Paul Dobbs and the TT movie TT3D: Closer To The Edge article

**Cleve** · 21st August 2011, 08:29

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...deadliest-race

**jellywrestler** · 21st August 2011, 09:54

whoever the clown is who wrote the article needs to respect those that have died there from New Zealand and
A get their names correct
B if you're going to make a list get all the riders on there.

otherwise it's a pretty good article

**slowpoke** · 21st August 2011, 22:35

Great article, and if they actually read it, it will encourage many non-bike racing types to see the movie. Sounds like a movie more about amazing people than the amazing place. Still not sure if I want my good lady to see it though, I've gotta feeling Trade Me could have a certain GSXR listed straight afterwards, even if I am only a plodder on the poofy short tracks.

**Bykmad** · 22nd August 2011, 12:28

Didn't research the article very well. Left out Stu Murdoch from Dunedin, Gorselea Corner 1999.

**Rick 52** · 22nd August 2011, 21:54

Very good I think .....Still very sad loss 'looking forward to seeing the movie !

**oyster** · 24th August 2011, 11:14

We knew Stu Murdoch well, we still miss him. Terrific guy. Yes, it hurts a bit to see him missed out though inaccurate reporting. Around that time quite a few New Zealanders rode there, and in particular Otago riders featured. They rode for and won the "Maudes Trophy" as a team.

At one time Stu was working in Invercargill and rode back for the weekends. A bit fast it seems as the cops were getting frustrated trying to catch him. He used electrical tape to change the rego plate numbers around. We had a house above Kaikorai Valley and late one summer Friday afternoon we heard and saw a bike getting it's neck wrung up the valley with a cop in pursuit. Stu shot the bike into his mothers house, jumped a few fences and into his flat to greet the uniformed visitor when he arrived. "What bike? I've been relaxing here for an hour..."
Not long after they "ambushed" him and his licence was gone for a while.

**lukemillar** · 31st August 2011, 08:41

Watched this last night and it was a fantastic documentary! I think it will definitely appeal to bikers and non-bikers

**CM2005** · 31st August 2011, 09:09

fantastic movie - seen it twice, and taken a handful of non riding mates who loved it almost as much as my mates who ride

**jellywrestler** · 31st August 2011, 09:13

Originally Posted by oyster

We knew Stu Murdoch well,They rode for and won the "Maudes Trophy" as a team.

Doug Bell and Paul Williams from Otago were in the Maudes Trophy team, Stu went rode other years

**oyster** · 31st August 2011, 09:52

Quite right, Stu went later. Who were the others in the NZ team out of interest?
They rode "from the showroom floor, chosen at random" FZR 600's didn't they?
The model of bike I race won the Maude's trophy in 1929! And no, I didn't buy it new....

**Billy** · 31st August 2011, 10:32

Originally Posted by oyster

Quite right, Stu went later. Who were the others in the NZ team out of interest?
They rode "from the showroom floor, chosen at random" FZR 600's didn't they?
The model of bike I race won the Maude's trophy in 1929! And no, I didn't buy it new....

Cant remember all of them but some were,Nathan Spargo,Jason McEwen,Blair Degerholm,Paul Mc Quilkin,Warren Turner,Steve Clegg possibly as well,Was organised by John Shand(former MNZ President) and the bikes were leased from Yamaha UK,10 YZF600s As I recall,Shaun Harris should be able to fill in the gaps,Jason McEwen was given compensation to ride the senior as a newcomer on the Britten as Robert Holden had decided to concentrate on the Super mono.Jason qualified fast enough to compete on his leased YZF600 as the Britten failed during qualifying,But Yamaha UK took the bike off him while he was waiting to set off as the bikes hadnt been leased for that race.

**jellywrestler** · 31st August 2011, 10:57

Maudes Trophy team 1994 members

Robert Holden Team Captain
Jason McEwen
Russell Josiah
Paul Williams
Doug Bell
Hugh Reynolds
Chris Haldane
Ant Young
Blair Degerholm
Nathan Spargo

There was no intention by any of these that qualified to ride the Senior, they felt that they had done well enought and didn't want to ride a stock 600 in the 'formula' rated Senior for six laps and have the top guys passing them
Loren Poole was there too, he rode the senior and got tangled with Helmut Dahne at Quarry bends

The rules state that newcomers are limited to 600cc unless you've ridden the Northwest 200 before. McEwen hadn't but they let him go out on the Britten probably as a feel good thing after Mark Farmer went down and Robert Holden declined to ride it any more (he'd ridden it in practise till then)
Jason 's first practice was in the wet and no times were to be taken, to dangerous too, then both his and Nick Jefferies broke down within a couple of miles of each other in the next practice, both had the wrong cam belts fitted and stripped so he didn't get anymore practice in.
I'm sure that Jason wouldn't have been allowed to front up in a race on the bike as the implications if something wetn wrong after them bending the rules would've been too much
Farmer's demise was his own riding error, high sided at Laurel Bank...

**Billy** · 31st August 2011, 11:09

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

Maudes Trophy team 1994 members

Robert Holden Team Captain
Jason McEwen
Russell Josiah
Paul Williams
Doug Bell
Hugh Reynolds
Chris Haldane
Ant Young
Blair Degerholm
Nathan Spargo

There was no intention by any of these that qualified to ride the Senior, they felt that they had done well enought and didn't want to ride a stock 600 in the 'formula' rated Senior for six laps and have the top guys passing them
Loren Poole was there too, he rode the senior and got tangled with Helmut Dahne at Quarry bends

The rules state that newcomers are limited to 600cc unless you've ridden the Northwest 200 before. McEwen hadn't but they let him go out on the Britten probably as a feel good thing after Mark Farmer went down and Robert Holden declined to ride it any more (he'd ridden it in practise till then)
Jason 's first practice was in the wet and no times were to be taken, to dangerous too, then both his and Nick Jefferies broke down within a couple of miles of each other in the next practice, both had the wrong cam belts fitted and stripped so he didn't get anymore practice in.
I'm sure that Jason wouldn't have been allowed to front up in a race on the bike as the implications if something wetn wrong after them bending the rules would've been too much
Farmer's demise was his own riding error, high sided at Laurel Bank...

There you go,

I got a bit of it right LOL,Was told the Senior story by Veronica McEwen,Maybe she got it wrong,But I'm certainly not gonna argue with somebody that was actually there Haha,McQuilkin and co must have gone in 95,From memory they also had a lease deal with Yamaha UK,Pretty sure Spargo went back the next year as well.