Back in 1975 me mate, Tony Day, and me brother, Jim ( jimg1au on this forum) decided to go to Bendigo for a two day Longtrack meeting. We had never been to a longtrack before so were a bit apprehensive. Anyway, race-weekend rolled around and we packed up the XR and trailer with Tony’s Hagon-Jap and and my Elstar-Jap, Tony , Jim , EA and the two sprogs in the Ford plus all the fuel and gear and headed south on Friday night.
What a trip, done a radiator in, etc. etc. but got there early Sat. am and went to look at the track. Asked a fella at the Showground where the motorbike track was and he pointed at the wooden fenced, half mile trotting track that looked huge to us. Bloody hell!! Back to the bikes, rummage in toolbox, 19 tooth engine sprockets found and fitted, add 10 percent nitro. We were gunna show these Mexicans.
Jim and TD in pits SundayScrutineering done and we got a copy of the programme. Bloody hell! We’d been put in A grade. Asked the organizer, Clarkey, “why?” as we were both B grade in New South, “You’re interstate riders, so you’re A grade” !! Round one to Victoria.
Now, A grade was populated by fellas like Ray Owen, Clarry Jones , Gary Chasemore, Nigel Boocock etc. etc. You get the picture. So there was two fairly nervous, but fired up, B graders in the pits.
Ray Owen chasing Charlie on a 125 twin at RomseyAs we were sitting on the fuel drums, shitting ourselves just a little bit, this thing rolled into the pits. An old Fairlane, I think, arse dragging on the ground, towing what looked like a long, covered, race car trailer. Some lads jumped out of the tow car, raced around to the trailer tail gate ramp thingy and put their shoulders to it, while some one else pulled the pins. Tailgate down and all these bikes fell or were pushed out. There were 125, 250, 350 and 500 chookies and sliders, speedway solos, Junior and Senior sidecars. They were one riders bikes, Clarry Jones had shown up.
During the meeting, Clarry had 4 or 5 blokes standing on the infield holding his next bikes in the correct race order. Mad bugger didn’t seem to stop all night !!
Clarry up it for the rentAnyway, A grade practice was called. Tony and I were already down at the dummy grid and we get off first. Down the front straight second time, handlebars an inch from the “safety” fence at some ungodly speed, full noise into turn one. “Phaark, this’ll do” I thought . Tony drifted high up on the cushion, me down lower, when this banshee wailing thing shot between us at warp factor ten and promptly disappeared down the backstretch. “What the F%^K was THAT”
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Back in the pits a crowd was gathered round it. It was Booey on Charlie Edwards’ TR2 350 road racingYamaha powered Hagon, and they were pulling the back wheel out, to replace the Barum that had chunks the size of the palm of your hand ripped off it. Jim pit-crewed for Nigel and Charlie all night. One race, one tyre rooted as Booey was riding the fence, literally. Jim got real good at Hagon rear wheel removal and tyre and chain fitting that night !, also making Booey cups of tea.
At the end of the meeting, Clarry Jones cut some hot laps on the thing, his comment after. “I’ve got to have one “
This bike is similar to Charlies 350, comes from TownsvilleOK, heats of the A grade 500. Tony qualified in his heat, however, my heat scored the water cart just before us. Still confident, fronted to the line. Away to reasonable start then promptly got filled in. Now, I wear specs and was used to oil tracks, so off with the goggles, then filled in again. “Sod this for a lark” No other option, I pulled onto the infield, really pissed off.
Sunday arvo finals
As Tony’s JAP was making ominous rumbling noises and I missed out on the final, there was an obvious solution. Tony ran # 455 and I ran # 454, so change one number and he’s in the final with no one the wiser.
Tony got a great start in the final. About mid pack in turn one, improving to run just off the leading three as the race ran on. Booey, on Charlies thing, bolted away in the lead. I was thinking, “If someone blows an engine or falls, Tony’s in for a podium here” but, coming off turn four, running for the flag, the Elstar bucked and slid up to the fence, sitting TD on his bum. Race finished and I went over with the pick-up wagon to discover Tony was OK but the Jap had coughed its guts up big-time. All that was left usable was the timing cover, magneto, and surprisingly, the head, the rest, crankcase, bits of the barrel etc. etc. was scattered all over turn four. We had to do an emu bob before the rest of the finals could be run.
Memories of BendigoBooey had fallen from his speedway solo earlier in the night, rolled along the top of the “safety” fence and flopped back onto the track. Red flags everywhere, ambulance goes over, to discover Booey had, amongst other things, several broken ribs. They tried to take him to hospital but he protested, saying in his best broad Yorkshire “ The folks have paid to see me fooking ride, and see me ride they fooking will” He finished the meeting, won and was then taken to hospital. One tough cookie !!
Aahh well. That started my addiction to long oval tracks and cured my addiction to nitro. I wasn’t ever all that good. Just a mid pack B grader but I enjoyed it all. Still do!! but from the other side of the fence.
Foss
