We drive from France to England once a month on weekends... You'll see us in our vans with their distinctive stickers, thermos, and pack of cigarettes on the dashboard. We join others, like us, waiting to cross the tunnel... The guys from Chartres are there, as well as some well-known Parisians and Belgians who are strong contenders on the English ochre of the Flat Track circuits. Riding on the left goes hand in hand with turning left! On the old Rue-House Speedway circuit in North London, and everywhere else in the world, we Turn Left without front brakes. Vans parked in the mud, bikes sheltered at the edge of the track, everyone waits their turn, 6 per heat. The bikes roar as loudly as the announcer who spits more than he speaks.
Frank Chatokhine, the Decombard brothers, Hubert Bastie, Dimitri Coste...
you know these names now, because you see them everywhere and it's normal, they ride hard and push the English. Triumph, BSA, Norton, Harley Davidson, Bultaco with 19-inch wheels and Maxxis tires, lined up for the start, bang, bang, dust and white smoke, we quickly forget the decrepitude of the rotting English greenwood circuit and only remember the graceful slides of the tightrope walkers, Wheel to wheel!
Text and photos: Laurent Scavone
All vintage racing products and equipment are available
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Suzuki 650 DR[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Ossa Motorcycle[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard & Frank Chatokhine[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA -[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Gentlemen's Factory[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Gentlemen's Factory[/caption]
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Gentlemen's Factory shoes[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Gentlemen's Factory[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Frank Chatokhine[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Frank Chatokhine[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Frank Chatokhine[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Frank Chatokhine[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA[/caption]
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Vintage motorcycle, Flat Track, DTRA, vintage motorcycle race, photos Laurent Scavone[/caption]
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British Flat Track Championship DTRA - Christophe Decombard[/caption]