regs basically keep the bike in a safe condition and the rider protected in the event of a fall its hard when you go down ! 
Keep an eye on face book for info and entry listing 
More info regarding rules regs contact Jon 07876547486 or e mail info@madeinashed.co.uk or 
For booking and track details richard@scunthorpespeedway.com 
Venue : Eddie Wright Raceway, Scunthorpe DN15 8QZ , www.facebook.com/groups/scunnyamateurs

REMEMBER: 
Dirt Quake V is now 15-16 July, at the world famous and world class Adrian Flux Arena, King's Lynn.

DTRA Round 1: This Sunday

The first round of the 2015 DTRA season is this Sunday, Leicester Speedway (head to Beaumont Leys, find the big Morrisons or use LE4 IDS, and follow your nose).

Spectators go free!

Huge Entry 
31 rookies; 24 Thunderbikes; 17 pros; 11 vintage, plus restricted (riders who are between rookie and pro), juniors and minibikes.

Here are some photos from the Scunthorpe practice eight days ago. G

My own Wood Rotax has had a refresh for 2015. New rings, new valve guides, secondhand Racefit Ti pipe. Death Spray paint! Same loose nut on the handlebars.

One of my favourite bikes in the series (except for its hideous front mudguard). Isaac's twin-cam Rotax with a liquid-cooled head. Can't remember which chassis it is, C&J I think. Imported from the US last year.

Tom, colour-coordinated. We have a handful of these Sideburn logo zip hoodies left.

John Boddy and the Triumph bitsa. Read more about this bike in Sideburn 18.

John's brother, James and his Ariel, first time out, few teething problems. I don't see it on the entry list for Leicester, but I look forward to seeing it again.

James and his XS650, straight into the Rookies.

Two of Survivor Customs crew chat with Geoff Co-Built. 32 is Murph, sitting; 35 is Mike Hill, checked shirt. Along with Ryan Quickfall they are all entering the Rookies on modified CCMs this year.
Mike did all the conversion work, making the exhausts, shortening swingers, twin shocking rear ends,  the whole shebang. Survivor Customs is based in Middlesbrough and looks like a good place to have a road bike converted into the Thunderbike. Mike is already well up to speed on his.

Mike Hill on his self-built Survivor Rotax. He had practiced at Redcar the day before, and came for another full day at Scunthorpe. Tank logo was handpainted by Ryan Quickfall. Behind is Ian Cramp on his own self-built CCM.

Happy Survivor crew heading back north.

See you at Leicester!

The Comeback Dad

After spannering myself at Coventry I got on the podium in the Restricted* Class at Scunthorpe on Sunday. There were a few riders missing, but it was still a 14-rider class and I beat some racers who have been on the podium this year - Tom Clemans and Ross 'The King' Herrod. I also came 5th in the 12-man Thunderbike final. Geoff Co-Built (pictured) got a third in the Thunderbikes.

Read a longer report over at FTW Racing. G

*For riders who haven't made a Pro Final or won the Restricted title.

Scunthorpe!

This Sunday. The racing is split. Youths and rookies in the morning. Thunderbikes, pros and vintage racing from 1.30.
Free to spectate.
If my shoulder is feeling better (and it's not wet) I'm going. If anyone wants any shirts, back issues, hoodies, whatever, leave a comment or an email and I'll take it along so you pay no postage. G

Woffy Woffy Woffy!

Big congratulations to Tai Woffinden on becoming World Speedway Champion earlier this week at the last round in Torun, Poland. The Scunthorpe lad is the first Brit to pick up the title since Mark Loram in 2000. It's been a big season for the 23-year-old, who also collected the British Speedway title along the way, as well as two broken collar bones - the same one - the last time just two weeks ago.

This was only his second time on the World GP circuit, the first being an ill-advised and forgettable foray in 2010, only months after the death of his father, former speedway rider Rob. Thanks in no small part to the expert attention of Peter Adams at Tai's club, Wolves, he's really shone this year, showing classy verve and a full-on style that makes his races memorable. MP

Here he is in a great race in the European round of the World Championships at Bydgoszcz, Poland, in April this year:

Scunthorpe Short Track

 Ross, 31, in the middle of first proper dirt track meeting.

It's taken a while to update from Scunthorpe but it was another good day's racing. 20 or so entered into the Thunderbike class, so there were two sets of three heats, for a 12-man final. I won a heat, my first for a while, and qualified 5th for the final. I ended up coming in 4th, just like the last round. A pretty good result, beating some very handy riders. Right behind me in 5th was Drogo Michie on the Co-Built, in his first Thunderbike final. Result of the day.

The best bit of the day for me was to see Ross 'King' Herrod of Rusty Nail Racing make his debut. Ross had raced his C90 at Dirt Quake and marshalled at the last round, so had done his homework. Dave Skooter Farm leant him his #31 600cc Rotax framer to compete in the novice class. Ross was listening to advice and looked the part from his very first lap. He put some great races, then in his final, on a wet, slick, but great fun track, came third in the Novice main. What a star. He did Team Skooter Farm proud.

Well done to Adi Collins #1 winning the Short Track title, his third, and Neil Martin, #26, winning the Thunderbike championship. G

Thanks to John Pym and James Boddy for the photos

NEXT ROUND IS SEPT 16, RYE HOUSE, HERTFORDSHIRE

The Day After the Indy Mile: Scunthorpe

If you can't make it to Indy this weekend, you might be able to make it to Scunthorpe on Sunday to watch the Short Track UK championship. If you do you might see...

Rock hard Northerners puffing their chests out before being beaten to a bloody pulp by their own vintage flat track bikes...

Some gorgeous framers...

Some stunning street bikes in the car park...

 Men burning their fingers on hot motorbikes...

Women who are so overcome by the action they inflict Guantanamo-style sensory depravation on themselves to lower their excitement levels.

 Men eating fruit and staring into space while other men, in the background, get undressed...

Happy couples...
AND a ton of wild racing.

So, it starts at 12 at Scunthorpe speedway track, on Sunday. It might even be free to get in. I'm not sure.
We are always desperate for marshals, so if you want to help out, get there for 11 and ask anyone where Marshals should sign on. Marshals get in for free. The Rusty Nail guys marshalled at the last round and loved it. G

Is that why it's called Dirt Track?

Had great fun at the last race of the season on Sunday. The track owner cancelled the race, but Short Track UK's Peter Boast put him right. We had to wait a long time for the medical cover to arrive (the track owner cancelled that too), but when we got going the racing was good and close, despite less than ideal conditions.
I always seem to do alright at Scunthorpe. I made the back row of the Thunderbike final and came seventh, but felt really comfortable on the bike. Sideburn's Ben came second overall for the season in the Novice class!
Next year's going to be close, exciting, inclusive, with the juniors and novices running at all rounds and the short track class being split into National numbers and Restricted 'R' plate riders. It should mean closer racing in both classes.
Short Track UK have loads going on including TV coverage on UK satellite channel Motors TV starting next month and a winter indoor series (more details on both soon). Thanks to all the racers, timekeepers, marshals, start line and pit crew and, especially, Pete and Jackie for making the UK series such a friendly and well-run series. G

UP DATE:
playing rugby in mud is one thing, playing motorbikes in mud is something else. I didnt enjoy Scunny until it dried out some in the late afternoon. Poncing my way through the Novice heats just trying to stay on-board. Less ginger, Stuart Lovell, Steve Lane, and Jason Ramsden in a league of their own up ahead as usual, with wild card MX'r Mike Ingram winning every race. Plus illegal immigrant Jason along to liven things up further. Drogo held his own while our arch rival Jamie The Bastard went into melt-down.The rotational tyre skid marks on my numberboard here are where 17 stone of Billy Bull #66 + Yamaha, made an uninvited attempt to mount my inside leg in the final. But I wasn't going down from a little argy bargy, even if I was to leave similar skid marks in my undies. The race was red-flagged for an unrelated crash so we didn't have it out over the chequered flag which was a shame.
I'd like to ditto Gary's thanks above and add a special Thank You to all 14 valiant Novices this season (although we only ever managed a record grid of 10 at Scunny, it was usually around 7), we had some hairy battles but no broken bones. And Thanks to all those who gave me tuition - especially Anthony Co-Built (not that much of it has been implemented yet). BP

Calling all Northerners

Flat track and Scunthorpe Speedway (North Lincolnshire,
DN15 8QZ) this Sunday, practice from 11, racing from 1-ish. Free entry for spectators, loads of heats, loads of action, novice class for anyone fancying a go themselves. See you there. G

Scunthorpe Report

First race of the UK season and first round of the new Clubman's Championship (just turn up and pay on the day). There was a massive entry. Over 20 Thunderbikes, over 20 Pro plate holders and over 20 R plates, plus three different classes of Juniors and the minibikes.

Above is Paul Sheldon's LC4 KTM that gets prettier every season.

Team Suzuki looked very professional. Boastie and Tim Neave in new Spada leathers.
Jacapo's old Husky, now with Adam Waller, looks great in its new colours, but a fuel tap problem meant it didn't run well.
On the other hand, Wayne Drake's CCM Rotax looks as rough as a bear turd, but flies with him on board. The fuel filler is an old drink bottle top grafted into an SR tank.
Scottie was my rider of the day. He won a Thunderbike heat, then won the B final and on a bike he built the frame for himself. He celebrated by standing on the seat and jumping up and down on the slowdown lap.
Wilky and Steve Red Max were wrestling their XR750s, but struggling for grip. Heroes.
Wilky XR.
Geoff Co-Built didn't have his new chassis finished, so he borrowed Wilky's Skooter Farm Rotax framer and won a heat by a mile. I've never seen a racer look behind so much.

Ronald from Holland turned up on his Co-Built, rode well and had a blast
It's great to look around the pits and see Sideburn T-shirts and stickers all over the place.
Zombie Power. I came second in the Thunderbike A final and third overall (because all the day's results were added up). Steve Coles won, Drakey was second. Sorry, I was too excited to see who won any of the other classes, but the results will be up on Short Track UK soon.

I sent my brother (who races an Alfa and regularly wins trophies) the podium photo. He asked 'How come you are the only one who looks like a teddy bear and not an axe murderer?' I don't know how to take that. GI

UK Short Track Season nearly here!

Big pre-season practice this weekend at Rye House. Few places left, loads of track time for the money, more details at Station165.

Then NEXT SUNDAY first race of the year at Scunthorpe. This meeting will have the new novice class. Come along, think 'I could do better than that', then go home and build a bike. More details on all this year's race action at Short Track UK.

Guy GK, Pete Eat The Rich are you coming this time?G