Grass track racing
Grass track races are part of track sports . The motorcycles are similar to those of the speedway , but (as in long-track races) are equipped with a two-speed gearbox and rear suspension. In contrast to the sand track of the speedway, the track consists of a relatively stable sward and is usually longer than a sand track, but otherwise - also from the safety precautions - mostly laid out like the sand track. As a rule, grass tracks consist of two long straights and two curves, a simple oval. The Teterower Bergring , the largest grass runway in Europe , is an example of a slightly different grass runway route, a rather hilly and curvy one .
The first grass track races were held in Great Britain as early as 1920. So that the grass runway sport is one of the oldest forms of modern motorcycle - track luge .
Grass track races are not just similar to speedway races in terms of their route. As in the speedway, races are usually driven over four laps and start from a standing start. However, there are more participants per race than in dirt track events, where only four drivers are allowed to start in one run. In addition, the longer straights of the grass track allow higher speeds.
There are three different individual classes, according to the cubic capacity, similar to the motorcycle world championship: 250 cm³, 350 cm³ and 500 cm³. In addition, sidecars are still used . The grass track season starts in spring and ends in autumn.
Grass track races are closely related to speedway and long track races , for which there are even separate world championships. The same motorcycles with the same setup are used, the rules are the same, the only differences are the surface of the tracks and the length. While the surface on grass tracks is a sward of grass on the ground, sand tracks have a similar surface to speedway tracks . Long tracks can be grass or sand tracks. The lengths are very different and range from around 450 to more than 1,200 meters.
The most important competition in grass track sport are the European Grass Track Championships . The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is responsible for the set of rules .
