posted Dec 14th, 2005 - The new year and the 2006 season will bring a new line-up of Team Fastrax. The NSL News story on November 30th mentioned the 2006 line-up with John Hart, Niklas Hemlin, Mark Kirkby, Doug Parks and Steve Redinbo for the first time. Team founder and sponsor John Hart recently provided the NSL News with updated information, and the new line-up has also been officially announced at the Fastrax website as well.

John Hart and Niklas Hemlin have been Fastrax members from the very beginning, as the history page of the team's website shows. Fastrax 2005 members Eric Gin and Billy Andrews will be replaced by Mark Kirkby and Doug Park. Steve Redinbo will take John Judy's position behind and under the video camera.

The new Team Fastrax is already busy, the first training camp has almost been completed at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. The new line-up began the preparations for the 2006 season with a 6-day camp (December 10 - 15). John Hart explained that the first camp will mainly be used to determine the center positions.

Niklas Hemlin used to be the center outside for Team Fastrax, and John Hart was in the tail position. The former player coach from Sweden will continue being a part of the front piece, however, his new slot will be in the point position. John Hart will continue as the tail for Team Fastrax.

The new slot for Niklas Hemlin moves the new members automatically into the center slots for the 2006 line-up. Doug Park and Mark Kirkby both have their most current experiences in the center inside position. Doug Park has always been in the driver's seat, with Space Center FX as well as with DeLand Majik, while Mark Kirkby took the slot in the control center after leaving Airspeed and taking on player coach commitments.

Doug Park drove his center inside career to the highest possible point when he won the gold medals with DeLand Majik at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Croatia 2004. He continued in the same position when DeLand Majik competed with two new members in 2005.

Mark Kirkby is a former 4-way world champion, as well. He won gold medals with Arizona Airpeed's 4-way line-ups in 1995, 1997 and 2001. He also won an 8-way gold medal with Airspeed at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving in 1997. Mark Kirkby was always the tail for the Airspeed 4-way line-ups, last time with Airspeed Vertical in 2003.

The original Englishman left Arizona Airspeed at the end of the 2003 season and was hired as a player coach for Arizona Blade in 2004, together with Thomas Hughes. Arizona Blade was the first team where Mark Kirkby took the center inside position of the rear piece.

Player coaches Thomas Hughes and Mark Kirkby helped to prepare Natasha Montgomery for her next step on the way to winning the USPA gold medals with DeLand Fire in Perris this year. Arizona Blade with center inside Mark Kirkby won the NSL Championship 2004, as well.

Mark Kirkby continued with center positions and player coaching jobs throughout the 2005 season. He helped out for Perris Fury when coach Dan BC was not available, and he also trained and competed with AAA/Open Class team Spark. The Fastrax offer for Kirkby came when it was clear that John Hart and Niklas Hemlin would approach the 2006 season with a new line-up.

One of the two center inside experts will now have to take on the center slot of the front piece for Team Fastrax 2006. This decision will be made during the first December training camp. The NSL News will certainly follow up with this information as soon as possible.

Fastrax founder and tail John Hart provided the NSL News already with an overview of the plans for next year. Team Fastrax will once again train every month throughout the whole 2006 season, and several competitions are on the Fastrax schedule, as well.

The meet schedule includes the major events, such as the SSL Valentine's Meet 2006, the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2006, the Malevsky Cup 2006, the USPA Nationals 2006 and SkyQuest 2006 with the NSL Championship. John Hart added that Team Fastrax will probably attend additional league meets of the Southwest and Mideast Skydiving League, as well, if they fit to the training schedule. It seems as if Team Fastrax 2006 will be even more competitive than ever before.