Yesterday I attended a race meeting, but it was unlike any race meeting that I have attended in recent years for a number of very significant reasons. For a start, I didn’t have to travel far to get there. In fact, I think the track was even close to my place than Macarthur Park was to my place in Wanniassa back in the road closure days!
Awesome Drive, the local go-kart track is just across the road from Kembla Grange Racecourse and is probably less than a mile as the crow flies from my place in the top right hand corner of the red section of the map above. It wasn’t a stressful journey to get to the track.
The event was Rd1 of the MotoStars Race Series powered by Watson Demolition and Earthmoving and presented by Damian Cudlin Racing. Yes, THAT Damian Cudlin, the dude who finished 5th in the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race in France last week. MotoStars is Damian’s baby, a training, coaching and racing initiative to encourage and develop young road racers in Australia.
Now there have been several similar ventures in Australia over the years; Tony Hatton’s Moriwaki 80cc series back in the late 90’s produced riders like Chris Vermeulen, Anthony West, Joshua Brookes, the Cudlin brothers to mention just some of the names that are now well-known. More recently the Metrakit Series has encouraged the careers of many young riders from both here and NZ, the series concentrating on two stroke race bikes (on reflection, probably too late). Then there was the hugely successful MRRDA Series run by Paul Edwards, based around 150cc 4 stroke road bikes imported from Asia and it has also produced a great number of riders who have gone on to greater things.
With Paul’s retirement from the helm of MRRDA the career path for young riders has not been as clear and it is encouraging to see that Damian and his supporters have stepped up and are providing with vital rider training for prospective road racers.
One of the huge problems with road racing is the massive cost of circuit hire with all the attendant costs involved. Damian has chosen to base the series on the Kayo GP bikes which, because of their specs, can be run on go-kart tracks at a significantly reduced cost and with vastly increased safety. Luminaries like Jack Miller and Johan Zarco have ridden Kayo bikes at the early stages of their careers.
As can be seen from the specs sheet, these are proper race bikes in every respect and they certainly look and perform like them.
Of course, there aren’t enough kids with them to run a full race meeting with just the 150’s so Damian is presently promoting the meetings in conjunction with the NSW Supermotard Club and they race on a modified version of the go-kart track with a dirt track section on the infield. As well, the NSW Mini Moto club were invited yesterday and the tiny whipper snipper bikes put on some brilliant racing. I’ve seen pictures of full grown adults wrapped around these tiny things but that’s the first time I have actually seen them racing. Quite amazing. The races were won by a 51 year old competitor who drove up from Melbourne (about 1000kms) for the meeting, yes, really.
The GP races are open for kids from 9 years old and finishing at 15 years old when they can get a full Junior racing licence. There is a “4 year” exclusion mandated by MA so that 15 year olds, for example, are not racing against 9 year olds. Damian is putting on regular training days where kids can come along and try the bikes, which he hires out on an as-needed basis.
Is it working? Heck, yes, it is. Yesterday the youngest riders in the GP class were all kids who had never ridden a race bike until they did the first training day which was a month ago. 4 times, max, on the bike and they were riding like little professionals. One of the newcomers was a kid called Max Stauffer, the son of road racing superstar, Jamie Stauffer. He brought down his little 150cc Yamaha road bike to ride in the Production Class but he hired a Kayo on the day and looked entirely at home.
And then there was a 12 year old boy from Toowoomba in Queensland (yes, I kid you not). Thomas Brown is a name that I want you to remember because, for most of you, this will be the first time you have heard it. Just 12 years old and NOT a product of the dirt bike school, Tom is only interested in road racing. He is a walking encyclopedia of road racing and lives, eats and breathes it. Not only that, but he is exceptionally talented on the bike. In Race 2 of the three, 10 minute races, his lap times were around 35.7 seconds for EVERY lap except for the first, standing lap. His lines are pin sharp accurate and he looks like he has been racing all his life. His bike is signwritten, he has an impressive list of sponsors and already has his own promotional flyers that he signs and gives away at training days and at race meetings (see below). He is beautifully spoken, respectful and a promoter’s dream. Take it from me, this kid is the real deal.
I was very glad to be at the meeting and tickled to be able to offer some assistance during the day. If MotoStars are in your area, get along and see the future of Australian motorcycle road racing. Believe me, it’s worth seeing.