Short Track Racing

(photos courtesy of Ray Archer)

Short track racing or dirt track as it’s known in America (where it originated) is a physically demanding sport run on speedway tracks in Britain by Short Track UK, the sport may only have started over here in 2005 but it’s getting quite a lot of support already and is destined to be big over here in the next couple of years.

The sport has been massive in the USA for donkey’s years and one of the most enthusiastic racers was the legendary Steve McQueen. Steve loved riding dirt bikes and he stars in the classic bike documentary ‘On Any Sunday’ which features one of the biggest race meetings in America. The film was released in 1971 and still leaves audiences spell bound 35 years later, buy it on DVD if you’ve not seen it and you’ll be inspired and in awe. Dirt track is run slightly differently in the UK but it is still one of the toughest forms of racing you can compete in. Twelve riders line up on the oval circuit on dirt trackers (which can be converted road bikes) and basically ride sideways for the entire duration of the race.

CCM

Bolton based bike manufacturer CCM built the FT-35s ‘Flat tracker’ road bike to meet the growing interest in the sport and to provide a weapon for them to dominate the race series. The FT-35 is a
quirky classic looking machine which may look a bit old fashioned (and its meant to) but it’s fitted with top components including a Suzuki DRZ-400 engine which is very torquey and easily tuneable for a bit more poke. The brakes, forks and suspension are all top notch on the road bike but because flat track racers are as hard as nails the front brake is removed for racing, yep flat track bikes have no front brake. Until you actually have a go at it this may seem a bit scary but once you get out onto the shale you realise it’s taken off for your own safety. Braking with the front lever whilst going sideways around a gravel strewn track is a definite no no so they take the temptation away!

The CCM bikes have five gears but you’ll only need the first two or three during a race, quite lucky really ‘cos you don’t get much time to change gear before each of the four corners. Factory CCM rider Lee Complin won the 2006 Short Track championship and he’s been enlisted to run the CCM Experience where anybody can go and spend the day being taught by Lee and Pete Boast (another vastly experienced racer) how to ‘Back it in’ on board a race prepped CCM FT-35s. For £235 you get a full day of instruction, the all important bike, fuel, insurance, lunch and riding gear and it really is one of the best ways to spend a day, it’s different to any other track day you may have experienced in the past and the skills you learn will benefit you whenever you’re on two wheels. Check out www.ccm-motorcycles.net for available dates and details of CCM’s range of bikes.       
      
You don’t have to have a CCM to race flat track, one or two riders just use converted moto-x bikes and the regulations make it quite easy for most off road type machines to enter, so it can be a fairly cheap sport to get into if you’ve already got a bike in the shed. If you’ve got no experience of off roading, I suggest you do a CCM Experience day first though, its riding like you’ve never ridden before.

Check out the Short Track UK website at www.shorttrackuk.com to find your nearest venue, go along and watch it, if you dare…

(photos courtesy of Ray Archer)