Race Report
Enroute to Canowindra the atmosphere was heavy with smoke from the traumatic fires that NSW suffered and still is. Road closures in the Blue Mountains and Illawarra slowed some of our most avid racers but they arrived on time for a Friday arvo beer and a catch up with old mates.
Total fire ban put a damper on late night B.S. sessions and put the racers to bed early. The extensive grounds of the Canowindra show ground was 90% full of race bikes, utes and 5 star campers. Many of us Been Before-ors hit the nearby Golf Club Chinese or local pub to support local fair. Friendly locals made it all the more rewarding an adventure.
Weather this year, unlike the last few had a distinct lack of rain attached to it. Hence the bush fires. Dust in the eyes, nose, mouth and filter was going to be this years challenge. Thanks to Greg and his clutch of merry mates the official Heaven VMX track hydration unit was ready and raring to go with a pull start from a 1966 Massey Ferguson tractor. The Hydro unit never let us down and was later called into action against local spot fires.
Cup Day Morning - I love the smell of smokey gums in the morning. Red sunlight filtered through the dawn to reveal a full orange sun and a single classic shaped Hot Air Balloon beside it. Omen for better things to come.
Flaggies arranged by Bob and on deck early. Pre 65 racers got to kick off first in the cool of the morning and freshly water grass - mid showground. Hardly a ripple on the track of 20 litre plastic drums and blue and white tape. Set up faster this year. Many more sweeping, fast L and R. If you like Ur racin' tight, elbow to elbow, front to rear guard, eye ball to eye ball then this is the place to come.
Rider age racers were the go. Pre 40yo in one group, 40 to 49, the the 50's plus. Ladies and Junior were scored seperately. Numbers swelled from last year. Well over 100 entrants. The variety of race bikes was a varied as the characters what raced 'em. Un-renovated IT's and DT's, the worlds slowest Indian (DNFed), 500 AJS vs Metisse Perfecto's, SWM's, CZ exotica, RN RH Suzuki's, the RM 370 project bike from VMX Mag, Dirt Track CR Hondas and one uber fast MX 360 ridden by a Professional Driver who finished the weekend by back his 4WD into the Telegraph post in the middle of the carpark. Bugga!
This year the cup racing was more competative than the other 3 combined. Jody Perry and Anton le Pepe could smell the trophy from last year. CR 500 vs YZ490 put on a show for the last race that brought the crowd to their knees. sorry feet sorry. 30 rooster tails of both bikes, a bike apart. the rest of the morals were left 100 metre behind the sharp end. Both in their 30's and both Supurb racers and happy to put it all on the line for the Canowindra (sheep station) Cup. The CR piloted by Perry took out the black and white flag and Canowindra race day too out the day overall.
We all met up in the Show Ground Wool Classing shed for a well managed presentation. (some blokes got the wrong trophy but WT$).
Better worded speeches, the Pope couldn't have done. Race incident confessions that Coppa (god rest his sole) Reed would have been proud of were spoken. El President skooped most of the bling. Brigette gave the best speech of the night to thank her sponsor Bruce The Brickie.
We also had a special yearly award to the Racer who travelled the longest way to get to Canowindra. This years winner travelled 40570km from Oslo in Norway. Morten Flahagen met up with his childhoon racin' mate Jens Olsen of Wollongong to don the Norwegen Flag shirt and race line a Viking. Jens being the mate he is provided a selection of well used Suzuki trail bikes from the early 1970's which had all been significantly adjusted by Jens since they were new. All of Mortens bikes completed every race. Jen's did the usual and fell apart lap by lap. eg - gear lever shaft on TS185 snapped off, complete throttle housing on KE125 fell off so bike raced home on cable alone, Suzuki 250 had to be push started due to complete lack of compression when cold. AND the Crowd went wild!!!!!
New members. Have no idea of names yet sorry. But Old Mate on # 83 who won all the Trophies for the Cup bar the BIGUN. Turned up on an original MX 400 that was able to to give us Heaven members a handy cap by running backwards. Perfect for the Rubber Band Start. And he still won........
The numbers of ladies went up by almost 100%. XR 200's and above the tool of choice by all but a few. Smooth laps and not one slip off. Not like the boys. Almost 90% of the Racers this weekend, including the best of the best list the front or back on the freshly de-dusted grass track. To be honest (for once this report) the more experienced of the racers was able to work out that the Dry Line was the Smart Line. Wet is not always best.
Well the beer is empty, typing fingers are burnin'. The racing on Sunday for the Heaven Point Score was a mirror image of Saturdays racin' cause we turned the track around from Anti-Clock to Click Wise. Brilliant planning move from the track pre guys. Note : the Track Hydro Unit only ever ran Anti-Clockwise so as not to confuse the driver.
Special thanks to Greg Holmes and his extreme mates from the most friendly town of Canowindra. Also to Dave our Medic (ex Army Veteran) who put the big ones in with No sleep to get to us on time to start racin' Saturday.
Oh an the Juniors. Brilliant effort by a recent convert from a YZ 250 F to an RM 125 N from 1979 who kept the modern KTM 85 and 150CRF's honest all weekend. Heaven members salute Young Keeto on the vintage bike for a race well run.
Thanks too all those who put their mark on Mortens Norway Race Jumper.
Pete # 100
