The 2023 DTRA National Flat Track Championship roared into action on the 15th and 16th of April, and it was a dream start for the Devitt Vanoni Flat Track team as rider Jack Bell dominated proceedings right from the start.
The DMOL x Devitt Flat Track team is the brainchild of Death Machines of London’s legendary custom bike builder Max Vanoni and the Godfather of UK Flat Tracking, Peter Boast. Established in the winter of 2018, the duo began developing a Ducati Monster with an eye on taking part in the 2019 DTRA series; however, finding that the bike wasn’t performing as they wished over the season, they went back to the drawing board for the start of the 2020 series.
Turning to a Ducati Scrambler and using all of the knowledge they had gained throughout 2019, Max and Peter decided to field up-and-coming rider Jack Bell. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans that year, but the one round the team did compete in saw them claim second place!
Fast-forward to 2023, and after several years of success together, expectations for the pairing were high heading into round one, but with the team having never tasted the winner’s champagne at the Alford circuit before, would they be able to break the curse?
The 2023 DTRA series is one of the toughest in history, with 11 bikes lining up on the grid from five different manufacturers! However, from the get-go, Jack and the team looked to be in a class of their own, with the Ducati Scrambler 1100 working well from the opening lap of practice. In fact, the experienced team only needed to make minor adjustments as the weekend progressed to help Jack eek more out from his machine.
That performance saw Jack and the team top every practice and heat before securing pole position for the final race. Cruising away at the front, he eventually took the chequered flag ahead of reigning World Champion Gerard Bailo by over five seconds. Having led every lap and securing the fastest lap in the process, it cemented the perfect weekend for the squad and ensured they had achieved the ‘Grand Slam’.
Alongside young Jack Bell, the team also fielded a wildcard rider for the opening round, with Jaime “Leftie” Garcia taking a respectable P5 – despite having only jumped on the Ducati Scrambler 800 for the first time in opening practice! The next round of the 2023 series will be held in a few weeks over the weekend of the 13th and 14th of May at the MCN Devitt Festival in Peterborough.
We’re looking forward to heading back to the East of England arena for what is sure to be an epic weekend of two-wheel action. Alongside the second round of the 2023 DTRA series, guests will be able to test ride many of the latest motorcycles from the world’s leading manufacturers, experience an epic stunt and live-action show, and take part in a live classic bike auction run by Silverstone Auctions. In addition to all of that, there will also be weekend camping, live music, and plenty of biking bargains to be had, making it the perfect way to kick-start your summer!