Royal Enfield is pleased to announce a headline partnership with the DTRA (Dirt Track Riders Association), to help support the growth of European Flat Track racing at both an amateur and club level. A key entry point to accessible grass-roots motorcycle sport, the DTRA has nurtured the development of Flat Track racing in the UK and Europe by establishing fun, friendly race meetings for rookie and pro riders to compete side by side in a professionally run series.
The 2023 partnership announcement follows two years of successful championship winning campaigns for Royal Enfield in the DTRA’s Twins Class, with Pro rider Gary Birtwistle and factory development rider Paul Young piloting the Royal Enfield ‘Twins FT’ race machines to victory in 2021 & ’22 consecutively. Hopes are high for Birtwistle to retain the DTRA Twins title in ’23, having finished the ’22 season with an astonishing clean sweep of 7 consecutive wins.
Alongside his racing achievements, Gary Birtwistle is committed to developing the next generation of DTRA competitors through the Royal Enfield Slide School programme. Utilising modified versions of the highly acclaimed Scram 411, Gary coaches riders and develops their Flat Track skills at Slide School training sessions across the UK. With more Slide Schools operating in the Netherlands, Italy and the USA Royal Enfield is committed to showcase the fun and accessibility of the sport and will be running a single make
’Slide School Mini-Series’ over three rounds within the existing DTRA 2023 racing calendar – taking place at Peterborough Arena, Mallory Park and Greenfield Dirt Track in Lincolnshire.
The Dirt Track Riders Association has just announced its dates and full details for the six round DTRA Flat Track Nationals series 2023, the Royal Enfield supported series will feature the following classes: Pro, Adult Intermediate, Rookie, Twins, Thunderbike, Vintage (Pre 1975 Two Stroke and Four Stroke), Hooligan, Mini Bike (Stock and Modified), Youth Junior, Youth Intermediate and Youth Senior.
Rider entries are now open for all classes and Anthony Brown, DTRA Race Director expressed his excitement about the forthcoming season. “We cannot wait to get things underway in mid April,” he says. “We have showcase meetings which will attract more spectator engagement at the MCN Festival in Peterborough, Mallory Park Bike Bonanza and the grand finals at Greenfield Dirt Track in Lincolnshire, I am really pleased to have the support of Royal Enfield on board; they really understand the people we have riding with us and the direction we are travelling with our sport.”
Commenting on the partnership Adrian Sellers, head of Royal Enfield’s Custom & Motorsport program said “Royal Enfield’s investment in grass-roots racing has been developing rapidly over the past few years, especially in the world of Flat Track racing. Fielding teams in the premier Twins class with the UK DTRA (Dirt Track Riders Association) and USA AFT (American Flat Track) series, alongside the establishment of Flat Track “Slide Schools” is making the growing sport accessible to more newcomers.
We hope that our support of the DTRA series will help develop the local Flat Track community and grow the sport in Europe – Lets go racing!”
