Founding Father - Jacopo Monti

For me (Gary Inman, editor of Sideburn, if you haven't been concentrating), there are four keys figures in the European flat track racing scene that I always return to when I think of what set Sideburn on its path, and helped the growth and formation of the European flat track scene. This is purely my personal take and they have had very different roles, but I hold them in such high regard because of their style and commitment. There are people who have followed who have had huge influence and I respect massively, but these are my choice of the founding fathers of 21st century Euro flat track.

1. Peter Boast - Created the Short Track UK series from which all other Euro series and Sideburn spawned. Now running the Champions Flat Track School.

2. Marco Belli - Italian master, helped design and create Rossi's Ranch, runs the Di Traverso flat track school.

3. Jan-Willem Jansen - one of the Dutch Brothers flat track collective, raced the toughest and best-looking bikes in Europe, travelled far and wide, launched his own short-lived European race series.

4. Jacopo Monti - definitely the least obvious of this quartet, but the suave Italian has been racing flat track since the mid-90s and continues to drive 2000-miles for an amateur race and is as quick and stylish as ever. His attitude, style and commitment was always a huge influence.

We feature Jacopo and the hooligan Sportster he raced in 2019 (23 years after he first raced a flat track Sportster - see the photo above from 1996) in Sideburn 41.

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Cutting from 1999. Monti top of the pile at Castiglione Olona. Marco Belli is also in the photo, looking pretty much the same as he does 21 years later.

The Rivolta H-D Sportster Jacopo featured in SB41. (Photo: Tom Bing)

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