Short Track News

After the FT Experience School had to close down at the end of last year, we are pleased to confirm that we are now able to offer training days, running from Scunthorpe Raceway in Lincolnshire. It will be a full days course from 10am to 4.00 pm, running on a 175 metre oval on 230 CCM DTX bikes provided by us.
The School is 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 2012 you will get £20 discount.

2012 SCHOOL DATES......... SUNDAY MARCH 18TH,SATURDAY APRIL 14TH,SATURDAY JUNE 9TH.

To reserve your place or to purchase a gift voucher, please call the shorttrack office
on 01673 878426.
For more info please ring the above number or drop us a line..flat track school info

May i just recommend Short Track UK http://www.shorttrackuk.com/Started.html , where i spent last Saturday as a fantastic experience. I was and am still largely ignorant of all kinds of off road riding. I saw flat track antics in the film 'On Any Sunday' recently and wondered how one would possibly get started on such an alien activity. I could see the benefits it may bring to my road riding instantly from the film, but then when a mate recommended Short Track UK i booked on poste-haste. I have ridden for 15years on the road, commuting and regular track days, trips to the Ring and the annual homage to the TT (and / or MGP) plus touring etc ... and taken various courses too along the way. This however is the first time i feel compelled to jump up and down about a course. Mick and Pete are proper top lads and the day takes you from zero to hero. Hearts of gold and lots of friendly encouragement in a well structured format. They lay on a fantastic spread for lunch which gets tucked into on two other minor breaks too. Just have to take your own leathers and ACU Gold Star helmet. Get a bunch of mates in a car and get the full Monty for just 120GBP/head ..... seriously good crack and come away with a brilliant new skill, which boosts road riding confidence no end. 10 out of 10 rating.

Regards, t (Lichfield)

So , you’ve been to a few meetings , had a chat with the racers and thought “ I fancy a go at that ! …..but don’t know how to get involved , what do I do ? “

Novice Class - for riders who have ridden less than 6 meetings or a rider who has never made a Thunderbike final. If he or she wishes to be upgraded before the 6 meetings are completed, they may apply for permission from STUK.

Junior Shorttrack Class - 7-11 yrs old, 65 two stroke/150 air cooled four stroke.

Inter Shorttrack Class - 11- 14 yrs old, 85 two stroke/230 four stroke.

Youth Shorttrack Class - 14 - 17 yrs old, 125 two stroke/250 four stroke.

At the very least , you can ride a bike with gears and a clutch ! Great , then you’re almost ready !
There are 2 ways to proceed :
Buy a bike , get the kit and paperwork sorted , pay your money , turn up and ride.

Fine if you’re a Riding God , but in reality there’s a fair chance you’ll end up worrying more about technique and the sheer speed of your competitors than actually enjoying the experience.

Or Call Shorttrack Office and ask if there is practice day coming up or any training sessions.

If you think at the end of the training session that Short Track racing is for you , you can then move onto the next stage.

The Bike

Check out The Regulations (see regulations page), and decide which class you’re going to race in ( Tip. Thunderbikes can race in both classes , maximising your racing opportunities ! )
You can buy a bike ready to go ( have a look on the For Sale page ) or you can build your own , depending on your mechanical ability of course.
A Moto-X , Enduro or Supermoto bike can easily be adapted to race in the Short Track class . Check out the Suppliers section for equipment that you will need.

Alternatively , a Thunderbike can be built pretty much from scratch . www.ebay.co.uk can be a useful resource .

Tip. Type in a variety of key words or phrases individually in the search function , such as
“Flat Track “, “Flat Tracker” ,“Dirt Track “, “ Dirt Tracker “, also “Project”,” Spares” and “Repairs” , some listers may use some but not all of these words so it opens up your options to try lots of searches,Try in both Motorcycles and Scooters for Sale AND Motorcycle Parts and Accessories as some useful equipment can
get listed in the wrong category. Remember also that what a vendor may consider to be a hopeless basket case incapable of passing an MOT may be exactly what you’re after .

Riding Gear

An ACU approved helmet , one piece or zip together leathers , or Moto-X kit are a must . Get the best that your budget will run to . Similarly , gloves and boots
will have to be presented for inspection before you go out at each meeting , and therefore should be up to scratch. Remember , if you do come off ( and you will )
your kit is the only thing between yourself and the track , hot engines and spinning wheels !

Paperwork
Short Track UK is governed by the IOPD. Shortrack UK can issue you with a licence to ride under the IOPD - £5 for a day licence or £15 annually or they will accept an ACU or FIM licence too, just tick the 'Shorttrack' option on your licence application.

You will also need to be registered with Short Track UK. You can contact us on 01673 878426 or email for more info on how to do this, or you can download a registration pack from the regulations page.