Like a flat track missionary sent to spread the gospel, Wayne Drake left the UK shores in the pre-DTRA days having regularly, and successfully competed in Peter Boast's Short Track UK series.
Drakey raced a rough and ready XS650, then an SR500, in the Thunderbike class, always while wearing a wonderfully battered set of old grasstrack leathers, and he rode with full-gas abandon and aplomb.
Since he and his family emigrated to New Zealand, he's been trying to get a flat track scene off the ground and sent us this update.
I've been trying to get flat track going in New Zealand. Finally got racing in the south island at Moore Park Speedway. This video (below) is the guys in the the North Island at Rosebank Speedway. Don't think he's got the hand of sliding! Check out Team Drake on Facebook for my progress.
A mention on your blog would be good as am having political battles with regards who's gonna run it as interest is beginning to take off. I have been pushing flat track over here for last two years but smashed my collarbone badly so couldn't even ride for last 14 months.
I started doing demo rides on my own with a bike from my boss at Gould Motorcycles who then supplied four brand new converted MX bikes to do demo days , then got a few interested people. Next we got the local Backflips Dirt Farm in Timaru to put in an oval on their MX park and a regular group of us have been riding down in Timaru, South Island. Some guys in the North Island had a small oval too and did the same up there. We managed to get some demo races this season at our local speedway track but are struggling with licences and officials between [the two islands] at the moment.
We are currently running all bikes together but with more people coming out, will soon have DTX and classics. People can find out more by contacting me +6427 3037544,
Facebook Flat Track Auckland if you're North Island.
Cheers Heaps
Drakey#72
This is the video link Drakey sent. I've seen UK number 1 Toby Hales do this on a practice day, but not in a race (yet)