Four races in three different countrys is not only a challenge to organize. For the riders its logistics, addaption to slightly different rule books but also, and not least a financial defiance. In spite of the obsticals, like rear brakes :), 64 riders and 66 starters signed up to this years Nordic Flat Track Cup, the 6th in a row and with three countrys hosting the races, Finland, Sweden and Norway.
Since the start back in 2020 the sport has grown a lot, not only in our region but in Europe overall. UK is presenting the best riders at the moment but we are proud to state that we have a few fast ones too. The sport also changed a lot since the beginning from more festival like events to more race race isch. Less riders but faster ones in short terms. Still we who have been there from the beginning need to remind ourselves why we got in to it and that there should be a varaity – a class for anyone on every level and also for all kinds of bikes. But we cant help noticing the changes and more and more riders choose to ride 450´s for many reasons. Its accesable, easy too find and most of the conversion parts are nowdays made for thoose. With this we are more than happy to also at the same time state that we have started to find a way to keep offering space for thoose who choose not to ride the dt mx-bikes. And one should never give up cause this year offered some really fun battles in the vintage classes where Juha Tanila on his IZ350 offered some of the most memorable ones.
In all four rounds we grouped classes to offer good racing with a bunch of riders on the track at the same time. Still the riders earned the points in their own one. This way of doing it also showed us that we might be able to offer less classes in the future though some of the groups kept very much the same speed even if their bikes where very different. Less classes makes it much easier to organize and it also offers much more interesting races.
The weather is another challenge and just before the first and second round was about to take off, our region was covered in rain but just in time the sun started to shine in both Seinäjoki and Kauhajoki. Seinäjoki offered a fast short track and with a quite small but cozy arena the spectators got close and offered an extra inspiration for the riders. In Kauhajoki which is huge, 650 meters, the track got pretty rough after some heats and many riders struggled to make it through the rudded and bumpy corners. Weather and temperatur is always changing the conditions and the the track crew worked hard to make the best out of it. A long track takes long time to maintain so to make the races in time the decision to only grade after each full round was taken.
Vetlanda seems to be the rain magneto number one and just a couple of days before that round the forecast promised rain from hell. The Vetlanda crew made a decision trying to reschedule a day earlier. A huge task in a very short time, but they succeeded but unfourtunatly lost about ten riders who couldnt come earlier with such a short notice, sad but still a decision turned out to be the right one. 24 hours later, the original race day, the sky was open and most of the riders already heading home with dry underwear and one more round in the cup done.
The finale round in Lunner also had some extra work due to rain and a day before riders where about to arrive they ordered out a pump truck to empty the track from huge puddles. And it worked! Both on practise day as well as race day the track stayed good and offered some great battles in many classes. The vintage group had theirs, the 450/Intermediate had both an internal and a mixed fight and in the Expert Øyvind Dahl and Conny Ivarsson, both fought hard and offered maybe the most spectacular battles of the day.
Only two riders became High point riders this Year, Juha Tanila in the Vintage True Gold and Conny Ivarsson who kept his Champion title in Thunderbike unbeaten for the fourth time. Conny Ivarsson also raced in the Expert class this year and ended the cup as reserve champion after the fastest finn of them all Ossi Rantala who won all his rounds but didnt attend the last one.
This years cup is settled and we have a bunch of new Champions and new podiums, some new riders which we are so happy about but we also lost a bunch due to age, lost interest and in some cases life has taken another turn. We do belive that there are a bunch of young ones just waiting to be old enough to race and also that we need to find a way to work togheter organizing races in our region not making riders forced to choose in between due to cost, time and possibilitys. That will most likely keep growing the sport, not the opposite.
Congrats to all organizers, to all spectators, to all volounteers and not least to all the riders. You all make difference and we thank you all for your participation. See you next year maybe at another track and maybe in a slightly new form.
Have a look at the standings and who our new champions are.
*This post will be updated with some good pictures, so stay tuned.
