Go to sideburnmagazine.com to see more of Brad Baker having fun on this studded muffin.

Young DTRA racer Ollie Brindley posted a quicker lap time than Brad Baker in Friday night's Open Class class practice. Marc Marquez topped the Superprestigio class and was quickest overall, Ollie second quickest.

Ollie has always qualified well at the big races, but hasn't always had the best luck in the races. He has made the grand final in the past.

Contrary to what we posted the other days, the Fanschoice stream is for the US only. Motors TV are showing the live footage in the UK. Go to DTXBarcelona for other country details.

The other Brits out there are Alan Birtwistle (who gives us his Get Schooled tips in Sideburn 27); George Pickering and Toby Hales. 

 Photo: Anthony Brown

Superprestigio is on this weekend and the evening main event is being livestreamed for free around the world on fanschoice.tv.

2015 Superprestigio champion Brad Baker has been in Spain since early November, training on the bike he is going to compete on, including a visit to Rossi's Ranch. As long as he doesn't get tangled up in a crash he is going to win it, he's an indoor short track animal. He did crash in the Barcelona event in 2014, breaking his shoulder, with experts blaming it on unfamiliar 17in wheels. They're not unfamiliar any more. The Superprestigio rules demand 17in wheels and Michelin road race wets, not the regular 19in wheels regular dirt track races use. This is because Michelin are a sponsor and don't make suitable 19in tyre.

British interest is stronger than ever. The DTRA has four riders in contention - Superprestigio regulars Ollie Brindley and 2017 DTRA champion Alan Birtwistle, plus George Pickering and Toby Hales.

The DTRA were allowed to field extra riders when the troubled Spanish National dirt track series fizzled out before it could hold its end of season qualifying race.

For those unfamiliar with the format, the entry is split into two: Superprestigio and Open. The former is for road racers. The only current MotoGP rider in the whole field this year is Marc Marquez, where in the past there has been a handful of MotoGP men. There are still plenty of Moto2 and Moto3 riders and, for the first time, former WSB factory Ducati rider Ruben Xaus (see him below on a Ducati Hypermotard), but the entry is nowhere near as eyecatching as previous years, but don't let put you off. Indoor short track is never boring.

The open class is for riders who compete primarily on dirt - flat trackers, speedway, long track and also, supermoto. There are top racers from Spain, Italy and the UK, plus Baker, the only American this year after Jared Mees pulled out because of injury.

The top four from each class face off in a Super final.

Here is the Superprestigio schedule so you can plan your fanschoice viewing. G

Last month's Santa Rosa Mile was unforgettable for a number of reasons, good and bad. We've covered the bad, now the good. This race was something special. 25 miles of incredible skill, tension and groundbreaking performance.
It marks the beginning of Indian era.
Click Santa Rosa Mile 2016 to watch it, and you really should. G

UPDATE
The third of the modern Spanish Superprestigios goes off this Saturday.

This is a shot from today's practice at the Rufea track. Baker, Mees and Marc Marquez. Love seeing the different body positions. So many ways to skin a cat.

You can watch it live on fanschoice.tv but only if you're in the US. The Spanish organisers must have done a TV deal for Europe. 

Wishing the DTRA Brits all the luck in the world: Ollie Brindley (who made the grand final last December, and also the grand final of the Superprestigio of the America last month), Alan Birtwistle and five-time UK champ, Aidan Collins who is interviewed in Sideburn 23. G

2013 Grand National Champ Brad Baker is teaming up with Kenny Noyes to run a dirt track school in Spain.
Nov 27-29.
More details at www.dirttrack.es

[Poster artwork: Ryan Quickfall]

Also in Spain, the week before the school, is a qualifying race for the Spanish Superprestigio, being held December 12 in Barcelona. G

From Roger in Ohio

The Superprestigio goes off tomorrow evening in Barcelona, Spain. It's arguably the most hotly anticipated dirt track race of the 21st century, and Fanschoice TV, the same great service that has brought live casts and YouTube recordings of every GNC race this year,  is offering a live feed.

If that wasn't enough, our old mate Chris Carr is guest commentator.

The official press release (aimed at Americans, hence the Eastern Time - just google it to work out what time that is where you are) says:

The Superprestigio is set to begin at 12:00 noon ET (9:00 a.m. PT) on Saturday, Dec. 13 and all of the action will be broadcast live on www.FansChoice.tv, the official home for live streaming of all AMA Pro Flat Track events.

There is an incredible line-up of riders including:

SUPERPRESTIGIO CLASS
Marc Marquez - 2014 MotoGP WC
Tito Rabat - 2014 Moto2 WC
Alex Marquez - 2014 Moto3 WC
Scott Redding
Bradley Smith
Toni Elias - 2010 Moto2 WC
Troy Bayliss - 2001, 2006, 2008 WSB WC
Kenny Noyes - 2014 CEV SBK champ

OPEN CLASS
Brad Baker (2013 GNC Champ)
Jared Mees (2x GNC champ)
Shayna Texter
Joonas Kylmakorpi (4x long track WC, who is racing a Zaeta painted by Maxwell Paternoster!)
Thomas Chareyre (3x Supermoto WC - surely a dark horse)
Fabrizio Vesprini (2x FIM Euro flat track champ)
Francesco Cecchini (2014 FIM Euro flat track champ)
Ivan Cervantes (4x Enduro WC)
Taddy Blazusiak - (5x Superenduro WC)
Guy Martin

(WC = World Champion)

The Superprestigio organisers have moved their event from January to December, so, for 2014, there will be two in one calendar year, and it's coming up on Saturday 13 December. That leaves time for you to book a relatively cheap Euro flight out there if you fancy it.

It was a great spectacle last time, in an Olympic arena within the city, and I have a feeling it will be a 15,000-plus sell out this year.

Go to Superprestigio to find out more and order tickets (good website in Spanish, Catalan and English)

SUPERPRESTIGIO CLASS
The class for World Championship road racers.
This year there will be all three current MotoGP champions: Marc and Alex Marquez and Tito Rabat - all local riders so the atmosphere and support should be impressive.
Also from MotoGP are Scott Redding, Bradley Smith and Alvaro Bautista who are all on the provisional entry list. Spanish Superbike champion and Euro Flat Track Festival organiser, Kenny Noyes is in and Troy Bayliss is confirmed too.
No Rossi or Hayden though.

OPEN CLASS
For dirt track specialists and other disciplines, plus those who qualified through the DTRA championship and Kenny Noyes European Dirt Track Festival.
From America, Brad Baker is back and joined by 2014 number 1, Jared Mees.
UK riders include multiple DTRA champ Aidan Collins; current DTRA champ Tim Neave and European Dirt Track Festival champ Tom Neave; Alan Birtwistle and Ollie Brindley.
Dirt Quake III chopper class champion Guy Martin is racing too.
 

Marc Marquez's team are organising another Superprestigio, to follow January's. Brad Baker made a hell of an impression, but I hope they can get whoever is this year's number 1 (and it doesn't look like it's going to be Baker) over for this. We spoke to a bunch of top racers when we were at Springfield and they're dead keen. Here's the official blurb...

It’s now confirmed. Marc Márquez and the current No#1 Dirt Tracker in the World, Brad Baker, will compete next December 13th for the supremacy of the Sant Jordi Arena. 

Backed by Barcelona City Council and organised by RPM Racing and Moto Club Segre, the Sant Jordi Arena will live again in December one of the most exciting and thrilling duels of motorcycling. Last January, the City of Barcelona lived a unique show in the Sant Jordi with a sensational oval soil track, the match between the # 1 World dirt tracker, American Brad Baker, and the youngest ever MotoGP champ, Catalan Marc Márquez. 

A heart breaking finale, unfinished 
Somehow, back in January, the fight for the #1 dirt tracker finished null-null, as Márquez fell following a contact with Baker, two laps before the end of the race, handing the victory to the US rider. In front of 8.000 spectators, after shaking hands, Brad Baker and Marc Márquez agreed for a second edition of the Superprestigio Dirt Track with the aim to have another try of that unfinished Final. 

Over 20 riders from the World Road Racing Championship, and some of the Top American dirt trackers also invited With five months to go 16 road racers have already confirmed their intention to take part in the Event: Tito Rabat (ESP, Moto 2), Bradley Smith (GBR, Moto GP), Álex Márquez (ESP, Moto 3), Scott Redding (GBR, Moto GP), Álex Rins (ESP, Moto 3), Mika Kallio (FIN, Moto 2), Álvaro Bautista (ESP, Moto GP), Johann Zarco (FRA, Moto 2), Jonas Folger (GER, Moto 2), Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA, Moto 2), Julián Simón (ESP, Moto 2), Kenny Noyes (USA, CEV Superbike) Marcel Schrotter (GER, Moto 2), Xavier Simeon (BEL, Moto 2), Niklas Ajo (FIN, Moto 3) and Enea Bastianini (ITA, Moto 3). 

Other confirmations are expected increasing the list of riders in the Superprestigio category (reserved to road Racing riders). More than 20 riders are expected. Brad Baker will not be the only rider representing the US. These riders together with the best nationals in Enduro, MX and Supermotard will join the Open category. 

Tickets on sale from 25 Euros Tickets will be on sale soon through www.rpmticket.com and www.atrapalo.com starting from 25 Euros 

Marc Márquez: “It was a great to compete against Brad Baker, #1 in the US, in the 1st edition of the Superprestigio Dirt Track. As I expected it was a magical event, full of light, skids and racing with the crowd so close was amazing. The crash was the only inconvenient of that great evening, so I am looking forward to racing again in the Sant Jordi arena, have fun.... and try to beat Brad!”. 

Brad Baker: “I am super excited to visit Barcelona again in December! I met so many great people when I was there in January and everyone made me feel like I was home. RPM Racing and everyone involved with them was top notch and I'm sure they will make the second edition of Superprestegio even greater than the first! It's a complete honour to be invited to Barcelona for a second time and I'm really looking forward to riding with Marc Marquez and all the other great GP riders again as well”.

Last weekend, the GNC series visited Gray's Harbor, Washington for a half-mile race. Our good friend and fellow Dirt Quake USA organiser, Thor Drake of See See Motorcycles went along...

I packed up the ol’ Purple Hog with the bare escentals; tent, sleeping bag and Polaroid camera. No plan in place, just a destination, 130 miles north of Portland to Grays Harbor Racetrack in Elma, Washington for the half-mile AMA GNC dirt track race. My little lady was on a separate trip with her family, coincidentally on the way. I met Tori in a logger bar about halfway to Elma. I roll up on my old leaky Harley, she jumps out of a car, we both load up on the Harley and hit the road. I wonder if this made any sense to the bar keep? 

The sun was shining and was about 85 degrees out, almost perfect conditions for a nice little jaunt up the coast. Leaving the house I had some sense to pack a leather coat knowing full well that in the Pacific North West the weather can change at a moment's notice. Exactly what it did about 20 miles away from the track. In an almost comedic way a black cloud wrapped its arms around the general vicinity of Grays Harbor, living up to its name apparently?!

As we made our way up the hill a slow mist coated us in a chilly blanket. Tori and I arrived at the turn off to the track, I saw some familiar faces headed the other direction. This does not bode well, I think to myself. Still holding on to some lick of hope we pulled into the parking lot. A guy in a golf cart rolled up and said, “Race cancelled.” Just to be sure, as though it was some surprise, I asked again. You mean to tell me the race is cancelled? “Yup” 
Tori and I set up camp in the field next to the track. We cracked a cold one and strolled over to say Hi to group of old timers, Some you may recognise.
They told us it was going to be dry in the morning and with any luck they will be racing by 1:30. 
We woke up at the crack of 10 the next morning to the sound of the intercom followed by some unmistakable V-twin engines. A quick “pack em up” and we purchased our $35 general admission tickets. We watched some practice, the Pro Singles and the Big Twins bouncing around the banked corners. Sammy Halbert #7 throwing down the fastest lap. 

A brief intermission gave me a chance to stop by the pits and say Hi to Brad Baker and Sammy. For whatever dumb reason I alway get super nervous in the pits, and this time was no exception. I was stumbling for words and spilling my drink all over myself while trying to take pictures. 


The races started promptly at 1:30 The first race was the Pro Singles. Jarod Vanderkooi yaking the win. Behind him local nice guy, Davis Fisher, in 3rd. Ryan Wells. Davis always gets a little nervous when he has to talk on the intercom. Poor guy choked up pretty good but rode one hell of a great race.


The main event for the Pro Twins followed. Sammy was in pole position and jumped out to an early lead. Pacing the pack for the first half of the race. He was caught about mid-race by both Bryan Smith and Jared Mees. Smith led the race for the next 6 or so laps and was passed right at the end by Jared Mees. Sammy and Brad scrapped for 4th and 5th. The top riders all aboard the HD XR750s, with exception of Bryan on his Crosley Kawasaki. Man, I love flat track racing. 
Tori and I jumped back on the hog and split southbound for a warm shower and a home-cooked meal.
Thor Drake, Portland, 21 July 2014

We know Dirt Quake USA turned on a lot of people to the joys of dirt track in the Pacific North West. Now's your chance to see how it's really done. This weekend, the GNC rolls into Grays Harbor Raceway, Elma, Washington. This from the official press release...

For the first time in over 30 years AMA Pro Grand National Twins make their return to the Great Northwest! You can expect to see multiple brands on the track including Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, Triumph, Aprillia, Ducati, and of course Harley-Davidson! In the 450cc Pro Singles Class you will add Yamaha and Honda to that list.

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track National Champion, Brad Baker, hails from Dryad, Wash. and looks to take the win in his home state. Baker says, "It would be amazing to win this race! I grew up not very far from Elma and won my first ever West Coast National Championship on a 50 there. So the track has a special place in my heart. It's just going to be super cool to race there, whether I win or lose." You can bet that Sammy Halbert is looking for that win in his home state just as much as Baker. Halbert, from Graham, explains, "I'm excited to race my Harley at a National in my home state for the first time ever. It'd be amazing to pull off the win in front of my family and friends. That's exactly what I need right now to get my season rolling."

More info at www.amaproracing.com

With the intake restrictors* removed Harley's filled the top six at yesterday's Knoxville half-mile. Kenny Coolbeth, #2, won on the Zanotti bike we featured in Sideburn 11. This is his first National win with the team he joined in the winter, and his first since losing his ride with the official Harley team.

*For years, certain bikes have had to use intake restrictors that strangle the performance of the engine, in an effort to create a level playing field (don't ask us why). They crudely allow less fuel and air charge to transfer from the carbs to the combustion area. For 2014 they're no longer being forced on teams. A Kawasaki won the Springfield Mile. A Harley won the half-mile, but I think Harleys have won every half-mile for the last 200 years).
Sammy Halbert, #7, won the Dash for Cash and came third in the main
Jake Johnson, #5, who rode a Ducati in the Ramspur colours at Springfield, was on an XR750 in the same colours and came in second.
Brad Baker was sixth, 9secs off the lead in the 12.5-mile race. We don't know if this is still a hangover from his broken leg injury or points to the much-held belief that private teams can currently get more out of the XR750 that the factory can.
Mikey Martin on the Bonneville Performance Triumph, 11th in the main. A solid result for a team that is quick but suffers from minor reliability problems just when they don't want them. 

UPDATE
both Mikey, and Shayna below, are sporting the new Super Wheels designed by Dutch Brothers Jan-Willem
Shayna Texter, #25A, earned her national number by making the 18-rider main (out of 34 riders who tried to qualify). Her Latus Castrol Triumph had horrific handling issues at Springfield, but they tested between the two races and went some way to curing it, but she was still more than a lap down. Jeremy Higgins, #82, came back after missing a few races to come 13th on the Baer Kawasaki.
After completely dominating Springfield, Jake Johnson found himself down in 7th, the first of seven Kawasakis to make the main. There were also were also two Triumphs, one Suzuki and the eight XR750s.
Never happier than when he's holding a big cheque. Sammy Halbert.
1. Coolbeth. 2. Johnson. 3. Halbert.
That's how it stands in the combined championship standings too.

Next race is Lima Half-Mile on June 28.

All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.

This is exciting on a couple of levels. Harley are pushing both their new, entry-level Street 750 (built, at least in part, in their new Indian factory) and also putting flat track in front of a new audience, while commissioning a handsome race bike from one of the most respected tuning houses in the USA.

1. Harley are really pushing to get flat track included in X Games (the Olympics of extreme sports). Having rally involved didn't do a lot of the WRC, but it couldn't help but raise profile, attract sponsors and pay some of the riders a little more. It would be a great spectacle too.
I'm sure supermoto was involved a few years ago and it didn't help that sport in the long-term, but flat track has more history, is more American, is due a comeback. It feels like the right time.

2. These bikes aren't XR750s, they're flat track versions of the new liquid-cooled 750 Street. The bikes were prepped by long-established, multi-faceted tuning house and race team (drag, road, whatever) - Vance & Hines.
Only the engine remains, but that doesn't mean a bike with a similar look couldn't be created further down the line. Certain sections look like the XR1200R (a bike I thought was a massive missed opportunity). XR750R anyone?
There is a current XR750 in one of these photos and it doesn't jump out. Vance & Hines have done a great job with this concept. G
This is the 750 Street 750 in the foreground (looking like a cross between an XLCR, a V-Rod and a 2014 'club' bike).