Royal Enfield celebrated their very first back-to-back championship victory last weekend, once again securing the top two places of the podium in the DTRA Twins class.
Pro rider Gary Birtwistle and factory development rider Paul Young went into the final round of the series with the championship already secured for Royal Enfield by Birtwistle, finishing the season with an astonishing clean sweep of 7 consecutive wins.
Championship standings decided it was all to play for in a one-on-one race for podium glory at the season finale. Racing consisted of two groups facing 3 heats each, followed by a final; with the draw separating team mates Birtwistle and Young, the Royal Enfield riders spectacularly carved their way through the strong field of contenders in their respective heats to finally meet head to head in the showdown.
Birtwistle had the pick of race position on the grid, following a blistering performance in the heats, choosing the outside line in a battle royal for glory. Both riders made the hole-shot side by side then Birtwistle pulled slightly ahead on the second corner, Young continued snapping at his heels on corner exit for the first 5 laps before Birtwistle pulled a clean margin on lap six and went on to victory and a well deserved Championship celebration.
Royal Enfield’s investment in grass-roots racing has been developing rapidly over the past few years, especially in the world of Flat Track racing. Fielding teams in the premier Twins class with the UK DTRA (Dirt Track Riders Association) and USA AFT (American Flat Track) series, alongside the establishment of Flat Track “Slide Schools” making the growing sport accessible to more newcomers in the USA and Europe – The story is only just beginning.
