Yes, after an unconscionable period of absence I am back at the keyboard. However, I DO have a good excuse. I am recovering from nearly a week at the Island Classic. Last time I reported to you it was at the end of unpacking day, last Wednesday, a long time ago. But so much has happened so let me at least try and cover the basics.
My brother and I drove down in his car, (share the driving, share the petrol costs) and we left very early Tuesday morning and arrived mid-afternoon at our host’s place in Langwarrin, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Martin Wilson is a long-time Facebook friend and fellow Honda tragic, so it was a delight when he said that we could stay at his place and he and Michelle made us incredibly welcome.
As well as being a most amenable place to stay, Martin’s place has the benefit of being on the main road to PI and, even though it is nearly 80 kms to the track, it doesn’t take very long as the road turns to a 100km/h freeway just after Cranbourne. So, every morning it was up early and hit the road to the track.
As already reported, Wednesday was unpacking day and a great day to reacquaint myself with my American and Team GB friends as well as scouting the lie of the land. In previous years the PI staff have been adamant that no media duties be carried out at the track until the official media credentials are issued on the Friday morning and I have always respected their wishes. I may not agree with their rationale for making the ruling but it’s their patch so, when in Rome… However, this year nothing was said about the matter so I began scouting for interview opportunities and making bookings straight away.
Thursday was a testing day for Island Classic competitors only (Wednesday was a track day and the place was crowded with Valentino Rossi wannabees (so boring). As the day wore on more and more competitors arrived until the pit was pretty close to full by late afternoon. Unlike previous years, my American friends had a pretty good run with the only gremlin being a catastrophic failure in the valve train of Ed Haazer’s MkII Kawasaki that saw the bike parked for the weekend in disgrace. Fortunately, Jimi Mac, who was riding the bike for Ed, brought a spare bike so it wasn’t all that grim (more about Jimi’s outstanding performances later.)
However, one of the Australian draftees for Team USA, Malcolm Campbell, had a shocker. Riding the Mick Neason XR69 Suzuki replica, Wally arrived just behind a slower bike at the fastest part of the track only to find that it had a severe oil leak. The mess that Malcolm’s bike was in when it arrived back in the pits made it look like it would be out for the weekend but Mick and the crew set to work to try and salvage the situation. Malcolm was unhurt but angry. (not happy, Jan)
In other news, it was clear that Team GB was loaded for bear yet again and determined to make it three in a row. As well as the usual suspects, Roger Winfield, the team owner, had drafted in Macau GP winner, Peter Hickman, to replace Ryan Farquhar whose recovery from his NW200 accident in 2016 is taking far longer than expected. Kitted out with all the latest stuff (rumour around the pits was that the #99 bike of Jeremy McWilliams was fitted with flat slide carbies and a slipper clutch) it certainly seemed that the bikes were even faster than they had been last year and practice/qualifying/racing lap times certainly proved that. The 52 year old ex-MotoGp veteran qualified on pole and reeled off three successive wins in the first of the 4 International Challenge races, “cruising” to a crushing 1:36.4 fastest lap in Race 3. This time would have put him well UP on the grid in a WSBK race AND ON the grid for the MotoGp race in 2005!
Meanwhile, the Aussie team, better equipped and better prepared than ever AND all pitted in the one pit with one Team Captain, looked like they would struggle and struggle they did. The Irving Vincents were obscenely fast with regular rider, Beau Beaton right on the pace and draftee, Cam Donald also looking good. However, by the end of Friday both bikes were parked. An engine malady had stopped the #86 bike and, unable to find the source of the problem, team boss, Ken Horner, withdrew the Donald bike and the spare bike rather than damage incredibly valuable machinery. The sidecar seemed to be immune to the issues and performed well all weekend in the hands of the regular pairing of Horner and DiNuzzo. The twin Suzukis of Martin and Giles were also suffering from lack of match practice (both the bikes and the riders) and it wasn’t until Race 4 that they began to show the sort of speed of which we know they are capable, but, by then, it was too late.
The two T-Rex bikes of Chas Hern and last year’s star of the show, Jed Metcher were also causing real problems, fast enough, well and truly, but just not up to par with handling and rider confidence. There is a school of thought that says that the great riders ride around bike problems but, when all you are racing for is a trophy, it’s hard to do that when it’s clear that the bike just isn’t right.
So, six of the eight Team Australia bikes were clearly not up to the task of beating Team GB and it was pretty clear by the end of Friday that the Poms were on their way to a three-peat. As well as having an incredibly deep riding roster of real, genuine stars (Cummings, Richards, McWilliams, McGuinness, Hickman, Hillier et al) they were having only minor bike problems and no crashes, so it was looking ominous indeed. Added to their superiority in statistical terms, the Poms are experts at teams racing, knowing that stacking up the placings and having every bike finish is the key to winning. A couple of minor mechanical issues in the other races meant that they went into the last of the 4 races with a 26 point lead. Against the Aussies who had a shocker of a weekend, it was always going to be bridge too far.
However, as every IC seems to produce a hero, so this year’s event did. Alex Phillis, son of superbike legend, Robbie (I wonder how long it will be before we stop calling him that?) was a star. Forced out of a comfortable lead in Race 1 by a deflating tyre, he put the disappointment behind him to record a 3, 4, 1 result in the remaining three races. His win in Race 4 was stunning, lowering McWilliams charge for a clean sweep and giving the Aussie fans something about which to cheer. To say that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house after his stunning win is the understatement of the meeting.
Team USA arrived with the best riding roster they have had but again had to give best to Team Ireland who, fresh from 3rd place last year, had strengthened the team considerably in terms of both riders and bike quality. Despite a few niggling bike problems, the team, led by local rider, Paul Byrne, stacked up the placings in every race and easily scored third overall in the points again.
Team USA was strengthened by the return of AMA regular, Pat Mooney and the addition of Miami, Fl hotshoe, Barrett Long, son of the legendary John Long. These two provided the punch for the team and were capably backed up by Team USA regulars, Ralph Hudson, Joe Weir, Jimi Mac and Dave Crussell. But it wasn’t enough. Despite having their best Island Classic ever (all team bikes finished in all four of the IC races – very impressive) the lack of match practice and the reliance on the updated but venerable TZ750’s meant that it was always going to be a struggle. Joe Weir had oil misting problems on his XR69 replica and Ralph Hudson was just not road race fit, having devoted most of 2016 to his super-successful LSR efforts. Jimi Mac rode his “tiny” Suzuki 700ESD ROAD bike and did amazing things (maybe he needs to bring smaller bikes rather than larger ones?). Aussie draftee, Robbie Ruwoldt was reliable and fast and last-minute draftee (replacing Campbell whose XR69 lunched an engine – probably as a result of ingesting dirt in the practice day crash) Albert Tehenepee, both finished but well down the field.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for my American friends. In fact, a couple of the American riders put in spectacular performances in the graded races and let the team go home on a high despite not recapturing their third overall in the International Challenge. Ralph Hudson brought out his old 1972 model TD2 Yamaha and scored four straight 2nd places, behind local hotshot, Murray Seabroook. In each case he was more than the length of the straight in front of the third place rider and he returned to the pits to warm applause from his American friends at the end of each race. (that’s Ralphie on the straight in the photo at the top of the page)
Barrett Long rode the second of Dave Crussell’s TZ750’s and was looking good until late Friday afternoon when he returned to the pits out of the UFE(MC) race with the bike running on two pots. Rather than try and diagnose the problem, Dave made the call to replace the whole engine from the spare bike so, with Mike Studinski (TZ Mike) and Martin Wilson wielding the spanners, an “overnighter” saw the engine swap completed in time for hostilities to break out on Saturday morning. Put up on the roller starters as soon as engine start was allowed (0900) the bike fired first time and it sounded just PERFECT! The “cackle” is something that us oldies love and the cackle was back. Barrett then proceeded to win the remaining Unlimited Forgotten Era (Minor Class) races easily, more than making up for his DNF in Race 1. In doing so he became the first American rider to win an Unlimited race at the Island Classic.
Now, of course, I must not close without mentioning the amazing efforts of my two friends, Wade Boyd and Christine Blunck. Resigned to not competing at the Island Classic due to not having an eligible sidecar rig, Wade and Christine were looking at spending the weekend following the event on Computime’s Live Timing service. But, at the last minute, yes, less than a week from Practice Day, an incredibly generous offer saw them on the plane and heading for PI. Sidecar legend, Doug Chivas who was planning to ride his new Konig-engined outfit, contacted Wade and asked if he’d be interested in racing his “old” TZ750 Windle. “Would I ever,” was the reply and so a frantic flurry of activity saw them practise and race on an outfit that was way too small for Wade and way too big for Christine. In spite of the fact that neither have ever raced a two stroke outfit and total unfamiliarity with the rig, they scored 9,6, 7 5 in the four races and were getting faster and faster every time they wen out. It was so good to see them again and so cool to see them go so well.
And so, almost as soon as it began, the 2017 International Island Classic was over. Paul and I pulled our own “overnighter” driving straight through the night to arrive home at breakfast time on Monday morning, exhausted but exhilarated after a wonderful weekend. There’s so much more to report, people to thank and sidelights to reveal, but that will have to do. I do wish that I could type as fast as I can think, it would make this so much easier.
Till next time (and I won’t wait 7 days, I promise).