Motorcycling Queensland

Queensland rider ‘Mad’ Mike Jones has taken out the 2008 MRRDA National Road Race Series / Honda CBR150 Junior Championship, with fellow statesman Ryan Dymond (pictured) grabbing the runner up spot.

New South Wales’ Josh Hook rounded out the Championship podium, in what was a very close finish between the top three.

These three riders went on to the 125GP shootout, and it was at this event that Dymond was awarded a coveted direct entry into the Red Bull Rookies Cup final selection trials, to be held on November 7th – 8th in Estoril, Portugal. He is understandably excited about the prospect.

“Hopefully I'll be competing in next year's Red Bull Rookies Cup” remarked Dymond. “I'll know more on the 8th of November.

“At the moment this selection trial is my only goal and I am one hundred percent focused on achieving success” he continued.

The amazing thing is that Dymond almost didn’t start the series to begin with.

“At the start of the season I actually wasn't going to race the Mega Motorcycles CBR again. About five days before the first round at Oran Park in New South Wales, I got itchy feet and decided to enter. I really didn't think I'd end up doing every round either, but I did. I knew had the ability to be a front-runner, but also knew it would be hard as I wasn't getting any lighter.”

Dymond is very impressed with the MRRDA format and believes it to be by far Australia’s best junior competition, saying that with the extremely close racing the only way to stay in contention is to constantly push the limits. He also credits the series with his new found media communication and presentation skills, something he will certainly need if things go well in Portugal.

Meanwhile, Mike Jones’ MRRDA victory earns him a factory supported Honda Moriwaki MD250H ride for 2009. The deal includes a parts budget and support from Paul Free’s Motologic, who run the factory Teknic Honda road race team in Australia. The MD250H is approved to race in the 125GP class. Jones has proven to be a winner on any machine he rides, so he should adapt well to the Moriwaki next season.

Queensland also fared well in other MRRDA classes. The 125GP class was dominated by Queenslanders, with Andrew Lawson, Cameron Madders and Jake Horne taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the series results for the class. The 250GP championship was taken out by Sam Heath, and second went to Bernie Hatton – both also from Queensland! As you can see, the Sunshine State is very much over represented in this national series, which just goes to show how well the Queensland junior road race program is working.

The MRRDA series is designed to bring Australia’s best up and coming road racing talent into the national and international spotlight. The premier category is the Honda CBR150 Juniors, a control type class for competitors aged between 13 and 15 years, and compete on largely unmodified Honda CBR150 machines. All other classes in the MRRDA series are essentially support categories.

For more information on the MRRDA Series check out their website at www.mrrda.com

Applications for the 2008 Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award applications close on August 29, 2008 and forms can still be downloaded from www.ma.org.au/2008memorialaward.

The 2008 winner will be awarded at a presentation dinner to be held at the last round of the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship (ASC).

Applications for the 2009 Reece Bancell Scholarship close on August 31, 2008 and forms can still be downloaded from www.ma.org.au/2009rbapp

The Scholarship has been extended to riders who meet the criteria, wishing to compete in the 2009 ASC, in any class.

Applications will be accepted from all riders who feel they meet the criteria, and will commit to the 2009 ASC Season.

More information on either of these please contact Motorcycling Australian on (03) 9684-0500.

The Supplementary Regulations and Entry Forms for the 2008 Queensland Road Racing State Championships have been released are are available to be downloaded from here.

The event, to be promoted by The Motorcycle Sportsmen Club, will be held at Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick on the weekend of 21st & 22nd September, and will also incorporate the Queensland Historic Road Racing Championships as well as Round 3 of the Queensland 125GP and 250cc 4 strike Championships.

Entries to participate in this event will only be accepted if they are received on the official ENTRY FORM (included as part of the Supplementary Regulations) with the correct entry fee, or if submitted via www.nominate.com.au.

More information on this event is available by contact either Rachael or Danielle at The Motorcycle Sportsmen Club on (07) 3262-6677.

Blake Leigh-Smith advanced his existing lead in the Australian 125cc Grand Prix Motorcycle Championship during the first of a double round at
Queensland Raceway today (Saturday 12th July).

Blake set a new lap record in qualifying in pole position on Friday, then took first place in both of Saturday's races. With two more races to come tomorrow, his goal of winning the 2008 125cc Australian Championship draws closer.

Blake has won every 125cc race in the Championship except for one DNF when he fell in the third race at Winton in Victoria. His record of 10 wins from 11 starts, and 5 from 5 pole positions makes him the rider to beat for this year's Championship.

Blake is running new livery on the bike this round, with a reverse sponsorship deal with The Queensland Cancer Council to help promote and raise funds for their Pink Ribbon Day appeal to aid breast cancer sufferers.

Blake's family recently lost a close friend to breast cancer, and Blake decided he wanted to help this prime fund raiser for cancer research.

If you would like to help in Blake's worthy fundraising, contact us by sending an email to rod@cutgrafix.com for details of how you can help.

The Motorcycle Sportsmen of Queensland club in conjunction with a number of Queensland's premier Road Racing coaches are pleased to announce the 'Junior Race Craft Skool'.

The Kool Skool has been put together with the aim of providing Junior Road Race competitors the opportunity to further enhance their racing skills, techniques and knowledge.

Where: Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick
When: Monday 30th June and Tuesday 1st July 2008
Who can participate: Junior 70cc, 80cc, 150cc & 15-16 year old 125GP.
More information: Download Information Brochure here or contact the Motorcycle Sportsmen of Queensland on (07) 3262-6677.

Motorcycling Australia (MA) in conjunction with Queensland's very own MotoGP star Chris Vermeulen today launched a joint Rider Safety Campaign aimed at helping to reduce the rate of motorcycle accidents throughout the country.

With representatives from; the Federal Government, the Roads and Traffic Authority NSW, motorcycling industry, the NSW Ambulance Service and motorcycling and general media attending, Vermeulen spoke about how, with motorcyclist injuries and fatalities on the rise, he felt compelled to act and to spread a safe riding message to everyone on the roads.

“The statistics I’ve seen for motorcyclists are pretty bad,” Vermeulen said.

“I love racing and riding bikes both on and off the road, so safety is a pretty big concern for me.

“I feel that if I can give something back to the community, and can help somebody stay safe on the roads, then it’s been worth all the effort that many people have put in.”

Vermeulen was adamant that everyone on the roads, motorcyclists and drivers alike, need to take control and be aware of others.

“When I race, I have a team of mechanics continually monitoring my bike and my progress, I know what the track is going to be like each time I go around and I only have to contend with other highly skilled and trained riders.

“When riding on the roads however it’s very different, the condition of the road can change unexpectedly, there are cars, trucks and busses sharing the road with you and there are so many other unknowns.

“Riders need to take control of their situation; no one forces a motorcyclist to speed or to take corners too quickly, so it’s their responsibility to take control – it’s their hand on the throttle!

“Motorists also need to be aware of motorcycles when they’re driving, keeping riders in sight and checking behind them.”

Also attending the launch was Mr. Chris Hayes MP (Member for Werriwa), representing Mr. Anthony Albanese MP (Member for Grayndler), who spoke about the value of campaigns such as this in changing the attitudes of people taking to the roads.

“The statistics we’ve seen recently about motorcyclist injuries and fatalities are shocking enough, but what these statistics don’t show is the grief and heartache that others suffer as a result of these numbers,” Hayes said.

“With road safety, the key objective is to change community attitudes and it is with campaigns such as this that we can work together to make our roads a safer place for all future users.”

A different perspective was provided to the launch by Ryan Salter, a Motorcycle Paramedic with the Ambulance Service of NSW.

Salter, who also rides recreationally, is often asked how he can ride when he sees what he sees at accidents and his answer is always the same.

“Yes, I have seen a large number of injured motorcyclists, some of them fatal,” Salter said.

“Yet in almost every accident I’ve seen, it could have been avoided or the injuries significantly reduced if the rider had behaved differently prior to the crash or worn appropriate clothing.

“We need to improve rider attitudes if we are going to reduce the statistics of motorcycle crashes, in addition to encouraging motorists to be more aware of motorcyclists on the road.

“The fact that a paramedic was asked to be involved in this campaign speaks volumes of the community perception of motorcycles.

“Unfortunately, the fact is that when people think of bikes, many think of ambulances, and the association between the two is both disappointing and needless.

“With increased awareness and education among all road users, I hope that in time we can correct the needless view that motorcycles and ambulances go hand in hand.”

The 2008 season of the Australian Superbike Championship has come in for its share of media scrutiny in recent times, with suggestions the series is in financial trouble, lacking sponsorship and has questionable new rules.

There were predictions of upset wins from new teams and established riders departing for foreign shores and good news in the way of a very popular revamped Formula Xtreme class and numerous juniors reaching 15 years of age, thus swelling the field in 125GP.

All the rumors, predictions and controversy of the pre-season led up to the Kawasaki sponsored round 1 and quickly settled down after the 187 entrants took to the track. A larger than usual Sydney crowd witnessed some of the best racing they’re likely to see from most classes.

31 Queenslanders in total ventured south to challenge the best riders in the country, hopeful of success in their chosen classes. Some enjoyed a fruitful weekend while others came home thinking things can only improve from here.

The surprise package of the year so far is Honda’s Jason O’Halloran, the reigning Supersport champion who after a strong showing at the WSBK support races continued to show he’s more than ready for the step to Superbikes with a pair of third places.

Queensland’s star Robbie Bugden, fresh from defending his New Zealand Superbike crown with an almost perfect score, repaid Suzuki for the improved level of support offered this year by achieving 2 strong fourths. He notably outperformed full factory rider Craig Coxhell throughout the weekend.

But it was the experience and mastery of Jamie Stauffer and Shaun Giles who led the way. Jamie had a near perfect weekend with pole in Superbike and Supersport, all 4 race wins, a new lap record in each class and the fastest recorded top speed.

When commenting on his perfect score he said: “It was OK but I’d like to have done better – I could have done it without sweating so much!”

Sydney was feeling the effects of the heat wave from further south, which at least meant the rain stayed away this time. Giles pushed him all the way with his Suzuki noticeably less stable than the Yamaha on cornering.

Three more Queensland riders are entered in the premier class this season, Jon Cartwright having made the move from Naked Bikes on a Yamaha, again sponsored by Anchor Steel. His 13th position in qualifying delivered a 13th and a 12th in racing.
Alex Buxton and Mick McMillan have both recently been upgraded to B after some impressive results in FX last year. Alex managed to qualify his Kawasaki in 16th which is where he was placed after each race.

Mick McMillan had “a weekend to forget” which is the toned down description he offered when finding out it was going into print. He had a positive to take with him with 15th in qualifying making him first B grader and 4th privateer on the grid, this being despite falling. He fell again at turn 12 in race 1 and suffered a broken gear lever and consequent retirement in race 2, thus only completing 18 laps of the track all weekend.

Jamie Stauffer only completed 3 laps in first qualifying for Supersport but that was enough to produce a 1:32.009 lap, almost 2 seconds under his own lap record and fast enough to have put him on the front row of the Superbike grid after the morning’s qualifying sessions were over.

He chose not to go out in the second qualifying session, confident that he’d still have pole and choosing to save his tyres for the races. With only 2 sets available to each rider, this was a significant move. In the races his younger team mates seemed to have the wood on him until late in each race when he slipped by for narrow wins.

After the Yamahas the best of the rest each time was the factory Suzuki of the ever improving Josh Waters who had his own battle keeping Sunstate Motorcycles’ (Maroochydore) Judd Greedy at bay. Judd has become a regular party spoiler for the factory riders with his hard charging style, and his team has the Honda outperforming its factory counterparts this year.

The other Queensland riders were Ben Attard, having returned from a few seasons in the United States who DNF’d in race 1 and managed 6th on his Yamaha in race 2, and Cole Odendaal, who has moved from the bigger class. Cole had Krusty Ferguson doing the mechanical work on his ex factory Honda.

The new look Formula Xtreme class hosted the biggest grids of the meeting, popular because of its relatively (to SBK) inexpensive costs. Modifications allowed are similar to Superstock as are control tyre restrictions. The front end of the field looked like the front of last year’s Superstock, with so many stepping up to this class. Chas Hern won the round with Suzuki GSXR 600’s the weapon of choice for the top 6 riders. Our state’s entrants were Joel Reed, Josh Houwen, Adrian Pierpoint and Scott Osbourne, none of who had a particularly successful weekend.

Best of Queensland’s riders in Superstock, and a possibility for the championship this year was Timothy Durie, on another Sunstate Honda who after 2nd in qualifying followed up with 5th in the first race and second by only 0.1 seconds in the next races after several lead swaps, Jamie Aitken winning all three.

Race 1 had been red flagged when Stephanie Redman rammed the tyre wall exiting turn 1, and landing on top of it, putting an end to her racing for the round. Race 3 saw a similar accident at exactly the same spot, unusual once, unheard of twice in one meeting.

Des Darby improved after qualifying scoring two 9th placings and an 8th. Liam Daniels is another of our youngsters, and despite becoming the victim of a faulty control tyre and consequent tyre rule penalty still attained two 13th’s and a 14th in racing. Our other representatives were Shane Gale and Arthur Cohen with Kit Parlane having a difficult weekend and only one race finish.

With nearly half the 125GP field coming from our side of the border this was always going to be an exciting class to watch. Add to that several of the riders are still only 15 or 16 years old and the future looks bright for the purest of all racing classes in the country.

Talk of the town was Dylan Mavin who qualified 2nd and followed up with 3rd twice and 2nd in the final race after Brad Gross (Qld) got a shocker of a start. Dylan only missed out on 2nd in the first race by 0.2 seconds after running wide on the final turn. Not bad for a 15 year old in his first race in a senior category!

Brad thus took the flag 2nd in races one and two, to Gold Coast’s Blake Leigh-Smith who did a characteristic clean sweep of the meeting. His Brother Jackson was the next Queenslander in each race with 7th, 10th and 6th. Jake Horne improved with every race bagging 12th, 9th then 7th. Andrew Lawson was happy with his results with 10th overall for the meeting, ahead of a few of the class’s regular A graders.

James Mutton and Cameron Madders were our next place getters while Daniel Youl was out of the points. On review of old race programs the names read like a 2007 junior class race. I’m sure we all wish Dylan success as he ventures to Europe soon to further his promising racing career via the Red Bull Rookies Cup program.

The combined Pro Twins and Naked Bike races were again a Craig McMartin benefit, with Craig Trinder making 2nd place his for the meeting, although having to fight for it, the MV Augusta’s clutch still causing him start line dramas. Daniel Wheeler continues to improve on his new Ducati 1098 and whittled away at his lap times throughout the 3 days, now a couple of seconds quicker than his last outing at the track. With three 3rd places he’s quickest of all the Ducati’s other than McMartin.

Beau McKenzie was the only one of our state’s riders to contest the Yamaha FZ6 Cup where he finished 5th overall, and was cross entered into Naked Bikes finishing 4th in the class behind Adrian Pierpoint whose 6th and 7th places overall netted 3rd in the class. Bruce Fyfe was the other Queenslander in the Pro Twins.

Next round of the ASC is in South Australia at Mallala on 18th to 20th April. Catch it on Speedweek on SBS a week after the event or get live timing from www.formula-xtreme.com.au

Queensland's very own Robbie Bugden successfully defended his New Zealand Superbike title this season and he did it with two races to spare.

His season-long dominance continued at the fourth of five rounds at Manfield on Sunday, with back-to-back wins, and the 27-year-old will now not even need to race at Pukekohe’s final round in a fortnight.

“The pressure is off now and I’ll just go to Pukekohe and enjoy the day,” said Bugden, who has been unbeaten thus far in the championship.

“Absolutely I’ll still be going hard at Pukekohe, though. Every time the red light goes out (to signal the start of a race), I go hard and don’t think of anything but winning.”

Though there’s mathematically no reason for Bugden to ride for now, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider is determined to turn up and thrill the crowds at Pukekohe anyway and, with the high-speed dueling that’s been seen here all season, the final round promises to be another nail biter, especially if fellow Suzuki stars Andrew Stroud (Hamilton) and Craig Shirriffs (Fielding) have anything to do with it.

Stroud and Shirriffs, and another Australian, Gareth Jones (Yamaha), have been locked in a four-rider freight train all season and, although it was again Bugden who finished each race in front on Sunday, there was really nothing to separate these men.

Pride will be on the line at Pukekohe with many-times former champion Stroud determined to put an end to Bugden’s win streak and gain some consolation for what has been for him a particularly brutal season.

“It might have been like the old days (with Stroud winning everything) if Robbie hadn’t been here,” joked Stroud. “He’s costing me a bit now,” said the 40-year-old father-of-six, now back up to second in the standings after the weekend’s racing.

“But I am enjoying the good, clean but hard racing. He’s done better this season because he’s learned our tracks now and he’s just finished a tough season in Australia, while I haven’t been doing anything. I’ll be going hard at Pukekohe though,” he said.

It is the second consecutive season that New Zealand’s most prized motorcycling silverware has gone back across the Tasman as hand luggage on Bugden’s flight.

We have the healthiest junior road race scene in the country here in Queensland. The success of our locals in last year’s Metrakit and MRRDA series is well documented with these series being dominated by Dylan Mavin and Ryan Dymond respectively. Here is an update on a few of our other younger riders.

Daniel Wheeler until not long ago was one of our promising juniors, and since becoming a senior has been racing a 400 as well as a Yamaha XT660. He’s now taken the step up to a new Ducati 1098 with the help of Brisbane Motorcycles, Dennis Rigon at Trueline Patios and Extensions and Derek Williams for his setup expertise.

At the recent round one of the New South Wales Road Race Championship at Eastern Creek improvements came so fast that his final race’s best lap was 3 seconds quicker than his qualifying time. Daniel reckons he can prune a few off that still.

In the combined Naked/Pro twin/FZ6 races he finished the meeting with 3 thirds and a second placing. The meeting served as a shakedown as he’s set to contest the ASC Pro Twins this year.

Others entered in the New South Wales Championships from the sunshine state included 125GP competitor Brad Gross who has gone from a kid racer to one of the regular front runners in 125’s in this country. He looks tall for a 125 jockey but that doesn’t stop him as his results show. He claimed pole and followed up with two second places to fellow Queenslander Blake Leigh-Smith.

Blake went on to win all the 125 class racing for the meeting, while his brother Jackson, third in the Australian Championship last year, had results not befitting his normal classy riding with a DNF, 4th, 5th and 7th.

Jake Horne has recently turned 16 and moved up to senior status. He got some valuable experience on the Eastern Creek Circuit, finishing closely behind Jackson Leigh-Smith in races 2 and 3 and getting past him in the second last lap of the last race. Jake has also been contesting Supermoto at the Ipswich Kart track and since graduating from junior ranks was regularly winning the C grade races.

Recently the Clerk of Course moved Jake into the A and B grade races as his qualifying time was 2 seconds clear of the next best C grader. His time would see him second fastest in the upgraded event too, and in racing proved his worth with 3 podium finishes and a fall.

Stephanie Redman is another Queenslander doing both disciplines. She impressed at the Eastern Creek meeting with 10th in qualifying on her Yamaha R6 Superstocker in the largest field of the championship. With a few DNF’s to show for the day, resulting in an injured elbow Stephanie is no doubt disappointed with her score sheet, but expect to see a lot more from this young woman in the future with the expertise of Mick Hams guiding her.

These are but a few of those emerging from our state so follow their progress in the coming year.

Round 1 of the Southern Downs Challenge will take place on the long track at Morgan Park on the 29th & 30th March. For more info phone 3262-6677 or check the web on www.motorcyclesportsmen.com.au

You can also follow the progress of the sunshine state’s riders with the start of the Australian Superbike Championship on 14th – 16th March at Eastern Creek. For more info look up www.formula-xtreme.com.au

Michael ‘Mad Mike’ Jones took a perfect victory at Round 3 of the 2008 Youngstar Road Race Series, winning five out of five races in a brilliant and commanding performance in the Sportsbike Tyre Warmers J4 80cc competition.

The series leader extended his points lead in the Championship to what appears to be an unassailable margin, putting himself nearly 100 points clear of second place. The talented 13 year old is quickly earning himself a reputation as one of Queensland’s most promising rising stars in the highly competitive junior road racing scene.

Round 3 of the 2008 Youngstar Road Race Series was held on Saturday 9th of February at Ipswich Kart Club, Willowbank. Dry, moderate weather provided perfect conditions for racing, giving competitors all the confidence they needed to push their machines to the fullest. With only five rounds in the series, plenty was at stake as rivals fought hard for each point throughout the field in all classes.

Jones was pushed very hard in the early J4 races by Corey Schaffer, who set an amazing new lap record in race one of 56.140 seconds in his efforts to chase down Jones. Unfortunately Schaffer had to leave after race 3 due to other racing commitments, allowing Jones to take slightly easier wins in the last two races. “I had to race extremely hard as the competition was so fierce” Jones said about his spectacular duels with Schaffer, adding that predicting the winner at the next round would be impossible, as the racing was very close. He also explained that he was able to get quickly into a good rhythm, and the track was hot and dry, enabling the tires to work at optimum performance levels.

Racing on track with the 80cc two strokes, but scored separately, is the other J4 class, the 150cc four strokes. The winner in this category was none other than Ultimate Coaching Experience recipient Nathan Houterman, proving that the coaching he received was certainly of great use! He finished second in three races and won the other two to give him the overall victory. Houterman said the two races he won were both helped by great starts, which enabled him to command the rest of the race without dropping position. He said his overtaking skills got a workout in the other races, with good results. Houterman has been road racing for less than a year, but started in Motocross at age seven. His performance at this round of the Youngstar series propelled him into the championship lead, and he hopes to go on to win the 150cc championship.

9 to under 12 year olds also compete in the Youngstar series, in two classes run together on track: Barnacle Busters Marine Products J3, for 70cc machines, and Barnacle Busters J2, for 50cc manual bikes. The J3 competition saw an awesome performance by 11 year old Josh McGrath. The Dirt Track star put the SP Precision Tools Metrakit 70 on pole, but was hampered by less than perfect starts, which he admits he needs to work on. He did not let this slow him down however, and after finishing in second place in the first two races he went on to take victory in the following three races with increasing margins.

When asked about the track conditions he reported that the surface was slippery in the morning, but became better as the day progressed. According to McGrath he also rode smoother each time out, and is confident of an even better performance in Round 4 of the Youngstar series. Another great result seems likely, as he has only been riding the Metrakit for about a month. McGrath is gearing up for a full assault on the Australian Metrakit Title, the winner of which goes to Valencia for the World Mini GP series.

Luke Martin took the Victory in the J2 class, winning five out of five races and setting a new 50cc lap record in the process. The 12 year old said that he hopes to win as many races as he can this year, and is looking forward to the next race meeting. Like most other racers, he was very impressed with the track surface, which obviously played some part in the great lap times recorded on the day.

Making a Youngstar series debut at Round 3 was a class of racing just for adults: Scooter Racing. Robert Morrell took the round win with four second place finishes and a win in the last race, courtesy of a fall from Jason Tester. It was Tester who was on the pace all day however, winning the first four races on the Scooterlife Piaggio. So far in front was he that the rest of the field was lapped by him in each of those four races. Predictably he also set a new lap record in the process, and this on a 70cc machine in a class that allows up to 250cc. The ex-motocross racer has been racing scooters since November last year, and plans to develop a special 50cc racing engine this season.

Round 4 of the Youngstar Road Race Series will be held at Ipswich Kart Club on Saturday the 8th of March. Full results from Round 3 are available on the Motorcycle Sportsmen website.

Instead of relegating the 250 GP bikes to the scrap heap of history in a couple of years, the FIM should be bringing in a new class, as is suggested, but not for 4 strokes only.

I don’t agree with it being modified street 600’s though, as we already have ample provision for these machines to be raced, and GP racing traditionally should be the testing ground for prototypes and new groundbreaking technology. You all know the deal - improve the breed, don’t hold back technological advancement. The 250’s are an ideal stepping stone for riders to reach the prestigious ranks of MotoGP.

We should allow the 2 strokes to go head to head with 4 strokes. Let them be the same capacity, as has recently been ruled will be the case in world level Motocross by 2010, (400cc would be a good starting point) but perhaps limit them to 2 or 3 cylinders, without limiting the 4 strokes on cylinders. Put restrictions on the emission output and don’t allow any more fuel than the 4 strokes.

Allowing the same capacity would be the reward for being innovative enough to take up the challenge of developing a suitable machine. This would then truly put the class back into the prototype and development category and could result in some positive developments for the motoring industry as a whole.

Note a recent article in AMCN by Rupert Paul about where motorcycles would be in 25 to 30 years time….the author predicts we’ll all be riding 2 strokes by then.

He suggests with the application of Lotus’ patented charge trapping valves the wasted fuel with 2 strokes would be harnessed and the 2 stroke’s nitrogen oxide emissions could be eliminated with air assisted injection. Sound a bit complicated for those who just want to ride? Okay, but rest assured there are people looking after our future in motorcycling by working on these things now.

This could virtually turn the class into a fuel efficiency race with the reward being the increased power 2 strokes have in the past been capable of.

It also could herald the return of the tuning guru, as many have simply become fitters and the techo stuff done in the factories in Japan. In this way the class would also become a development stepping stone for mechanics as well as riders.

Other benefits, as seen by the insightful people in FIM’s MX grand prix permanent bureau would be the cost saving to privateers as there could be a lower budget alternative to the spiraling costs of remaining competitive at a higher level.

Who knows, this could even bring back some of the small time manufacturers such as we’ve seen in the glorious days of GP racing with full grids when we had the likes of Kenny Roberts’ efforts and even back to the Patons, a family effort from Italy.

Instead if we go to all 4 strokes for the smaller classes, the big factories will swamp it. The privateers will fall out due to the cost. By going production based the top brass of our sport would be displaying a very short sighted view. They would be catering for use of existing technology with no incentive or drive for new ideas.

Before the racing world lets our leaders go too far down the 4 strokes only road, we all need to try and make them look at alternatives for the good of the sport and the industry as a whole.

Together with the MRRDA, Honda will be making Honda CBR150’s available for 13 to 15 year olds to try at the Ipswich Kart Track – Champions Way, Willowbank on Monday March 24th 2008. Any riders with the age group, regardless of current riding discipline who are interested, are encouraged to come along and have a go.

You never know, you might get the chance to ride in the Red Bull Rookies Cup with the European rounds of the MotoGP, get a ride in Motegi with Honda in 2009, or go training with Casey Stoner.

The days training will be lead by Terry Paviell. Terry is an MRRDA committee member, better known for his 125GP racing, his training of Casey Stoner in his early years, and as Team Manager of Team 27 - which helped Glenn Scott take out the Aussie 125GP Championship in 2007.

This day is ideal if you are between 13 and 15 yrs old and are thinking of taking that first or next step towards following in the footsteps of riders like Casey Stoner, Broc Parkes, Chris Vermeulen and Anthony West.

If you ride dirt bikes and want to give road racing a go, come and try it out. With Honda, it’s FREE!

As an added bonus there will be a Moriwaki MD250H “GP Mono” on display and people interested in purchasing one may be given the opportunity to test the bike before they purchase it.

Red Bull will be on hand to ensure that everyone is suitably energised. With the Red Bull Arch there, participants will get an idea of how it feels to enter the track at an MRRDA meeting.

Phil Reynolds – Honda;
“After seeing the Broadford day first hand it is truly exciting to be able to offer kids in Queensland the same opportunity. We’ve already uncovered some fantastic riders and we at Honda are really looking forward to seeing what Queensland comes up with”.

Paul Edwards – MRRDA;
“The MRRDA is so much more than just a race series. We are here to find opportunities to advance the sport and bring Juniors into the sport. Developing the Juniors requires us to provide training on a number of levels. Through these Honda promotional days we are not only giving kids the chance to try out the CBR150, but we are also providing essential training. We are so lucky to be working with all our series partners and bring these days to the Juniors.”

The day will also see support from Brisbane Motorcycles along with St George and Motorcycle Sportsmen Motorcycle Club's.

The very pinnacle of international motorcycle road racing is without a doubt MotoGP. Competitors in this elite World Series are held to be amongst the best riders in the world. Many racers aspire to compete in MotoGP, but only a select few riders earn themselves a spot on the grid each year.

Within MotoGP, there are ‘Satellite’ teams, and then there are the coveted ‘Factory Rides’. To ride for a factory team means riding for the manufacturer of the machine, and brings with it almost unlimited access to parts, upgrades, technicians and expertise. The factory team budgets are almost always higher than those of other teams, and the bikes are literally built to suit the rider’s and team’s needs. Changes and improvements to machines, parts and processes filter down to the Satellite teams in time, but the factory squads always come first. Satellite teams are largely funded by the sponsors who advertise on the bikes and team imagery, and these teams purchase their bikes from the manufacturers.

Australia is well represented in MotoGP, with three Aussie riders all on factory bikes. Reigning World Champion Casey Stoner will ride for Ducati again this season, after a highly successful 2007 season saw him win the title in his second year on a MotoGP bike, and his first season with Ducati.

All Australian riders have new team mates for 2008, and joining Stoner at Ducati Marlboro is Italian star Marco Melandri. An often heard saying in racing is that the most important person to beat is your team mate, and although Melandri is undoubtedly a great rider and has won multiple MotoGP races, Stoner’s recent form indicates that he will start 2008 as the firm favourite to take the title. His relationship with the Ducati team is terrific, and Ducati themselves have proven they have the bike to beat. Traditionally number 27, Stoner will run number 1 on his bike this season.

Queenslander Chris Vermeulen will continue riding for the factory backed Rizla Suzuki team in 2008, a team which helped him to his first win last year in a rain soaked Le Mans GP. Vermeulen’s new team mate is Stoner’s previous team mate, Loris Capirossi. Vermeulen is looking forward to the partnership, and says that Capirossi will bring a wealth of setup experience to the team. The two know each other quite well and get on great together, so the rivalry between them should be a friendly one. The Suzuki is a fast bike, but not always consistent, and is sometimes seen as a slightly under-developed bike; so the setup knowledge of Capirossi may be just what is needed to see Suzuki run at the front more often.

Anthony West, also from Queensland, signed with Kawasaki for the latter part of last season, and he will race for the Green Team again this year. In what almost appears to be a game of swap-the-team-mate, Vermeulen’s old Suzuki partner John Hopkins goes to Kawasaki to join West. The move brings with it a new major sponsor for Kawasaki, Monster Energy. Exactly how the changes at Kawasaki will affect their results remains to be seen, but the team certainly seems fresher and more focussed heading into season 2008.

There are plenty of other rider movements in the MotoGP paddock, chief amongst them the trio of 250GP riders stepping up to the premier class. Jorge Lorenzo - after winning two 250GP championships in a row - will partner Valentino Rossi at Fiat Yamaha, where he is widely expected to perform well. Andrea Dovizioso moves to the new JiR Scot Team, and Alex De Angelis will ride one of the Team Gresini Hondas.

Some of the other changes include Colin Edwards vacating his factory Yamaha ride to make way for Lorenzo, and moving to the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha squad. Another satellite team, LCR Honda, has picked up Randy De Puniet fresh from the Kawasaki Racing Team. Tony Elias and Sylvain Guintoli have both moved to the secondary Ducati outfit, Team Alice, whilst Shinya Nakano leaves the Konica Minolta Honda team to ride for the more established Gresini Honda team. And rounding out the 2008 season changes is the appointment of World Superbike Champion James Toseland to partner Edwards at Tech 3 Yamaha.

The primary feeder categories for MotoGP are the 250GP and 125GP classes, and at present neither of these Championships has any Australians contracted to their teams. However Australia does have a very strong contingent in the World Superbike and World Supersport Championship classes, and plenty of successful GP riders have come from these categories, so Australia will no doubt continue to feature prominently in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing for years to come.

Vermeulen delivers 'Ultimate Coaching Experience'
Story by: Drmsby Middleton
Photo courtesy: Your Sports Shots

Nathan Houterman and Chris Vermeulen talk tactics

Queensland's very own MotoGP Star Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki) gave up and coming road racer Nathan Houterman the 'Ultimate Coaching Experience' at Ipswich Kart Track today (Monday 4th February 2008).

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was eagerly received by 14 year old Nathan, who won the Road Racing component of the Ultimate Coaching Experience, an innovative competition promoted by Motorcycling Queensland.

Rainy weather, and therefore a wet track, threatened to put a damper on proceedings, but Vermeulen’s innate knowledge of road racing ensured that the day was highly successful, as did Nathan’s willingness to take to the track despite the conditions.

Chris had a preliminary chat with Nathan to start the day, going over some basics and outlining what the day would involve. Nathan then suited up, and headed out onto the track to turn some laps.

After getting a feel for the grip level of the still damp track, he started pushing the bike a little harder, before coming in for a half-time debriefing. Chris made some assessments and suggestions, and after the two had finished their discussion Nathan took to the track once more, and the difference in his riding was visible.

He was riding faster and smoother, with more intent and focus. Following the riding part of the Experience, Chris and Nathan sat down to talk at length about the many facets of road racing.

At the conclusion of the day, Motorcycling Queensland via our very ownRoad Racing contributor - Drmsby Middleton spoke to Chris regarding his thoughts on the day’s proceedings.

Drmsby Middleton (DM): Chris, why did you get involved with the Ultimate Coaching Experience?

Chris Vermeulen (CV): Well I have actually had an MA Licence for ages, and thought it was about time to put it to use! When Motorcycling Queensland approached us about it I thought it would be great, and I would definitely do it again.

DM: Did you ever receive coaching in your early career similar to what you are providing for Nathan here today?

DM: How important do you think coaching like this is for a young racer’s career?

CV: I think it depends on the age. Around 14 to 15 year's old like Nathan is great, but much earlier than that is too young. Especially with road racing, there is just too much to take in.

CV: Lots of stuff, and not just specifically related to riding the bike either. For instance I spoke to Nathan about the importance of communicating bike setup to the team, and being honest with your feedback, as that is a huge part of road racing. We spoke about other setup issues. I also gave him some ideas regarding finding and keeping sponsors, and lots of other things concerning racing.

CV: Really good. He had a good safe approach to riding here today. He didn’t just go out hard in the wet and crash, he took it easy at first and worked his way into it. He has a good attitude towards racing, and listened to what I had to say.

CV: The track looks good, the more road racing tracks that we have for Juniors to practice on the better.

DM: How important do you feel it is for Juniors to ride road-based bikes early in their career?

CV: Very important, but it should not be the only type of bike they ride. When I am asked why Aussies do so well in road racing, I say it is because of the dirt riding most of us did when we were younger. It is important to have that side of it as well. But I think it is great that these younger guys now have road racing bikes to ride, it’s really good to see.

Competition winner Nathan Houterman also spoke to Drmsby Middleton about the big day.

Nathan Houterman (NH): Awesome, I was really looking forward to it. I was very nervous at first though, but he (Chris) seems like such an easy going guy, so after a short while I felty comfortable.

NH: Yeah heaps – Everything from chasing sponsors to setting up for a corner, lots of stuff really.

NH: Yeah definitely. I think I will go a lot better, and I am really keen to try and implement some of the things Chris and I have talked about here today into a race situation.

NH: Yes I have done a Fitness and Riding school, and have done some dirt stuff as well because I also race motocross.

NH: It is a good fun track, but is very slippery when it is wet. I was a bit worried about it when we got here this morning and I saw the track was wet. It was good fun though.

NH: My road racing number is 22, and my dirt number is 228. I race CBR150s in junior road racing and 250F in motocross.

*More images from the Chris Vermeulen 'Ultimate Road Racing Coaching Experience' available from www.yoursportsshots.com