Photograph courtesy of Steve Dixon.

The American style dirt-track motorsport extravaganza known as Short Track UK returns on Saturday 19 April to the Norfolk Arena at 7pm, featuring no-holds barred track action on two wheels and four.

The event comprising no less than four national championships traditionally opens its national series with a round at the home of King’s Lynn Speedway and this year is no exception.

The line-up of events includes top quality flattrack motorcycle racing in the main STUK championship, sponsored by Silkolene; the companion event for the larger machines known as Thunderbikes; the youth national championship for Short Track backed by top bikes manufacturers, CCM; and providing a strong local flavour, as well as huge excitement, the Welbourns of Wisbech national Quads ST championships.

Short Track UK is the brain child of one-time King’s Lynn and Boston Speedway rider, Peter Boast and derives from the USA's most popular form of motor cycle racing, Flattrrack.  As a discipline across the States, Europe and down-under, it's been the breeding ground over the years for motorcycling legends like Kenny Roberts, Nicky Hayden and current MotoGP world champ, Australia's Casey Stoner.

Now officially recognised as Europe's fastest growing motor sport, Short Track has proven a huge hit all around the UK but especially here in Norfolk; and to add a extra flavour to proceedings on Saturday, an enormously popular and supremely brave King’s Lynn Speedway favourite is to appear, making his championship debut: Adam Allott.

A King’s Lynn rider previously back in 2003-'05, Allott made a near miraculous return from serious injury when drafted into action by the Stars at the end of last season and certainly was straight back into the most pressurised of environments - as he explains,

“When I broke my back riding for Stoke in September 2006 it did look like the end of my racing career and there were several moments when it seemed certain I’d not ride again.  But I never wanted to stop; and being around motorbikes just spurred me on through the hardest of rehab. and physio to get back into action.  When the call came a whole year later from Lynn, a club so close to my heart, it could scarcely have been at a more important time: with the Stars challenging for the Premier League title.  I felt I did alright and it was great to be back in the thick of the action - but I did feel that this year I needed to recharge my batteries with a change”.

Amazingly, Allott returned to the scene of that horrific injury, Scunthorpe’s Normanby Road to launch his new career as a Short Track racer with a creditable performance in the annual Christmas Cracker event last December; and this prompted the 25-year-old from Buxton to decide to follow an increasingly popular route of full-time Short Track racing in the fast-growing UK series. 

“With top young Speedway riders like Aidan Collins and people from Road Racing like Rusty Hodgson and Supermoto and MotoX too all taking to STUK full-time, I feel it’s a really varied, competitive event for me to get my teeth into and to settle back and enjoy riding motorcycles again.”

And certainly the field at the Norfolk Arena on Saturday represents the cream of European flattrack with no fewer than three Italians in action: reigning champion, Marco Belli (a winner in both rounds staged at Saddlebow last year); European 2007 title-winner, Jacopo Monti; and making his British track debut, Luca Talamona mounted on a 600 Harley-Davison Rotax. 

Traditionally STUK has offered up some sensational guest riders from the very upper echelons of motorcycle sport with names from the world of Superbikes like Steve Plater, Matt Llewellyn, Guy Martin and Boston’s own Ben Wilson all having appeared previously.  A top name from the world of British Superbikes is being courted to compete at the Arena this Saturday and would add a spark to proceedings!

Meanwhile, Boast hopes to be back on track, defying a broken collar-bone to defend his Thunderbikes crown (the event which sees truly monstrously-sized bikes up to multi-cylindered 1200ccs, thrown into the tight bends of the King’s Lynn circuit in a spectacle not to be missed); while fellow Lincs racer Glyn Pocklington (like Boast, recently carrying the British flag at the legendary Daytona Raceway event Stateside) represents a strong local challenge.

The Welbourns of Wisbech Short Track Quads proved one of the biggest attractions when they last rode at Saddlebow last year. This brand of four-wheeled action is a truly unique form of Quad dirttrack seeing six riders a race, face-off in a grid-style start which provides a huge amount of passing and breathtaking excitement.  All the country's top Quads stars will be in action including Charlie Welbourn and Jason Snaith both from Wisbech and reigning national champion, Alan Hooker from Lincolnshire.

The admission is £10.00 for adults, £7.00 for pensioners and other concessions; with children aged 12 to 15 years of age, £3 and younger than 12 (provided accompanied by an adult) having free admission. The action gets underway at 7pm