Scooter News  ADVERTISEMENT 1st 6 Hour Scooter Race Report Well the first 6 hour scooter event open to the public has been run and official results are now in.
Allen Drysdale / Team Scootersales.com.au On the 15th of December the first ever scooter event was run at Queensland's Willowbank Go Kart Circuit. The event attracted 15 entries mainly from the industry and the scooters varied from an ultra fast Piaggio Typhoon to the only 4 stroker in the field the Arqin Metro 4.
An air of enthusiasm greeted the field and the event was seen as serious yet fun for those who attended.
For a first up racer like myself it was comforting that the event was run by an official event organiser,The Motorcycle Sportsmen of Queensland, and safety was to a large extent high on the agenda.
Each corner was posted with flag bearing marshalls and the race overseen by an official clerk of the course so the trepidation that may of been evident soon disappeared.
The event was mainly held under lights and started around 6pm Queensland time.
Practice for the event was helpful as we all got used to the track, the practice laps set the start positions for the race.
A Le Minz style run across the track start was used and the race started without a hitch.
Once underway it was clear who the pacesetters of the night were going to be as the blistering pace of a mega tuned typhoon roared past lap after lap. But running three classes meant it was a race within many races and once the race started the helmets went on and the race to win rules applied.
Our Scootersales.com.au team of myself and Jason Tubnor was given use of a Vmoto Matrix (thankyou Scooter HQ) on the night and it ran faultlessly around the Willowbank Cuiruit. By the end of the night both Jason and I were thankful for the handling and high ground clearance as the Matrix showed its ability to run lap after lap and look after us first timers.
Places were being jostled for all evening and as the night wore on there were a few off track excursions and put downs. But the beauty of scooter racing is everybody got back up and rode on.
On the night just a couple of scooters that didn't make the distance and this is just due to the nature of their tune. A couple of scooters even got rolled off there respective showroom floors and onto the race track same day to the same night, just off with the mirrors and race away. All of which is the benefit of this style of racing that for many it can be the most inexpensive way of feeling like a Moto GP star.
If anybody has doubts about there ability to be apart of an event like this they should not as it really does provide a grounding for a confident rider to perform within his or hers own skill set.
After the event everybody who raced had a grin from ear to ear looking like they had enjoyed every lap. Some entries on the night shared riding duties whilst others did the 6 hour event solo with just a couple of fuel stops for most teams.
All teams have now learnt what worked what didn't and what will they do better next year. You could hear the minds ticking over as each shared their experiences of the event.
This was the first event of its kind with a race series to start early in the new year, its relationship with a growing scooter market is just a matter of time.
The night only had one hick up and that was the timing gear for the event packed it in with each scooter having to pit and be fitted with a secondary transponder. Small but frustrating and just something that as the scooter racing scene gets bigger so will the importance of getting it right on the night.
Also would love to see a greater number of the public attend the event as it truly is a sport which any confident rider can enter and share. Not to mention the fact that it improves your riding skills 1000 percent.
Congratulations to the respective winners of each class on the night(see the results below)and also to the dealerships that turned up to support the event. As a sponsor myself it was great to see the effort that was made in each and every scooter on the night.
As myself and Jason now turn our thoughts towards how we will win our class next year I am sure we are not alone.
published 21/12/2007 |