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TDirtQuake invitational
It’s not every day you
get an invite to attend a
high-profile race meeting
- even rarer that it’s a free
weekend, so no expensive
entry fees!
W
ith an offer like that on the table,
it was a no-brainer that I would
say yes; so along with Simon Allan
(another DirtQuake veteran) we headed-off to
the East of England Showground to take part
in a DirtQuake showcase that would see all
the various classes involved in the event on
track at the same time!
Scooters, Inappropriate Road Bikes,
Choppers and Street Trackers classes allmixed up together – what could possibly go
wrong?
Sadly, before we even got to the event,
things went horribly wrong for Simon, as his
gearbox decided to say goodbye whilst his
Quattrini-equipped Vespa was being tuned on
the dyno at Wilkinson Racing. With too little
time left to get it rebuilt, it meant that I’d be
the only classic scooter there.
Arriving Friday night ready for an early start
on Saturday, we witnessed the rain overnight,
which meant a delayed start whilst the track
was worked on to make it safe to ride. Sadly,
this was short-lived as we only managed a
practice session before a series of accidents
caused the organisers to pull the plug for
safety reasons.
Sunday dawned with a misty start, but by
9am it had cleared away as the sun came out
and we were left with a beautiful sun-soaked
day. Alongside the DirtQuake showcase
there was also a full DTRA (Dirt Track Riders’
Association) meeting to keep fans entertained.With the sun shining, we managed a full
racecard of three heats and a final for all riders.
The little LD had some formidable
opponents ranging from tuned Honda Cubs,
Harley-Davidsons and even Chris ‘The Stalker’
Walker riding a 1200cc Indian Scout. I’d love
to say I was up there on the podium at the end
of the final, but I was at the other end of the
pack. I did feel more confident as the day went
on, so in my book that was a win.
For 2019 I’ve had the engine in my scooter
rebuilt using a 172cc Malossi kit, fitted and
tuned at Wilkinson Racing, one of the UK’s
top auto engine specialists. The scooter
performed faultlessly and with far more power
than last year, the LD was on top form; sadly
the same can’t be said about me.
This year I will be out in a number of
different racing events on the LD, hopefully
seeing improvements in both the scooter and
rider – watch this space as they say.
Words: Jon Betts
Images: Jon Sealey at Braking Point ImagesMay 19, 2019With Simon’s Vespa destroying its
gearbox before the event, he came
along as my mechanic and race
advisor.Off the line the LD was as quick as most
on the track; sadly my lack of skill
meant I didn’t stay ahead for long!Events like this mean that just about anyone can have a go at racing, and if you
haven’t tried it before I can highly recommend it.Scooters are not the first thing you think of when flat track racing, but where
there’s a will there’s a way. Eventual winner was Hubert Bastie, seen here
showboating on his lap of honour following his success in the final.70 WWW.CLASSICSCOOTERIST.COM