Are you Sunday Sliding this Weekend?

What the hell is ‘Sunday Slide’ and who are these ‘Jerkyls’ characters that stage the event? Ahead of this weekend’s 2017 ‘FP’ edition of Sunday Slide – to be at the iconic Nepean Raceway – we caught up The Jerkyls’ El Presidente, Andy Baker, to get the inside line on how the lads have changed things up for this year’s event.

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TM: For those who aren’t familiar with Sunday Slide, what’s the event all about?
AB: It’s pretty simple. Sunday Slide is a place where dirt bike enthusiasts, grease monkeys, senior citizens and hipsters all come together for a laugh and, of course, to ride dirt. It’s a low-pressure, no-race event for newcomers and long-time lovers of dirt track; an event where a good yarn is valued just as much as a good lap, and where everyone gets the privilege of riding the hallowed dirt of Nepean Raceway. The only condition is that riders are at least 16 years old and that any dirt track or slider bike is a pre-’90s machine.

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We hear that The Jerkyls have changed things up a little for the 2017 event. How so?
Right from the start, I asked my mates to keep me in check to make sure our events never became about money. So this year’s Sunday Slide is going under the “Fuck Profit, Keep it Real!” banner, or “FP” for short. Yep, once you pay the entry fee, you’re in. Free lunch, free water, free coffee and (once your riding gear is taken off) free beer!

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Shit, you Jerkyls are stand-up moto philanthropists!
Well, I didn’t want Sunday Slide to become just another sponsor-driven event. So once all is said and done and I have a little in the coffers to cover my effort, the remaining profit goes back into the track.

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Word on the street is that the Nepean track has copped a touch-up too.
It has. About six months ago, Deus Ex Machina came on board to help give Nepean raceway a much-needed facelift. We’d spent ages standing in the shop boring the pants off of everyone; telling them about the track’s significant and the fact it’s about to celebrate its 60^th anniversary. And eventually, people agreed to help. So even if it was just to get rid of us, it worked. Collectively, they stumped up thousands and got Bell and Michelin involved through their enthusiasm. The track now looks amazing and the surface should be fantastic this weekend as we are supposed to have a little rain on Saturday and then cloud cover and 22 degrees on Sunday. Good for the slide!

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Meaning a few legit dirt trackers will be coming along to spin some laps?
When we first put Sunday Slide on, it was a bit of a goofball event. The target audience was a cross-section of hipsters and hip replacements, but word got out that it was a no-stress, no-race, fun ride that wrapped up the year nicely.
So it’s become a bit of a must-do event on the dirt track crew’s calendar, too. It now attracts more active dirt trackers than we had expected, but to make sure we cater to everyone, we still run Novice, Road Bike and Desert Sled, Mini Bike, Postie, classes. Our oldest rider is nudging 80 and the youngest is 16. Fuck yeah!!!