Dirt Track Riders Association – 2019 Season Review
During the last couple of seasons, regular spectators and racers of the Dirt Track Riders Association have seen the series going from strength to strength. Attracting riders from foreign countries and different areas of the two-wheeled racing world.
Report by Max Inman – Images courtesy of Paul France
The tight, wheel to wheel racing round British ovals, good atmosphere and low entry costs have attracted professional Spanish flat trackers, ex AMA American Flat Track racers, and many more. Here’s an overview of the 2019 season.
PRO CLASS
Team Greenfield filled all three positions in the championship, with two of their riders getting on the podium for the second season on the trot. Spaniard Gerard Bailo, who finished second in the 2018 championship, went one better in 2019 and secured the number 1 plate. While 2018 Champion, Lincolnshire’s Toby Hales, finished third in the standings, nine points behind the final Greenfield Pro rider, Ferran Sastre, the series’ other Spanish regular. Gary Birtwistle, one of the Evolve Motorsports riders, was only five points off the last podium spot. After getting his second ever win at round one, held at the Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn, Birtwistle put himself in good stead to finish high in the standings. Dutchman Maikel Dijkstra came fifth overall in the Pro class. That means three different nationalities were represented by the top five racers in the championship standings.
The DTRA had some surprise guests at various rounds last season. One being Johnny Lewis, the American who has his own flat track school, Moto Anatomy. The former AFT racer travelled over from Florida to race round two at the MCN show, he came third, behind the two Spaniards.
It was nice to have Tim Neave and Tom Neave back racing with the DTRA on the Greenfield Oval. They both grew up racing flat track in the UK but their main focus now is racing National Superstock 1000 in the British Superbike series. Even after long breaks from flat track when the twins return to the DTRA they put on an amazing show for racers and spectators.
Gary Birtwistle, yes, the one who came fourth in the Pro standings finished first in the Hooligan Championship sponsored by Indian Motorcycles. Birtwistle raced a Ducati Scrambler, modified by Survivor Customs, and won four out of the five Hooligan races finishing ahead Leah Tokelove by 23 points. Tokelove is the only female to race in both the Pro and Hooligan championship. Mid-season Tokelove and Lee Kirkpatrick both changed bikes from the Indian Scout 60 to big budget S&S Indian FTR 1200s. The bike change spiced up the championship, with Tokelove scoring her first ever win in the DTRA at the televised DirtQuake round. Kirkpatrick completed the season in third, joint on points with Dakar Rally veteran Max Hunt who raced in just three Hooligan races, coming second in all of them.
Top 12 racers from each 2019 Dirt Track Riders Association round:
Round 1 (Adrian Flux Arena, King’s Lynn)
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#17 Gerard Bailo
#215 Ferran Sastre
#15 Franc Serra
#58 Maikel Dijkstra
#54 Peter Boast
#116 Sam Hurst
#98 Richard Mason
#500 Rob Mear
#41 Angus Gough
#37 Leah Tokelove
#1 Toby Hales
Round 2 (East of England Showground, Peterborough)
#17 Gerard Bailo
#215 Ferran Sastre
#15 Johnny Lewis
#1 Toby Hales
#500 Rob Mear
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#58 Maikel Dijkstra
#54 Peter Boast
#19 Jordan Miller
#37 Leah Tokelove
#41 Angus Gough
#75 Paul Young
Round 3 (Greenfield TT)
#17 Gerard Bailo
#215 Ferran Sastre
#98 Richard Mason
#1 Toby Hales
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#243 Max Hunt
#41 Angus Gough
#500 Rob Mear
#37 Leah Tokelove
#33 Sean Kelly
#7 Neil Mcqueen
#36 Joe Banks
Round 4 (Ammanford Trotting Track, ½ mile)
#1 Toby Hales
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#17 Gerard Bailo
#58 Maikel Dijkstra
#215 Ferran Sastre
#15 Franc Serra
#19 Jordan Miller
#41 Angus Gough
#500 Rob Mear
#37 Leah Tokelove
#76 Skye Adams
#33 Sean Kelly
Round 5 (Ammanford Trotting Tack, ½ mile)
#58 Maikel Dijkstra
#1 Toby Hales
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#17 Gerard Bailo
#215 Ferran Sastre
#41 Angus Gough
#15 Franc Serra
#500 Rob Mear
#37 Leah Tokelove
#116 Sam Hurst
#19 Jordan Miller
#36 Joe Banks
Round 6 (Redcar Speedway)
#215 Ferran Sastre
#17 Gerard Bailo
#1 Toby Hales
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#500 Rob Mear
#58 Maikel Dijkstra
#37 Leah Tokelove
#19 Jordan Miller
#41 Angus Gough
#116 Sam Hurst
#69 Conrad Little
#81 Jamie Robertson
Round 7 (Greenfield Oval)
#215 Ferran Sastre
#17 Gerard Bailo
#1 Toby Hales
#68 Tom Neave
#15 Tim Neave
#11 Gary Birtwistle
#54 Peter Boast
#500 Rob Mear
#37 Leah Tokelove
#33 Sean Kelly
#41 Angus Gough
#35 Mike Hill
VINTAGE CLASS
The 2019 DTRA Vintage class had two different classes, one for two-strokes, another for four-strokes. Frenchman Dimitri Coste travelled from Paris to race his Triumph Trackmaster in every round of the Vintage championship. This is the first full season Coste has competed in in the UK, and what a way to do it, ending it being crowned the National Vintage Four-Stroke Champion. Only six points behind Coste’s haul of 80, was John Harrison. One of the oldest riders in the class, 59-year-old Harrison, riding a 1972 Triumph 650, came was second overall for two years in succession. Rick Bearcroft was close behind in third place on another Triumph 650.
In the Vintage Two-Stroke class, 25-year-old mechanic, Sean Kelly finished the season only six points off the maximum 120 points, winning every race but one. Kelly’s debut season in the Vintage class couldn’t have gone much better for him and his 1973 Suzuki TS400. 29 points behind Sean Kelly was organic farmer Mike Fisher on a Bultaco Astro, Fisher’s consistent performance allowed him to come second in the championship even though he missed a round. Third overall was Lucia Aucott, in her first season in the vintage class and the only women to race this class in 2019. She finished the season with two third places on her rare Ossa Stiletto.
YOUTH CLASSES
It was a big season for younger riders this season with many of them moving classes, or getting to grips with new, bigger and faster bikes. Jack Bell in his last year of riding in the youth, was unbeaten all season finishing with a maximum of 120pts in the Youth Senior class. Following behind was Fergus Bluff, with 92pts. Fergus was one of three youth racers on Team Greenfield. Bell and Bluff will both move up to the adult classes in the upcoming season, along with Archie May, who came fourth in the Youth Senior Championship. In third place, just two points ahead of May, was Luke Gardner.
In the Youth Intermediate class, for riders between 10 and 15 on 230cc four-strokes or 85cc two-strokes, Ted Wilkinson also scored a maximum of 120pts, the young racer showing great progression throughout the season and is set for a great one once again. Behind Wilkinson was Charlie Kelly, with 92pts. Team Greenfield racer Thomas Hunt finished third overall after scoring high points in the four of the seven rounds he was able to attend.
Wyatt Hopkins was crowned 2019 Champion of the youngest youth class, DTRA Youth Junior, also scoring a maximum of 120 points. Young Wyatt was unbeaten all season. Following close behind was Oscar Osborne-Wilkes in P2 and Paddy Moore in P3.
We look forward to Max covering the Dirt Track Riders Association events in 2020, so watch this space!
For the 2020 Dirt Track Riders Association dates and class info head here>> https://www.dirthub.co.uk/2020-indian-motorcycles-flat-track-nationals-dates-announced/
