What?
27th December 2002, 05:18
Got up at five yesterday, scoffed a coffee and Weetbix, the hit the road for Wanganui. Great ride apart from the rain from the Kaima summit to about half way down the Western Access (west side of Lake Taupo). Ran over a rabbit at Whakamaru and got a magpie with mirror and elbow a few miles on. Filled up at Raetihi and my 17 litre tank, with a 2 litre reserve (not yet in use) took 18.55 litres!!:mad: I have just e-mailed Caltex on that...
Fine all the way down the Parapara (yay!!!), but lots of slipped rock on the road, so a little more caution than normal was required. If you don't know this road, don't tackle it in race mode.
Pissing down again for the last 15 K into Wanganui, and so it did until about 10 or 10:30. Then out came the sun, track dried, racing got better and we all froze in the stiff southerly.
Racing was hot in most classes. In the open, the dice for first betweeen Shaun Harris and Craig Shirrifs had to be seen to be believed. 600 SportProd was also tight racing, and the Super Motard guys were insane! Stephen Briggs sliding the bike into the railway bend lap after lap was quite a sight. The only other guys to slide here were doing it because they had over done it...
In the classics, Ginger Molloy was still out there showing the younger set how it is done. Or at least until he crashed. Fortunatley it was a minor off - at age 66 it is not so easy to bounce back up, apparently.
Quite a line up of past stars were there, though not all took part in the ride-by. Great to hear from some of them as to where they are in the world, now. Anyone who remembers Dave Hiscock will also recall how he went to South Africa and was never heard from again... Then there was Bob Toomey, Richard Scott, Mike Pero etc etc. Lots of history.
Good trip home. Only saw one cop for the whole trip, and he must have been going home for dinner. Gassed up at National Park, where the station ownwer gave me a coffee on the house (thanks mate - very much appreciated), then stop at Wairakei for dinner before heading back to Tauranga.
Roll on next year.:beer:
Fine all the way down the Parapara (yay!!!), but lots of slipped rock on the road, so a little more caution than normal was required. If you don't know this road, don't tackle it in race mode.
Pissing down again for the last 15 K into Wanganui, and so it did until about 10 or 10:30. Then out came the sun, track dried, racing got better and we all froze in the stiff southerly.
Racing was hot in most classes. In the open, the dice for first betweeen Shaun Harris and Craig Shirrifs had to be seen to be believed. 600 SportProd was also tight racing, and the Super Motard guys were insane! Stephen Briggs sliding the bike into the railway bend lap after lap was quite a sight. The only other guys to slide here were doing it because they had over done it...
In the classics, Ginger Molloy was still out there showing the younger set how it is done. Or at least until he crashed. Fortunatley it was a minor off - at age 66 it is not so easy to bounce back up, apparently.
Quite a line up of past stars were there, though not all took part in the ride-by. Great to hear from some of them as to where they are in the world, now. Anyone who remembers Dave Hiscock will also recall how he went to South Africa and was never heard from again... Then there was Bob Toomey, Richard Scott, Mike Pero etc etc. Lots of history.
Good trip home. Only saw one cop for the whole trip, and he must have been going home for dinner. Gassed up at National Park, where the station ownwer gave me a coffee on the house (thanks mate - very much appreciated), then stop at Wairakei for dinner before heading back to Tauranga.
Roll on next year.:beer: