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Thread: Flat Trackers?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    16th December 2009 - 18:58
    Bike
    Suzuki GS550 1978
    Location
    Upper Hutt
    Posts
    36
    Is anyone interested in getting flat / grass track started again here ? I've put a few feelers out amongst VMX guys who have tried a couple of times to resurect it but seems Kiwis just aren't interested.
    I am starting a bike business up this year and am interested in building grass track and speedway (shale speedway like England, Europe not the clay version here) bikes. I would be very interested in getting racing going again if I could get enough interest. I might start another thread and see if there is anybody else out there. It's a FANTASTIC sport and can't see why it asen't caught on here. Any thoughts?

  2. #17
    Flattrack was started in NZ in the late '70's by Bryce Sibritzky,to get more involvement at Rosebank speedway in Auckland...Rosebank had previously just been the practice track.The only rules were no brakes and no knobs,the 750 limit was not really relevant as no one was going to go out on anything bigger.The first few meetings saw about 25 bikes out on track - it was carnage! Then they split it up,but still a dozen bikes in a race....starting line 4 rows deep.Over the years it developed with a lot of riders on track,Owl brought in the American influence,as when the Owl gets interested in something,he's into it all the way.

    Unfortunately what started as a feeder class into real speedway became more expensive as the bikes more sophisticated.In the last few years Shane Scanlon was ruling the roost with a Champion framed XR,and then a Husky 510 on alky.Others were using the latest MX bikes.Why spend all that money to race flattrack,when for a couple of grand you could get a real 2 valve speedway bike and do the real thing.

    That's why it died....it just became too expensive for a marginal sport.Also there was a bit of the club snobbery,speedway riders looked down on flattrackers.I've heard the old flattracker's of the time talking about getting something going again,but like me they are too old to go around hitting walls.Young blood,that's what is needed....but how to get them interested? Get some motarders to put K180's on and hit the dirt.Don't see the point on riding a motard only on seal,but that's what they do in NZ.

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