The various motorcycle sports disciplines which are run by clubs within the Eastern Centre are Motocross, Enduro, Trials and Grass Track.

Motocross
This comprises races of up to 40 solo riders and are run over natural land which is often farmland or disused pits. Races can be over a given number of laps or a pre-defined time plus a number of laps, e.g. 15 minutes plus 2 laps. Solo, sidecar and youth classes are all catered for, with youth generally being classified as being between 6 and 17 years old. See the About Motocross page for more information.

Enduros
An enduro is a long-distance timed event. Although bikes are ridden at speed, an enduro is not technically a speed event as there is no element of racing included in the discipline. The courses laid out for enduros range from ‘short’ courses of about a mile up to 20 miles and can involve laps of 50 miles. Riders are expected to complete a certain number of laps dependent upon their class/ability. Enduros arguably provide the greatest number of hours in the saddle per event of any motorcycle sporting discipline. See the About Enduros page for more information.
Note: There is no element of youth sport in Enduro, i.e. you must be of at least 16 years of age to enter an Enduro event.

Trials
Essentially, trials are a test of control and balance of a motorcycle over natural terrain and hazards. The event is made up of a number of sections of varying length and severity and may include steep hills, fallen trees, mud, ditches, streams or other natural obstacles. Competitors ride each section individually where they are observed and scored on their performance, amassing penalty points for, among other things, stopping, footing or failing to complete the section, the rider’s speed through the section is not important. All ages and abilities are catered for as competitors are graded and various routes laid out to suit the ability of classes being catered for by the promoting club. Youth classes cater for riders from 6 years of age progressing to the adult classes at 17 years. See the About Trials page for more information.

Grass Track
(or Track Racing as it is now often called)
Still a popular form of racing with a loyal following both of riders and spectators. Classes are generally available which are defined by the capacity of machine ridden rather than ability. Races are of just four laps each and can be likened to Speedway on grass. See the About Grass Track page for more information.

The Event Status
Events fall into several categories which indicate those eligible to enter. A few years ago the status of events generally were changed although in the Eastern Centre we still run to the old formats as follows:

• Restricted - This is a new event status as of a few years ago which allows clubs to define the restrictions they wish to apply. In the past, typical restrictions were defined by the ACU. With the new Restricted event status being introduced, the organising club should have far more ability to define the restrictions they desire. However, in the Eastern Centre the restrictions previously defined by the ACU are still adhered to. These are:
• Closed to Club – open to members of the organising club only.
• Restricted Invitation – open to members of up to 10 invited clubs plus the organising club as detailed on the entry form.
• Centre Restricted – open to members of all clubs affiliated to the local centre, in our case, the Eastern Centre ACU.
• Regional Restricted – open to members of clubs affiliated to up to four invited centres, these normally being neighbouring/adjacent centres (although this may not always be the case), the invited centres being listed on the entry form.
• Open - open to any rider nationally whatever their club providing they have an appropriate licence or trials registration. This is a new status introduced a few years ago which is very much the same as a national, the difference being that the permit is issued by the local centre, in our case the Eastern Centre, rather than Rugby, the ACU’s headquarters.
• National - open to national licence holders or registered trials riders.
• International - open only to international licence holders.

A quick look at the Fixture List shows that in most disciplines, a large number of events are run as Centre Restricted events. In this way, with each club running just a few events annually, competitors can find the maximum number of meetings to enter during the year, and hopefully, no one piece of land becomes over used.