RACE AT BIKE SHED FEST
PLEASE READ THIS PROPERLY
Race Entry costs £95 for the weekend, and includes your own camping pass for the weekend and general admission. Transponder Rental is £10 and is compulsory. Submission deadline is the 18th of September. You will have a response by the 27th of September – the quicker you submit, the quicker we can approve you.
Mostly for Amateurs
This event really is for people and/or bikes that you don’t normally see on a track day,, never mind an actual race. While there is a chance for some podium glory and prizes, it’s all for FUN, and the biggest prize should be the camaraderie of racing with mates, and going home in one piece, with a great memories of a fantastic experience. If you are an ex racer, or track day regular in the fast group, on the bike your intent to bring, consider carefully if this event is for you, or be prepared to back-off a bit and help your mates have fun.
ENTERING THE RACES
You can do all this on your phone, but you may find this much easier on a desktop computer, especially when it comes to the photo link part of the form.
Just to reiterate, submitting a bike doesn’t guarantee entry and there are limited places. The race classes have been chosen to give the widest spread of riders the chance to take part while providing the best possible spectacle for the crowds.
See the photos from 2018 for an idea of what we’re looking for – click here
FOR ALL CLASSES, UNLESS STATED, YOUR BIKE MUST BE/HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
Be road registered (Retro Racer may not require this)
Have a valid MOT (as above)
Have folding footrests (not Vintage)
What’s the format of each Race Day?
FRIDAY
Sign-on from 5pm – 9pm
No track access.
Camping access from 3pm – 10pm
SATURDAY
Sign-on from 7am – 9am
Compulsory Rider’s Briefing 9.15 – 9.45
Practice and Qualifying, for Saturday races, from 10am.
Camping access from 7am – 8pm
LUNCH 1pm – 1.30pm
RACING from 1.30pm – 5pm (See race order)
PODIUMS & PRIZES – From 5pm
SUNDAY
Sign-on from 8am – 9.30am
Compulsory Rider’s Briefing 9.45 – 10.00
Practice and Qualifying, for Sunday races, from 10am.
NO LUNCH
RACING from 12.30 – 3.30pm.
PODIUMS & PRIZES – From 3.30pm – 4pm.
ADDITIONALNOTES:
Practice comprises 20-30 minute sessions, split by category, in Race Order.
Racing comprises 10-12 laps per class, per race.
We are also planning the “Motley Cup” – putting the top 20 people in each day in all categories on the same grid. Entry is through being the fastest in your category, but is also optional if you don’t fancy it.
The Malle Trials run their own schedule, with both races repeated each day.
***all the above timings are subject to change. Keep an eye on emails and the website ion the next ten days***
THE CATEGORIES
EASY RIDER CUP (on Saturday) – Feet forward, laid-back racing. Think Bobbers, Sportsters, Cruisers, American style V-Twins, British Twins in custom trim, Japanese Bobbers and Choppers, etc. …This class is is Not for your Ducati Diavel.
DEVITT STREET BIKE CUP (on Saturday) – A chance for owners of neo retro, new wave blah blah type machinery – think BMW RnineT, Yamaha XSR700, or Ducati Monster – that doesn’t quite fit into the other categories, alongside regular bikes like Bandits, Street Triples, SV650, Buells etc. THIS IS NOT FOR SPORTSBIKES OR ULTRAFAST SUPERNAKEDS
RETRO-RACER CUP (on Saturday) – Carbed sportsbikes. Think ZXR750s, 900SS, TZR250, Slabside GSX-R… you get the idea. This will perhaps be the hardest class to police as we’d like to maintain the fun spectacle element, rather than have a bunch of trackway prepped weapons on track piloted by glory hunters. If you have a dedicated track bike then you’re incredibly unlikely to get a spot. Go book a normal day at Brands and let the circuit virgins pop their cherries. And if you have a 2-stroke, enter it, before they’re banned forever.
HERALD 125cc CUP (on Saturday) – This will be limited to 125cc machines, and ideally for novices new to riding. But we’re also expecting fast folk to want to show that tiddlers can put in a credible lap time.
JOURNO CUP (on Saturday) – Calling all journalists and ex-champions… Race what you blag from the Modern Retro bike manufacturers’ models and Press Fleet. We’re expecting this to be hotly contended and there are plenty who want to dethrone last year’s Café Racer Cup king, Adam ‘Chad’ Child.
REV’IT! CAFE RACER CUP (on Sunday) – Presented by Rev’it! – For this you’ll need a bike with clip-ons, rearsets, a single seat, bikini or no fairing etc. Perhaps not all of these criteria but bikes with regular handlebars won’t comply. Think Guzzi Le Mans, Triumph Thruxton R/Street Cup, Café’d BMW R80/R nineT Racer, Honda CB550, Yamaha TRX850, Caféd Honda CG125 even.
VINTAGE CUP (on Sunday) – If you’ve got an old Triton in the shed gathering dust this is your chance for nostalgic TT glory. Open to more or less anything without an OHC engine. Ideally 1960s and earlier. And the earlier the better… Pre-War board track racers, suicide shift H-D 45s, Vincent Black Shadow or a Brough Superior perhaps…. but nothing with total loss lubrication systems please. Track maintenance needs to be kept to a minimum in order to fit all the racing into a tight schedule.
DIRT BIKE CUP (on Sunday) – Tarmac and dirt racing, on old SM, trackers and dirt bikes or retro/twin-shock supermotos. If you’ve built a Honda Dominator custom street tracker or have an old CCM604 then this is your chance to let rip. The course is part of the Lydden Hill rallycross circuit, but not challenging so don’t be frightened, there are no massive jumps.
COMMUTER CUP (on Sunday) – Panniers, Top-boxes and Hi-Viz, and indicate when you overtake, or lose the pass on your ‘Dad-bike’. Want to prove that you’re the bees knees on your fully laden BMW GS, panniered Kawasaki GT550 or old VFR800? Then this is for you. Ride to the circuit, race, then ride home. This is not for sports-bikes with panniers.
MALLE TRIALS – THE DASH, THE MALLE-CROSS and THE DERBY (winners of the Dash and Cross go head to head). …in Novice, Lightweight and Scrambler Classes… Here are the details….
MALLE TRIAL: THE DASH (Sat & Sun)
Join ‘THE DASH’ – a head to head 1/8th mile slalom drag race for two very inappropriate motorcycles & riders.
Open to all riders from first time novice riders to experienced off-road riders.
MALLE TRIAL: THE MALLE-CROSS (Sat & Sun)
Join the ‘MALLE-CROSS’ our 1 mile off-road grass track race. with multiple hairpin bends and 5 riders in each heat….plus the obligatory Le Mans style running start! Open to all riders from first-time novice riders to experienced off-road riders.
YOU MAY ENTER MORE THAN ONE RACE. BUT YOU MUST APPLY TO EACH RACE SEPARATELY.
YOU ARE ENTERING FOR YOURSELF, AS A PERSON, NOT AS YOUR BIKE. PEOPLE MAY SHARE A BIKE, BUT BIKES CANNOT ‘SHARE’ PEOPLE/ENTRANTS.
ENTER CAFE RACER CUP – NOW FULL
ENTER MALLE TRIAL: THE MALLE-CROSS
GEAR – Safety first!
You will need protective gear. See more info in our FAQ and on the race Entry forms.
The races are run by NoraSport under their rules and licenses.
FAQ – There is more info on the FAQ page, but for racers…
How much is the Racing?
To enter one race, or multiple races, is £95 in total, but you’ll need another tenner to hire a transponder.
What does that £95 pay for?
This single-weekend fee covers the direct costs to us, including racing under a licensed racing organisation, plus ambulances, marshals, race number bibs and decals, prize wreaths, proper trophies, commentators, time-keeping, and much more… We think it’s great value for a unique experience.
I want to tell my friends what time they can see me race.
We will not be publishing strict race times ahead of the event, but all races are in the afternoons, and in the same order as practice and quali, so there will be an observable order, and there will be times published at the weekend.
Can I just turn up for my race in the afternoon?
‘Friad not. All racers must sign-on in the morning of their race, attend the safety briefing and then go through practice and qualifying in the morning. We will confirm sign on times shortly, but assume an early start to the day.,
I already paid twice/three times as I was confused and/or got billed more than once.
If you pay more than once, we will reimburse you as soon as we can. There’s a lot of race admin to complete with 200+ racers, so please give us a little bit of wiggle room. Worst case scenario, we will fix this on the day.
Do racers get any plus ones?
Sadly not. We have kept the race entry prices down as low as we can, but to make the event work we need all other visitors to pay.
Are racers insured?
No, you will be signing a waver, just like any track-day or non-pro race event. It’s pretty standard, …however there are insurance companies who will cover track days and racing. Before you ask – We don’t have any recommendations at this time.
Can I enter multiple races?
Not all at once. If you’d like to enter more than one race, that’s fine – we’d encourage it to get the best from the weekend. But please enter these separately with one submission per race/bike/person. Entering two different races is fine, anything over that and you’re going to be making it unfair for those who want to take part.
Note which day each race is on.
Also note that the Malle Trials races repeat on each day, and we suggest you don’t try racing on Track and with Malle on the same day.
We’re a group of mates, we’ve got 6 bikes, and there’s 4 of us, and we have a dog who is pretty nifty on a bike too! What do we do?
Racers can only race one bike. You are submitting yourself WITH your bike. Submit yourself as normal, you will be approved/denied as one person. Multiple people on the same bike are not permitted.
Is there any practice time?
Each class will have morning practice time, and then timed qualifying, followed by the races in the afternoon, with multiple classes where the grids are full.
Can I race the Malle Trials races and do the tarmac Track races too?
Yes, but we suggest you do Malle Trials races on one day and Track races on the other. Doing both on one day might be impossible and you may miss heats.
I’m an ex pro/proddie racer, where do I race?
This event is for those who don’t normally race (or even do track-days), so don’t be “that guy“. …However, we do have the Journalists Cup specifically for pro level riders, journos and ex champs to slog it out for podium glory.
Equally, if your bike is too fast for it’s class, or too much of race-prepped bike, we may turn it down.
I’ve got this extra bike I want to bring, can I?
Please submit it, adding more emails to our inboxes doesn’t help anyone, please just submit yourself and your bike using the forms, and you will either be approved or denied.
Can I bring a race/track bike?
It’s not exactly in the sprit of this event, which is for track-day newbies and road-going personal bikes. Your bikes should be roadworthy and have an MOT (except Vintage), with folding footrests, so as not to destroy the tarmac (there is some leeway on the East Rider Class). Leave your tyre warmers at home.
Can I Camp in the paddock in my van?
Yes, if you are racing,
I raced last year and I need a place.
Everyone is equal this year, so please just submit your bike as normal. If you placed 1st last year and won your class, you’ll have already been invited back.
Do I need one-piece leathers for the Track?
We would prefer you to wear either one-piece or zip-together leathers to race on track, however we will allow separates and certified armoured textiles on the Easy Rider Cup, Dirt Bike Cup, the Herald 125 cup and the Vintage Cup. We will also allow protective GoreTex for the Commuter Cup. The Malle Trials has separate rules.
What kind of helmets are allowed?
Full face, road legal helmets for most races, but we will allow tested and approved open-face helmets in the Vintage Cup, the Herald Cup, the Easy Rider Cup and the Malle Trials.
What gear do I need for the Malle Trials?
Long-sleeved shirts and full-length trousers.
Sturdy Boots.
Proper Gloves
Decent Helmets, with eye protection
Under armour is a good idea. We recommend it, but it’s up to you.
Can I race with knobbly tyres on track?
A type of dualsport tyre, or the stock tyres that came with your bike should be fine. If you have TKC80s or a more off-road tyre, you will need to change tyres. Don’t forget half the contact area, means half the grip!
What emergency services are onsite?
1 Paramedic, 1 Doctor, 2 Ambulances and 1 medical car and all security are first aid trained, as well as event organisers.