Décidément, Frank aura fait très fort pour une 1ère saison ! Et j’imagine que les autres participants au championnat britannique de dirt-track, organisé par la DTRA, connaissent maintenant bien le nom de l’Atelier Chatokhine, surtout depuis ses 2 victoires le même jour à Norfolk…
Si j’ai bien compris, bien que la finale ait lieu ce week-end seulement, le titre serait déjà acquis à notre camarade qui totalise 80 points en Vintage Class, quand ses poursuivants John Boddy et Nick Ashley en comptent respectivement 60 et 51. Chapeau !
Le commentaire du pilote, au sortir de cette dernière manche :
« Vraiment de bonnes sensations sur le half-mile à Amman Valley.
Impatient de vous retrouver pour la manche finale à Rye House le 21 septembre prochain, et de célébrer ensemble une magnifique 1ère saison de DTRA !
Cheers,
Frank »
Et avant de vous laisser découvrir les photos de Ian Roxburgh, voici ce que dit le communiqué de presse officiel :
« The DTRA circus headed out to South Wales to race the half-mile at Ammanford. Frank managed again to hold on for the win ahead of Guy Sutherland and Nick Hashley in the final. No surprise with this new half-mile success, Frank is still leading the Vintage class championship.
For the 5th Dirt Track Championships race, Frank Chatokhine battled hard with Sutherland and his recently imported Redline framed 750 Triumph, but also Guto Llewelyn. Guto is a very experienced grass track racer, but unfortunately the JAP powered Ariel did not last the day. 2nd in 1st heat, and then 1st in the 2nd and 3rd heat, Frank won also the final ahead of Sutherland and Ashley.
« I was a bit anxious of riding the half-mile at Amman Valley. Following the good advices from Anthony from Co-Built, I got the proper settings regarding the transmission ratio for my Rickman Metisse Triumph. Discovering the half-mile track, I was also a bit concerned by the surface made of sand covered with gravels.
The Vintage Class was the 1st on the track, and I just put full throttle for the 3 1st practice laps to understand immediately the grip feeling at higher speeds than usual. Finally that wasn’t that bad and I feel quite confident after the 2nd lap.
For the races, I thought the 500 cc engine with a longer trans ratio would have a noticeable lack of power, in comparison with the 750 Triumph from Guy or the Harley Ironhead from John. But it looks like my ’54 Triumph engine tuned in our workshop push me fast enough out of the corners to battle for the 1st place again!
Congrats to my buddy Christophe Decombard for his well deserved victory in the rookie final. I can’t wait to come back for the season final battle at Rye House end of September ! »
Frank Chatokhine thanks again all his sponsors who did help him to enter this year DTRA championship: Ateliers RUBY, CFC, Edwin Europe, Café Racer, Castrol, FTWco, Sideburn and Seurat 3. »
