Guest post from John Harrison
Dirt Quake produced racers: I know I'm one, along with many other UK and European flat track racers across all classes, but it wasn't just adults who got bitten.
These photos, from Dirt Quake IV in 2015 feature, young Marcie Skipp and her older brother Wilbur participating in the bicycle race. At four years old Marcie was the youngest and smallest rider on track and she stole MC Conway 'Dibbles' Castle's heart (along with the crowd's) so he ensured she won.
Wilbur started racing in the DTRAs junior classes as soon as he was old enough, riding the coolest bike on the grid. He wrote about it in Sideburn 35.
When he moved up a class he upgraded to another cool old bike, a Lazer Honda XL125, a pukka 3/4 scale framer.
Marcie soon joined in the fun on her brother's former ride, and it wasn't long before she was on the podium, at Kings Lynn, where she had won the bicycle race.
In 2023 they both move up a class, so Marcie will graduate to the 125 framer and Wilbur will be throwing his leg over an old Can-Am.
What I, as a Vintage Class rider, find great is that none of the bikes they ride are as powerful or reliable as the modern, water-cooled two-strokes that the majority of their classmates ride, but that never diminishes their motivation or fun. Pure class. JH
Photos: Sam Christmas, Paul France, Braking Point, Sideburn
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