FLAT TRACK IS BACK JACK
Flat Track is making its comeback deep in West Auckland - which seems fitting for the open-wheeled minority discipline. Among the furry of speedway solos, side cars and classics, the Rosebank Road facility greeted Scott Wilkins and his merry band of dirt bike riding men with open arms. Is Flat Track Back? It’s sure as hell trying.
So what is Flat Track? In its simplest form…it’s speedway on dirt bikes. A flat oval track where the first to cross the finish line after ‘X’ amount of laps is the winner. Also known as Dirt Track in some parts of the world, but made popular in America (like most things), American Flat Track racing is a huge sport that is booming in the USA.
The anticipation is electric
OK - Flat Track never actually went anywhere with South Canterbury having a track to rip on now. But in recent years it seems to have been as popular as Trials - which to be fair, isn’t very popular at all.
So in comes Scott Wilkins - NZ’s instigator of motorcycling anything and current NZ land speed record holder on an apparently pretty quick Kawasaki H2. Over the past speedway season, Scott has rustled together a small group of Flat Track riders and convinced the Rosebank Motorcycle Speedway community to let these rag-tag groups of dirt bikers on the purpose built track. This all culminated to the final race of the season and a winner takes all prize-money event that attracted the top 10 Flat Track riders in the North Island. OK - maybe the only 10 Flat Track riders in the North Island. But never the less - with a bigger crowd than a National Motocross, the Flat Track Riders put on a display that had them leave the facility as heroes.
The full grid and two-row start line of the first race had everyone on the seat of their flat tracker!
The First corner is always exciting as the field bunches up pretty quickly.
Riding a Yamaha two-stroke - Toby Summers was probably the quickest rider in the field, but was only ever seen here - lying down on the job.
Neil Doherty was riding a Kawasaki Bits-an-pieces which sadly failed him during race one.
His efforts to get the old girl running again came to a sad end. RIP Kawasaki.
Hamish Fox is a bit of a jack of all trades. Enduro, Road Racing and now Flat Track on a borrowed Kawi 450.
Scott Wilkins made the transition to Flat Track pretty easy with his Motard bike just sitting in the shed. A few adjustments and no front brake was all it took.
Toby Summers looking for traction. Or is that looking for slide?
Mat Ineson had a very interesting Vertemati pumping out on the track. With its right sided forward kicking action it was quite the vintage eye candy.
On Sam Smith’s (not the singer) Flat Track bike, Blake Gillard donned the leathers again and took to the track like he does with most things. Pretty darn well.
The the real award goes to Alan Morris. His very gorgeous and very vintage Yamaha RD/RS/R Goodness knows what turned up in showroom condition, before he threw it into the dirt. It was a beautiful thing.
Zac Fuller, who was also a swinger on one of the side cars gave the Flat Track riding a go and was easily the most animated out there, having no trouble getting sideways.
On the other Two-Stroke saw Nico Kolilewsky and his Husky WR looking for traction around the Rosebank circuit.
Another bike that looked like it had all the pieces was the Yamaha of Matthew Wortman, who also had a swing-arm request for any willing participant.
But when the dust settled and the bikes stopped sliding and Toby was up off the floor again, it was Blake Gillard who was the most consistent over the three races and won the day from Zac Fuller and Toby Summers.
More of Alan and his beautiful machine.
This is Toby railing the wall of the speedway track much to the excitement and cheering of all the fans lining the fences.
I timely reminder of the life of a sidecar swinger who was left behind.
There was some cool Solo action too.
From both ends
And some crazy side cars going backwards - god knows why?
Bench racing
One more for the road - because…. Look at it.
If you are interested in this Flat Track movement there is a Facebook page. CLICK HERE to go and check it out, register your interest and join in on the fun.