Holy Shit...Wow
. That's my first and most lingering reaction to the 2013 Clasic Nats. The meeting was without doubt one of the best Nats I've ever attended and even though my weekend didn't work out the way I'd have liked lbikewise, the atmosphere more than made up fort it. In a nutshell, I was blown away by the camaraderie, positive vibe and smiling efficiency that enveloped the place.
*Thanks to everyone who contributed to helping to (unsucessfully)get my under finished Cheney and DT1 running properly. The fact that we couldn't get a usable spark with three ignitions on the Cheney and a pulled head stud on the DT1 ended the campaign but they'll be right next time.
*Thanks to Rob and Sarah Dillon and my old mate Tony Clarke for persevering with my crap bike preparation and trying to turn a toasted turd sandwich into a stack of pancakes & maple syrup. Thanks to Davey Crocket, Tossa and the guy with the pre 65 Bultaco for supplying them with replacement rides. Thanks also to Simo for the clutch plates and Col for the Allen keys.
*While walking my bike to scrutineering on Friday arvo I caught my right calf on the brand new serrated fatty footpeg on my DT1, cutting it badly enough to warrant 6 or 8 stitches. Luckily I happened to adjacent to our pit neighbour, Victorian Des Heaney and his daughter Stacey who just happened to be a paramedic when not racing her dads Metisse or Maico. When she saw the blood pissing from my leg she took control and cleaned and bandaged the wound so well that I didn't feel the need to attend hospital for further attention. I haven't had a look at the wound yet but my leg hasn't fallen off so thanks again Stacey.
*How good was it to see so many pre 65 and pre 60 bikes in the same paddock? I haven't seen so many Metisses or Cheneys together in years. Even the 250 pre 65 class was well subscribed and it supplied some great racing.
*It was terrible to see both Brad Lewis's Penda and the West Aussie CCM go up in flames but we were all relieved to see that the damage to both bikes was superficial, in fact Brads little Honda powered Penton/KTM was soon back racing.
*Speaking of West Aussies, how keen and friendly are they? What a nice bunch of folks they are, no wonder the pre 75 scene goes from strength to strength with spirit and camaraderie like they possess. We could all learn a lot from them.
* The pre 78 class created some of the best racing on the weekend and it was great to see a number of young guys riding their dads/uncle/grampa's bikes to keep the early bikes alive.
*The Wyaralong Nats silended for ever those Negative Nevilles who keep telling us that the Baby Boomers will all soon be walking away because they're too old and that the early classes were doomed to oblivion through lack of interested racers. The overall attitude at Moto Park proved beyond any doubt that the older racers and enthusiasts still possess bucket loads of enthusiasm and entrepreneurial mojo that is missing from the post classic movemen and they won't be going antywhere anytime soon. I'll make a bet now that the Port Augusta, South Australia Classic Nats gets more entries than the Classic event next year.
*Big Kudos to Col Metcher, Vandy, Davy Crocket and the entire QVMX club, Lindsay Grainger and the MQ gang, the hard working staff at Moto Park, the West and South Aussies for travelling so far and being so friendly and enthusiastic and to everyone else who helped to make the 2013 Classic Nats such a positive experience.....a somewhat jaded old Firko came home a much more inspired and focussed enthusiast, just amping to finish off my project quota and actually ride my Tribsa at Port Augusta.......the campaign started today
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