Half of My Life

Chris Vermeulen has posted a video on his fan page on Facebook where he updates us with his operation, progress, etc. Worth watching.

In MotoGP Silly Season News, the latest is that Yamaha may be drafting in Massimo Merigali for next year’s team to look after Ben Spies. Quite where this would leave Spies’s long-time engineer, Ben Houseman, is an interesting point. More interesting, though, is where this would leave the Yamaha WSBK effort? This rumour helps to strengthen the growing one that Yamaha will be pulling out of WSBK at the end of the current season.

Randy Mamola, Misano 1985. Honda NSR500.

Not sure who this rider is, but it’s a great save too.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That could be so, but sometimes they’re just happy snaps. These ones aren’t.

I don’t normally report on MotoCross, not because I’m not interested, but just because there’s so much happening on the tarmac that I don’t get time to follow what’s happening on the dirt. But this item caught my attention last night.

“Australian Chad Reed, the dominant rider on the US motocross circuit, has been cut down by a virus which will sideline him for the rest of the year.

Reed has been diagnosed with Epstein Barr virus, which sapped his strength on the track as he tried to defend his AMA Motocross title.

“I have spent most of the last month in and out of my doctor’s office getting tests done, trying to figure out what is going on,” Reed said.

The 28-year-old from Kurri Kurri in NSW said he had been baffled by his inability to race to his normal level.

“Knowing that I have worked hard during the week on and off the bike, each weekend I head to the race excited to get out there and get some wins on my Monster Kawasaki – ready to defend the number one plate that is on my bike,” he said.

“The team and bike are prepped and ready on race day and then I’m unable to race like I normally can.”

Reed said he would return to racing as soon as possible.

“I’m not ready for retirement. I want a few more championships indoors and out,” he said.” (courtesy ABC Sport)

Let’s hope Chad beats this debilitating disease and bounces back to his best.

Today is the 9th anniversary of the death of champion Australian road racer, Jim Budd. (8-10-50 to 28-7-01)

Here’s Jim on board the Team Avon Yamaha XS-1100 on his way to winning the Castrol Six Hour race at Amaroo Park for the 2nd time in 1978. Teaming with Roger Heyes again, the team stunned the field by pulling a rear wheel change at the half-race distance, something no-one before had attempted. They went to to win easily, beating a field of bikes that we already skating around on worn rubber. A master stroke by team manager, Linsday Walker. Come 1979, everyone did a rear wheel chenge!

Jim died much too young of a combinations of illnesses that would have seen a lesser man succumb much sooner.

In the annals of Australian road racing, and especially endurance racing, Jim has a very special place.

RIP Jim Budd.