Joy at Johnny Lewis's 10 Training Camp

Earlier this year, Joy Lewis and her friends attended Johnny Lewis' (no relation) JL10 Dirt Track School in Florida and wrote this report for us. 

Above: Johnny and his son Maxsen, Joy, Shelby, Tammi

This spring I had the chance to spend a weekend with Johnny Lewis, his beautiful family and a couple friends at the Marion County Speedway in Florida. The training originally came up as a girl camp through @caferacerxxx but after being bombarded with interest my group was bumped to a later weekend. To be honest the draw for me wasn’t that it was catered to girls – whatever that means – I ride and race with mostly boys, so as far as I can tell the only perk to a girls-only camp is that we can all slumber party in the same hotel room and no one’s spouse gets pissy.

The three of us attending had various levels of experience and Johnny was able to identify immediately what our individual areas of focus needed to be. Having raced flat track for only a year in a handful of races on a shitty bike, I had a lot to learn and a few habits to break.

Mr JL10, Johnny Lewis

After covering body positioning, braking, and the cadence of corners, we started the bikes and hopped on the mini-track Johnny had made in the parking lot. To make things more crowded we were joined by the ridiculously talented and rad Oliver Brindley #24, who rallied around on a mini bike pushing our elbows up and our knees in. It seemed to only take that first session of laps for Johnny to have each of us figured out but rather than give us the answers, he makes you self-evaluate and come to whatever you’re doing wrong on your own. We spent most of day one running solo drills where we would ride one corner over and over and after every round we had to tell Johnny what we did wrong – he gave us tips for fixing it and it was onto the next. Every so often we’d stop to do donuts on the mini bike or some ridiculous exercise and then jump back into a drill and without fail something would click. Obviously the guy is good at what he does but what I was most impressed with was Johnny’s ability to completely break down flat tracking into bite-sized pieces and then figure out which we were choking on.

Tammi getting the 'look through the corner' chat

Day two we spent a good chunk of the day taking turns ‘racing’ against Johnny and Oliver. I learned that one of my weaknesses was chasing whoever was in front of me – apparently a common mistake racers make and one that rarely gets you to the top of the podium.  

Our day concluded on the big track with two-up hot laps on Johnny’s race bike (so maybe there were perks to being a girl because I can’t imagine many grown men sitting front seat holding onto a crossbar going sideways into a corner.) 

 Shelby figuring out weight transfer during direction change

I was lucky to go home to a month of back-to-back races where I could put it all together. I definitely had Johnny in my head while racing, reminding me to find my own line. All the time spent on that makeshift track focusing on weight transfer through corners paid off on the real track and I was able to feel more in control of the bike during the slide. all of this to say my time at Johnny’s was game-changing – and while I still refuse to ride a modern bike, I’m getting around a bit better on my shit bike.

Joy

A month later on my shit bike with everything clicking - photo: Scott Toepfer

Click to find out more about the 10 Training

Paolo tries dirt, becomes (even more) irresistable

Top Italian moto-journalist and dirt riding novice, Paolo Sormani (above in his DMD Rocket helmet) tested out Marco Belli's super new Di Traverso flat track school for Sideburn and it had an instant effect! Read the report in Sideburn 20.

The school has some heavyweight supporters including Yamaha, Deus Ex Machina, Ariete, Dainese... They have dates throughout the year in Italy and Marco speaks perfect English (and pretty good Italian). G

Di Traverso School

There's a report from the launch of Marco Belli's Italian school coming in the next Sideburn, on sale in March. G

Di Traverso Flat Track School

Former British, Italian and European flat track champion and co-founder of Zaeta, Marco Belli has launched a flat track school in Italy.
Di Traverso has backing from Yamaha, Deus and Dainese among others and dates throughout the year.
The photo below is of our old friend Peter G from Hungary (left) and top Italian journalist Paolo Sormani, who was at the launch reporting for the next issue of Sideburn.

Find out more at Di Traverso Flat Track School.

Marco's English is very good, so if you want to attend but can't understand the Italian website, contact him through his website. G

UK Dirt Track Training Day

The long-running Peter Boast Short Track UK school (that I took about nine years ago when I first thought about racing) has moved to Leicester Speedway track. Sideburn reader Graham Braid (middle in the group shot) attended with a bunch of his mates and sent this report.

Easter Sunday is normally a day with the family, bunnies and chocolate eggs, but not this year, because myself and four friends managed to get a pass out for good behaviour and do what we planned and failed to do last year.

A day at the Short Track UK run training school where you learn the basics of dirt track racing. After two of us competed in last year's Dirt Quake we were inspired to attend the training day, as it was run by the 2009 UK Champion and founding light of the UK Dirt Track racing series, Peter Boast. We attended Leicester Speedway track and found a very relaxed but informative approach was adopted by the instructors, which included the 2013 Pro class champion Aidan Collins. We donned our steel shoe and set out on a small oval on the track aboard converted small capacity CCM dirt track bikes. We learned to put weight on our left leg and let the bike drop and slide under us. It was not long before all of us had managed to put it into practice.

The next exercise was to brake hard into the turn causing the back of the bike to break away, and get used to slowing down and sliding the back of the bike out. As these bikes have no front brake this is your safety measure if you are going too hot into the corner. 

Once we had all got to grips with the fundamentals,we practised race starts, which was done in pairs as drag starts. Great fun and got the adrenalin pumping!

For the final part of the day we were all let loose on the full track to practise what we'd learned, Unfortunately, we'd had quite a bit of rain during the day, so it made the track pretty slippy and tricky, but we still couldn't wait to get out there and have a go. 

It was an extremely enjoyable day,and as we say in Liverpool,it was a boss day! 

Bearing in mind that two of the group had no off-road experience they picked it up very quickly and at £135 for the day, which included hire of the bikes and refreshments, was very reasonable. It is something I would encourage any motorcyclist to try. Not only does it improve your bike skills ,but you might even catch the dirt track bug. We have!

Deus Ex Machina Saturday School

I don't know how many people reading this blog are new to motorbikes, but these schools sounds like a good idea to me. This is a beginner's guide to bikes at Deus's Venice store.
Sideburn stockist Town Moto in Toronto, Canada have been doing similar night classes in their store since they opened. G

What does the ‘W’ mean on my motor oil? What is dampening? How do I even learn to ride a motorcycle? For the answers to these most common interrogatives, don your sharpest thinking caps and head over to The Emporium of Postmodern Activities on April 5th to participate in a little group learning as Deus Ex Machina’s Venice branch hosts SATURDAY SCHOOL: AN EDUCATION IN MOTORCYCLING. Tutors of all stripes will be on hand to enrich and enlighten you in your journey through the world of motorcycles. Whether first-timer or an old-timer, all are welcome. They say you learn something new every day. Why not make it a Saturday?

Champions Flat Track School x Noyes Camp, Spain

From the Godfather of European Flat Track, Peter Boast.

Champions Training School & Noyes Camp Team Up For 3 Days of Rear Wheel Steering Action at Motorland Park, Aragon, Spain. 
7-9 MARCH, 2014 

Flat track is recognised by many up and coming MotoGP stars and World Champions as a valuable part of their training schedule and now we would like to offer you the chance to experience the skills of controlling a bike whilst using your riding position and throttle control, sliding on the fantastic dirt and tarmac tracks on offer at Motorland . 

Day 1 - Oval Flat track training, Short track and ¼ mile track. 
Day 2 - TT Flat track training (left, right handers and jumps) on two dirt only tracks. 
Day 3 - Supermoto training on tarmac and dirt, with three tracks to choose from. 

Training will be included all three days, with instruction from Kenny (#9 pictured battling Marquez above) and Pete.
The cost for three days training is £275 (with your own bike). 
Bike Hire KLX 140s is £60 half a day, £90 full day and £200 for 3 full days. 

We can transport your own bike to Motorland and back to the UK for £250 per bike. For more info call Peter Boast on 01673 878426 or Mob 07711 307306. 
We looking at between 6 to 10 riders for the course

Review: Short Track UK Champions School

 Good body language, eyes where she wants to go, not 6in ahead of the front wheel.

Our reporter, Sarah Bradley, pristine, before the start...

One size fits all...

7ft Jake on a two-thirds size CCM practice bike.

When our friend, and well-respected automotive journalist, Sarah Bradley booked and paid (full-price) for her and her partner Jake to go on the Short Track UK flat track training school we asked her to review the experience...

Our Right elbow up? Check. Opposite leg out? Saddle snuggled under the left thigh? Check, check. Ready to eat dirt? Um, check! It’s good to know that when it comes to the basics of flat-tracking, someone here in the UK is willing to take on total novices and teach them some time-honoured oval-racing skills – and that they’ll do so under cover. That someone is 2009 British and European flat-track champ Peter Boast, and his indoor training school is a godsend for all wannabe racers, particularly when it’s snowing outside.

Just £120 will get you a day’s expert tuition, use of a CCM and steel shoe, and all the hot drinks, homemade scoff and undignified faceplants you can handle. You simply supply the rider and the gear – and make sure you leave your ego at home, because these instructors are the very best.

Body positioning, cornering technique, braking and throttle control, and gearshift timing are all covered, and you get plenty of riding time ­– and space to screw up. By the end of the day you’ll be doing things you didn’t think possible, and the lessons in bike control alone will prove invaluable on the road and a perfect introduction for anyone wanting to take their flat-tracking to the next level.

You’ll exercise muscles you didn’t know you possessed – who knew bingo wings could hurt so much? – so Inman’s pre-flat-track yoga is a must. Go fast, turn left and keep the rubber side down: easier said than done, but it’s a helluva lot of fun learning.

Short Track UK’s indoor flat-tracking school is based at Arena UK in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Short Track UK Champions School

Ride & Skid It School

Multiple British short track champion, Aidan Collins, and his dad, former world class Speedway rider, Les Collins have launched a new riding school, based at Buxton Speedway track, Derbyshire.
Four hours of fun with prices starting at £70. Sounds a bargain.
Any bookings or enquires can email  contact@rideandskidit.com or call Aidan on 07927 425087. G

UK Indoor Flat Track Training

New training news from Boastie, perfect for anyone wanting to race the indoor series, try out flat track for the first time or develop skills for next season... Both Ben and I have done the outdoor school, using the same principles, and learnt plenty. G

November 11th is the first date available for a chance to book on our new Indoor Training School. The school is the first to let riders experience how many champions of road race and flat track train in the winter months, by honing their skills indoors having fun on dirt bikes around flat dirt ovals. 

Our intructors will take you through class room sessions, body position, backing the bike in on the rear brake, getting the bike low in the turns and throttle control sliding out of the bends. There will be minimum 3 hours of riding and we provide the bikes to ride in the Arena. 

Instructors include: Steve Plater (TT winner and Britsh Champion); Christian Iddon (3 times British Supermoto Champion & Britsh Supersport rider); Peter Boast (2009 British & European Flattrack Champion). 

Arena UK location is just off the A1 at Allington, Gonerby Moor roundabout,Grantham, Lincolnshire. NG32 2EF 
The cost of a full days training for Adults is £120, Juniors £90, Christmas gift vouchers available. More dates coming soon! 
To book on November 11th call Shorttrack UK office 01673 878426 

Ride Academy Metro Give-Away

From Don at Metro Racing...

METRO RACING ANNOUNCES VINTAGE DIRT TRACK WEEKEND PLANS
Ride Academy Holds School at Square Deal Raceway to kick off AMA Vintage Dirt Track National Weekend

The last weekend in June at Square Deal Raceway in Harpursville, NY is traditionally when vintage flat track racers come to race and this year is no different. The AMA Vintage Dirt Track National, also known as the Larry Weiss Memorial, will be held Friday, June 29th & Saturday, June 30, 2012.

To get the weekend started, the staff at Ride Academy have agreed to hold one of their highly acclaimed flat track schools on Wednesday, June 27th and Thursday, June 28th. All of the instructors at the Ride Academy (including Johnny Lewis, above) have raced the quarter mile track at Square Deal and have been looking forward to an opportunity to doing a school there. And while the school is being offered to vintage riders who can learn some secrets of speed and agility at the school and take their knowledge to the track the following two days, any one at any level can attend to experience two days with the champions from the Ride Academy.

As a bonus, Metro Racing, has stepped up to give away one spot in the Ride Academy school that weekend. Metro's VP, Don Miller says, "We're excited that Ride Academy chose to come to Square Deal and do a school. Classes have been packed for their schools in the past and we're sure it will be capacity for this date too. So we're happy to be able to offer a free pass to one lucky person to attend. Face value is $500, but the stuff these guys will teach you is absolutely priceless."

The entry form is below. The winner will be picked by one of the Ride Academy team during the opening round of the AMA Pro Flat Track Race at the Daytona Speedway on March 15.

To reserve one of the remaining 19 spots in the school, contact the Ride Academy.

UPDATE: From Don to make it clear... The school will be on the 27th&28th. The instructors, GNC riders, will beat feet out to Lima, after the school lets out in time for the National. Our AMA National Double header is June 29th&30th. As for the last 7-8 years, it's been on the same weekend as Lima.

American Supercamp

From Garrett B in Colorado

'Too tired and sore to even think at this point, so I'll give more details later, but check this out:
I wore my Dick Mann shirt on the last day of Supercamp. Chris Carr says, "Nice Sideburn shirt! Look at this!" This man is amazing to watch and learn from.'

That's an old Sideburn shirt, by the way.

We have a great interview with Chris coming up in SB10. G

Learn to Race, Ride, Slide

We were honoured when, a couple of years ago, Chris Carr said he'd like to sell Sideburn from his pit at the GNC races. Now he has retired from racing (but certainly not flat track), our GNC pit salesman is National #10, Johnny Lewis. This is great for us. Johnny is polymathic, a thinker, a do-er and he also, sometimes, races dressed as the Cookie Monster. Johnny is in Sideburn 9, makes a mean video too (that's his work at the top) and has his fingers in a few different pies. One is a riding/race school. Check out the front wheel saves they teach. They have an incredible roster of instructors - #1 Jake Johnson, Jared Mees, Kenny Coolbeth, Tim Eades, Johnny himself. This is what he says about it.

We had a great weekend with wonderful weather and tons of great talent!
For more info on the school and our plans for 2012 please contact me. New website being released soon!SNEAK PEEK
Johnny Lewis
RIDE Academy- marketing manager

For those in the UK looking for a flat track taster, we've been hearing good things about Peter Boast's low-key and friendly Short Track UK School in North Lincolnshire. G

Italian Flat Track Training

From Celtibero

We are glad to announce you the dates and final program of our first Flattrack training experience weekends at the Celtibero's test track, with perfectly setup surface, instruction bikes, our own race bikes and on top of that, the pro rider Jacopo Monti giving friendly advice to all those that are not quicker than him.

Would be a pleasure to see you there. Call us to secure your ride!

New Flat Track School

Mr Motivator, Pete Boast of Shortttrack UK has now taken up the schooling mantle from FT Experience who ceased trading at the end of last year due to dwindling numbers. Boastie was one of the instructors when I did my FTE day, you couldn't want for better tuition, he's both a speedway and flat track champ. He may not be able to tone your pecs and abs, but he can teach you to get your machine sideways. BPWe are pleased to confirm that we are now able to offer training days, running from Scunthorpe Raceway in Lincolnshire. It will be a full day's course from 10am to 4.30 pm, running on a 175 metre oval on 230 CCM DTX bikes provided by us.
The School will be designed for Complete Novices to the sport, Junior riders and racers just starting out.The day will cover starting out on the track, riding position, backing the bike into a bend, controling a slide and riding, more riding, more riding. Instruction will given by 2009 British & European flattrack Champion Pete Boast.
The Cost of a full Days Training for Adults is £120, Juniors £90, including lunch. Anyone who joins Shorttrack UK after the course will get £20 back or if you are already registered with Shorttrack for 2011 you will get £20 discount.
Dates in place at the moment are all Saturdays - April 2nd, April 30th and May 14th. To reserve your place please call the shorttrack office on 01673 878426.

Like A Virgin

CC school part II. After a lunch of Twiglets, custard creams, mini scotch eggs, Shipham's paste sadwiches (neatly cut into small triangles) - washed down with some muddy tea, it's out on to the oval on a proper bike, a 400cc CCM FT35. I wasn't the only novice as Carl (who is building the SB project FT) had never ridden flat track either, so we made a pact not to laugh at each other. But he forgot to tell me that he was a beach racing champion. I was prepared to make a total tit of myself, but proudly only crashed once, and earned the not so honoury title Corpral Lowside. It was a brilliant day. BP

PS Book yourself onto the FT Experience and ride CCM flat trackers. Chris won't be there, but the newly crowned UK Short Track and Thunderbike champion, Peter Boast and his crew will give you pointers. GI

Freshly Made Donuts

The Chris Carr flat track school is life changing, full stop. The day starts with Karate Kid type wax-on, wax-off repetetive exercises; including donuts, on a crappy CCM-badged C-XR230-E. I say crappy because you wouldn't waste your piss on it if it caught fire - or so I thought. By lunch time I WANT one of these disposable Chinese toys. The Man shows us how it's done - it aint as easy as it looks, but the seeds have been sown. Apart from being the winingest flat tracker ever, Chris Carr is also an inspirational teacher. Firm and authorative, but funny and patient too.



Big Fool BP

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