Royal Enfield has a strong flat track racing record. It has triumphed in the last two years of the DTRA’s (Dirt Track Riders Association) Twins Class, with Pro rider Gary Birtwistle and factory development rider Paul Young piloting the Royal Enfield ‘Twins FT’ race machines to championship victory in 2021 and ’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 seven consecutive wins.
Now Royal Enfield has announced that it will take its commitment to flat tracking even further, signing a headline partnership with the DTRA to help support the growth of European flat track racing at both an amateur and club level.
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.
Alongside his racing achievements, Birtwistle works on the Royal Enfield Slide School programme. Using modified Scram 411 bikes, Gary coaches riders and develops their flat track skills at Slide School training sessions across the UK.
The Dirt Track Riders Association has just announced its dates and full details for the six round DTRA Flat Track Nationals series 2023 and, in addition, Royal Enfield will be running a ’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.
Rider entries are now open for all classes and Anthony Brown, DTRA Race Director expressed his excitement about the forthcoming season. He said: “We cannot wait to get things underway in mid-April. 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 and Motorsport programme added: “Royal Enfield’s investment in grassroots 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.”
