Veteran Flat Tracker Odgie Danaan is the latest Nora Champion to be profiled after he won both the 2022 DTRA Vintage Four-Stroke Championship, and the Scunthorpe Summer Series Vintage Championship.
What type of sport do you race in?
Flat Track, with the DTRA and also the Scunthorpe Raceway Championships
What bike do you ride?
A couple of vintage BSAs that I built myself. I started the season on a 1965 BSA A65 750cc twin, but then I built a BSA B50 single. It was originally a late Sixties 500cc road bike, but now has a highly tuned motor with a billet crank and rod, a 600cc barrel, and a very reworked cylinder head, housed in a highly modified frame.
What Championship did you win?
I won the DTRA Vintage Four-Stroke Championship, and the Scunthorpe Summer Series Vintage Championship
What was your toughest race in the championship?
Hey, they were all tough… We might ride old bikes, but we don’t gift anybody anything. But I guess the final round at Greenfields. I rode hard and somehow won all the other rounds, against some fierce competition, but at the final round I’d had a big crash in practice and wasn’t at my best on race day (two months ago and my knee’s still not right yet). I rode absolutely as hard as I could but only came fifth in the final. Grrr…
Who was your biggest rival?
My mate Gary Inman, editor of Sideburn, on his 750cc Trackmaster Triumph twin. We battled hard at every round. Newcomer Luke Adcock came on strong during the season too, he’ll be hard to beat next year
What was your best race on the way to the title?
The final at Amman Valley. I was lying second behind Gary for most of the race and couldn’t find a way past no matter how I tried. Then in a last-ditch attempt I came from three bike lengths down on the last corner to neck and neck over the line. No-one knew who’d won, until the timekeeper checked it. Me by one thousandth of a second – or about an inch. I don’t think Gary has forgiven me yet… 😉
How does it feel to be NORA National Champion?
Bloody great! I honestly don’t worry about Championships, I just take every race as one to win if at all possible. Otherwise you can end up getting distracted and racing percentages. So I genuinely didn’t know until somebody told me, they had to show it me on their phone (I didn’t even know how to look it up, I don’t do smart phones). I’m allowing myself to feel proud about it though, it’s a competitive class, so to come out on top isn’t bad for a 68 year old skinny bloke on a homemade bike.
What are your goals for 2023?
Learn to ride the new bike better (I only finished it towards the end of the season), and otherwise keep trying to stay ahead of everybody else. I’ll still take it race by race, I’m not defending a Championship, I’m still just trying to win races.
Who would you like to thank for their help in 2022?
Anthony and Anna (DTRA) and Richard and Anne (Scunthorpe) for putting on such great race meetings. Without them there wouldn’t be any champions, simple as that. Also Paul and Dave at Military Can Am for forks, engine parts etc, Billy at Bannister Engines for letting me use his lathe (I don’t have one), Mark Hardie for the barrel and primary cover, Roger Taylor at RTS for putting the killer motor together for me, and The Delightful Miss P for being helpful, supportive, and generally delightful. 😉 XXX
