The Queensland Motocross Report Card
Story by: Scot Bishop

The 2008 Rockstar Motocross Nationals have been run and won. Unfortunately, after dominating two classes last year - Pro Open and Under 19, Queensland riders haven’t been as prominent in 2009. In fact the best result we have is a fourth overall in the Pro Lites with Dean Ferris.

But remember the talent pool in Queensland has been savaged over recent years. Starting with the departure of Michael Byrne and Andrew McFarlane, the retirements of Peter Melton and Micky Cook as well as the more recent career moves of Daniel Reardon and the unfortunate Brenden Harrison. 

But let’s take a look though the list of riders and find out what went right or wrong.

PRO OPENS:

Troy Carroll – 23rd place
The season had stopped before it really got started. Troy dislocated his shoulder whilst training at Echo Valley and was unable to take his place on the start line at the opening round. It was obvious Troy had done plenty in the off season, was loving his new ride on the KXF450 and the Cool Air team had picked up its game considerably from 2007. On paper he was our best chance of an Open class podium, but he never got the chance to make it a reality and only made it two rounds into the Championship    

Nathan Crawford – 13th place
Nathan was the feel good story of 2007 with a privateer sticking it to the big guns and rounding out the Championship in the top eight. Lightning didn’t strike twice for Crawford and he admits he struggled to regain the speed needed to run up front on a consistent basis through the Championship. Not to mention the huge financial costs involved running himself around the country. Let’s just put this one down to a tough year and hope that he bounces back in 2009.

Of the others, Simon Thompson posted a seventh in moto two at Horsham and began to show signs of improvement only to crash at a local race and dislocate his shoulder, which had him on the sidelines for several months. Matt Haworth was also in a position to contest the Pro Open Championship with a possible fill-in ride for Troy Carroll, but he also injured himself in the lead up and was unable to compete.

PRO LITES:

Dean Ferris – 4th Place
Ferris was our best place finisher out of the three Championships with his fourth overall in points. He was 103 points behind Championship winner Luke George but that might have been a lot different had it not been for four motos that he was unable to score points. He gave up 100 points right there and nobody will ever win a Championship with four DNF’s. Still, he proved he is the real deal and must start as one of the favorites for next year’s Championship.

Todd Waters – 10th place
Todd had plenty of momentum behind him as he entered the 2008 season. He was a stand out in 2007 and he came out strong in the season opening events of 2008. Just like Ferris, he had several DNF’s, some due to injury and then being well out of the points, elected to ride a 450 at the final round. No doubting the kid is good, but for both these guys it is the first time they have competed in a Championship of this length and it is a massive learning curve. Both will be better riders because of it.

Ford Dale – 12th place
After nearly a year off the bike due to injury, Dale re-entered the Championship at round five in Western Australia. For the first 15 minutes of moto one he was untouchable and pulled a massive gap over the field but his fitness levels couldn’t keep up with his speed. He proved to himself however that he could do it. His season ebbed and flowed a bit from there, always up the front, but small mistakes proved costly until he hit the final round at Coolum where he won his first moto and national round overall of his career. It was nice to see him get it and hopefully it’s the start of many more to come.

Of the rest of the riders, Josh Kilvington finished up in 18th place and is still learning the ropes at a National level. Brock Winston finished in 19th place despite only competing in 3 three rounds. Not a bad effort and he put together some consistent points paying motos.

UNDER 19’s

After having three in the top four last year, things certainly turned sour in 2008. On paper, it looked great and a repeat performance was on the cards, only to be struck down before it started. Championship contenders Harley Quinlan, Nick Geck and Jamie Bain were struck down with injury and were unable to compete. Jake Pengelly broke is collarbone just prior to the opening round and found it tough in the early stages. But he still managed 12th overall for the Championship and included five motos where no points were scored. No other Queensland rider was in the top 20.

The Future

Let’s hope our guys can regain control of the National motocross scene in 2009. Troy Carroll will be back to spear head the Pro Open charge and might even have a youngster or two alongside him if you believe the current rumours. Ferris and Dale will lead the Lites charge and both are more than capable of pulling down the Championship win while Quinlan and Pengelly will make a great Queensland quinella in the Under 19s. It all starts in late March 2009 and it’s going to be good.

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Getting Started in Speedway
Story by: Gavin Elmes & Neil Gould
Photo by: Gavin Elmes

Speedway bikes are powered by 500cc methanol fuelled, high compression, single cylinder engines. They have the acceleration to match Formula 1 race cars and, to make things more interesting, they use fixed gears, have NO brakes and virtually no suspension. It takes a special skill and bravery to broadside them around narrow, oval, dirt tracks of between 300 and 400 metres in length.

Junior speedway, as shown in picture, is one of the most exciting forms of motor sport available to youngsters. Junior tracks are located at Mike Hatcher Park, North Brisbane, Gladstone, Ayr MCC and Pioneer Park, Brandon. To get started a rider needs to be a minimum of 7 years of age, a member of a motorcycle club and hold a licence. Details of the latter requirements can be obtained from Motorcycling Queensland.

You then need protective clothing and safety equipment. This includes helmet, goggles, boots, body armour, gloves, steel shoe and racing suit. This can be a one piece suit of Kevlar or leather, or motocross or dirt track apparel.

There are now two classes of junior speedway. 125cc speedway is for juniors aged 7 to 16 years. Competition is on small tracks usually situated inside a senior speedway track.

The 350cc class covers the transitional stage from junior speedway to senior speedway, and is for riders aged between 14 and 16 years. 350cc racing takes place on senior tracks which are no more than 450 metres in length. Riders are eligible to practice and give demonstration rides on 350cc machines three months before their 14th birthday. Riders are permitted to practice and give demonstration rides on 500cc bikes upon turning 15, although this current ruling could change to 15 years and 9 months. Once riders turn 16 their junior days terminate and 500cc senior speedway is their only option.

A 125cc Honda or Thumpster 2 or 3 valve engine is used in junior speedway. These bikes cost between $1500 and $5000. A cheaper model is best to begin with and is inexpensive to run if well maintained. A more expensive upgrade should then see out days of junior competition.

The 350cc bike is a full-size speedway solo; the only difference being the engine capacity. They cost between $4500 and $7000, and one bike should last its rider the short time span of eligibility for competing on one.

Youngsters can give junior speedway a try without having to buy a bike first. Motorcycling Queensland has two 125cc bikes ready for trialing, in the care of the Speedway Subcommittee. Details can be obtained from Motorcycling Queensland. The Gold Coast Speedway also has a 350cc bike available for practising on.

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Engine End Cases: Rule 15.2.3.4 explained
Story by: Tom Williams
Photos by: Tom Williams

The dreaded rule 15.2.3.4 in this year’s GCRs requiring end case protectors to be fitted to road race bikes has caused much confusion and more than a little trepidation as riders come to terms with what is required and how much it will cost. The initial wording of this rule and other related ones, such as 15.6.0.9(r) and 15.10.3.5(e) was ambiguous and some of the clarifications released later only added to the perplexity.

It seemed once order was restored that riders of four stroke machines were in for a hefty slug to their race budgets, and those with older models were finding it almost impossible to find the appropriate protectors or replacement heavy duty covers. Personally I’ve cleaned up enough oil in the last few years from busted end cases to wipe out several marine species, and don’t care if I never have to again. So I believe it is a good thing but just needs better clarification. I’ve been approached by so many riders asking for an interpretation on this rule this year that it’s time it was explained for all.

So if you’re still unsure what is required, don’t panic because it’s not as hard as it would seem.

Firstly let’s look at why this rule was introduced and what it is really calling for. World Superbikes have had such a rule for a few years now and many overseas domestic racing governing bodies also apply something similar. In fact in WSBK if you use heavy duty cases you are still required to fit protectors as well.

As bike manufacturers chase weight savings, cases get lighter and grind through more easily. By the addition of a protective plate or skin over the end cases, or replacing it with a thicker one, not only does it mean less cleanup, it could save bringing others down in spilt oil. In many past cases a simple low side slide has resulted in following riders having much more major crashes in the resultant oil spill. They will probably also save the rider some expensive repairs to his engine. Many of those who have crashed this year are now grateful for their covers as their repair bill was much lower than it otherwise might have been.

The rule is supposed to apply to all four stroke machines.

Forget the wording that you see in the GCR’s for now as it will be changed for next year. What Scrutineers need to see is that you have replaced or protected any oil containing covers that protrude beyond the frame and fixed hardware far enough to come into contact with the track in the event of a crash. Remember that fairings, handlebars, rearsets and footpegs can all break off in a crash so these don’t count as protection. Some single cylinder bikes may not need anything done to them as nothing protrudes far enough to cause a problem.

If you’re going to use heavy duty replacements make sure you can prove that they are in fact thicker than the original covers. There are a few manufacturers of these, Woodcraft being the most popular and readily available.

 If you’re going for protectors, they’ll need to be mounted securely enough that they won’t just flick off. GCR 15.2.3.4 says they have to be mounted on at least 2 of the bolt holes of the original cover. While this is probably a pretty sound idea, I’ve seen some that are affixed to the frame or other points and would offer superior protection to those in screw holes.

There are a few traps with mounting them to the screw holes too. Carbon fibre covers have proven to cause the end case screws to work loose due to their flexibility, hence creating an oil leak that otherwise would not have happened (kind of defeats the purpose, you’d think). Also if you use long spacers with longer bolts to mount a flat style covering plate, the leverage effect in a crash can cause cracking to your crank case. Its worth having tabs bent around and down to as close to the original mounting points as possible.

Options for case protectors include carbon fibre/kevlar moulded cases like the factory teams use, off the shelf half covers (Woodcraft and Yoshimura both make a stylish looking range of these, with replaceable wear strips), metal plates, metal straps, and various permutations and combinations of all these.

We have a very creative body of riders and mechanics here in Queensland, and at a recent meeting at Morgan Park almost all entries had at least made a bona fide attempt to comply. Several of these had home made solutions that would have cost very little to make but did the job as well as any of the factory supplied ones. One rider who didn’t comply managed to make something up from aluminum plate in half an hour in the pits once shown how, satisfying the Scrutineers that his bike met requirements.

For Woodcraft products give Chris Williams at Scorpion Race Gear a call. (Ph 03-97026579) He can put you onto your nearest supplier. For carbon fibre end cases for Ducati try Peter Martin at Sportsbike in Sydney (02-93100732). There are several people around Brisbane who can work with carbon fibre.  Justin O’Donnell at Everton Hills (Ph 0415-376694) can custom make covers for your bike. Bryan Tricklebank is also doing very cheap alternatives for racers and can be contacted on 07-32996738 or 0407-644243. These are but a few of the suppliers, so do a bit of googling and you’ll come up with more.

If you want to try making your own, look at the pictures (below) for ideas. These were all taken at Morgan Park recently. There were many adaptations of the rule on display, employing checker plate, aluminum sheeting, stainless steel, mild steel, and billet aluminum, some of which cost very little, just a bit of time and ingenuity.

For the owners of post classic and new era bikes, even if you think the rules don’t apply to you, please do the right thing by your fellow competitors and the officials and get end case protectors on. You can rest assured that the day you also have to fall into line with this rule is fast approaching.

Heavy duty end case.	Yoshimura half cover.
Locally made carbon fibre cover.	Stainless steel cover.
Shaved checker plate cover.	Bent checker plate cover.
Welded checker plate cover.	Made from left over Aluminium block.
Cheap and easy steel strap.	Sheet metal version.

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Hanging Out with TC
Story by: Scott Bishop
Photo by: www.yoursportsshots.com

As part of the Motorcycling Queensland competition conducted recently, Bradley Fogarty was the lucky man to win a day with Cool Air / Troy Carroll Racing Kawasaki at the final round of the Rockstar Motocross Nationals at Coolum.

Brad and the friend of his choice (his Mum Michelle), got the chance to be right up close to a national big budgeted race team and see how things work from the inside out.

We caught up with both Troy and Brad to see how they enjoyed their day.

“It wasn’t really about the media we got out of it,” explains Troy Carroll.

“It was meant to give a bit of a thrill to a young kid and maybe provide some inspiration for him and his racing. We were right in the middle of a Championship battle and it was hard to spend the time I wanted to with Bradley, but I think he enjoyed his day and I reckon it would have impressed his mates the next day at school,” Troy finishes.

The day started when Bradley and his mum rolled up at the Cool Air rig in the Coolum pits. Troy gave them a tour of the truck explaining where the parts are and showing them from the front bumper to the rear tailgate. From there they met all the riders, the mechanics and team personnel.

And when lunch was served, they were right in the middle of the action sitting in among the team and its sponsors enjoying a day at the races.

But the most exciting part must have been watching Cool Air Lites racer Adam Monea in a tight Championship battle with Luke George that went all the way down to the final moto. To see how a team and rider prepare for a Championship like this must have been a big thrill for the Rockhampton junior.

Up Close and Personal:

Brad was still too excited to talk about his weekend, although he has mentioned that Kawasaki are his new favorite bikes, so I caught up with Michelle the day after for her point of view.

How did your day go with Cool Air / Troy Carroll Racing Kawasaki?
We had a great day and couldn’t have asked for better hosts. The team went out of their way to ensure we got to see every aspect of how a big team works and we didn’t want for anything.

Did you have any expectations of how a motocross team ran?
Not really! I had seen the big trucks at the Australian Junior Motocross Championships last year, but had no real idea of what went on and what is inside them. The amount of parts and things inside is incredible and the riders are so well looked after. Also the presentation of the bikes, the amount of work that goes into a race bike at that level and just the dedication of everyone in the team was amazing.

Did you get a chance to speak with everyone?
Everyone made time for us, and we were part of several discussions throughout the day. Troy was probably more nervous than anyone and was flat out all day. It was also good to see the look on Adam’s face when he finished the final moto. He looked so happy and relieved top finish second in the Championship. Then Kev poured champagne all over him, it was a great moment.

Did you ask how much money it takes to run a team like that?
Yes, and it floored me. I told Kevin that I go to work to pay for racing and then he told me the exact same thing. I am glad I am not paying for his team. He estimated his team is in the 500K to 600K area and that is a lot of money.

Did Bradley pick up any tips over the weekend?
Yep, I think he got a lot from it. Things like how to wash your bike properly, through to how the riders prepare for a race. He watched Adam a lot during the day to see how he got ready for a race and I think he will benefit from it.

So anything else you want to say?
A huge thank you to everyone at Cool Air / Troy Carroll Racing Kawasaki and Motorcycling Queensland for organizing the competition. It is so good that someone like Troy and Kevin are giving something back to the sport and junior riders and they gave Bradley and I chance to see things that many riders will never see. We were strangers at the start of the day and now we are friends and the team we so welcoming, I can’t thank them enough.

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New 3km Circuit for Morgan Park!
Story by: Tom Williams
Photos by: supplied

Negotiations are currently well under way between the Warwick District Sporting Car Club and the Southern Downs Council to construct an extension to the existing long circuit at Morgan Park.

Club spokesman Bill Campbell is optimistic of approval being granted and has said that all going well clearing should start as early as September, and construction is hoped to be finished by April next year.

The additions will give several more alternatives to the existing tracks which will remain, the longest option will be just over 3kms long. The main straight will be 200 metres longer than it currently is, the extra length coming in at the current turn 12.

Elevation changes from the creek where the track will extend to, up to the existing straight will be in the order of 12 metres, with a total 30 metre variation in level over the scope of the track. This should make for some spectacular racing with a crest just before the pits and is good news for Superbike riders who will be able to stretch their machine’s legs a little more. Run-off at the end of the straight is currently being assessed.

Motorcycle road racing in Queensland is currently enjoying resurgence in popularity thanks to the Morgan Park circuit, with recent meetings topping 130 entries. The Motorcycle Sportsmen’s track days are also usually fully subscribed as word on what an enjoyable circuit it is gets around.

Bill Campbell and his crew are constantly making improvements to the facilities, with extra amenities and canteen buildings having been constructed recently along with sheds for tyre technicians, extra power outlets, trailer parking areas and new timing loops cut into the track.

If you want to experience one of the best Club Racing circuits in the country for yourself contact Motorcycle Sportsmen on 07-32626677 or look up their website: www.motorcyclesportsmen.com.au for details on track days or racing.

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Girl's Glisten at Gathering
Story by: Tamara Gray
Photo by: Tamara Gray

Go Girls promoters Bevan, Jo and Kelly Judd do a fantastic job each year running events for female motocross racers in the South East Queensland area. When they realised there’d be a rather lengthy mid-year break in the calendar the team decided to get their heads together and organize the Husqvarna Go Girls Gathering.

So under lights on a chilly Saturday night in excess of 70 female riders gave it their all as they battled for top honoUrs at the high flying Reedy Creek circuit on the Gold Coast.

It was Yamaha’s Brooke Thiemann from the Sunshine Coast who claimed top honoUrs in the premier senior women’s A grade class after taking three wins from three starts.  Thiemann remained unchallenged all night over second placed Renae Evans. 

As the year goes on Thiemann continues to be a force to be reckoned with. She currently leads the Queensland Women’s Natural Terrain Championships and claimed fourth at in the Womens class at this year’s Queensland Motocross Championships.

Kirsty Donpon took out the senior women’s B grade class with ease. 

The Senior Women’s C Grade class would have to have been one of the more closely contested events of the night. Reedy Creek local Rachael Rowe had her first Go Girls win in moto one and followed it up with another in the second moto.

Rowe is an inspiration around the pits, out there not just supporting her fleet of kids that are racing, but racing alongside them. However Rachael’s luck ran out in the last moto of the night, finishing with an 11th placing. 

Bianca Whyte then rose to the occasion winning the outright with two wins of her own.  Rowe was then put in a tie for third with only one point separating her from second placed Kara Ellis.

Young guns Courtney Knight and Patty Hearne were ones to keep an eye on as they banged bars in the junior categories. These two girls have definitely got to be contenders for this year’s female categories at the Australian Junior Motocross Championships in Waneroo, Western Australia.

So it was no surprise that Knight had it all her own way in the Female Junior Four Stroke category with three wins over her competitors.

Knight however met her match in the form of the much younger Patty Hearne in the Female Junior Lites two stroke class, when Hearne aboard her KTM 125 put three straight wins over the Yamaha rider.

Hearne also displaying her talent in the Female 85cc 12-u16 years division again throwing down three straight wins.

Other class winners on the night were Lauren Jones (85cc 9-u12 years) Maddison Hold (65cc 10-u13yrs) Loie Webb (65cc 7-u10 years) and Allie Hicks (50cc Division 2).

I am sure many girls relished this opportunity to size each other up prior to the Go Girls Queensland Junior Motocross Championships. 

A clash with the Australian Junior Motocross Championships, has meant a slight reshuffle to the Go Girls Queensland Junior Motocross Championships as follows:

Round 1: Sunday 26th October - Benaraby Raceway, Gladstone
Round 2: Sunday 16th November - Goondiwindi MX Track, Goondiwindi
Round 3: Saturday 22nd November - Tivoli Raceway, Chuwar (near Ipswich)

Further Information, including Supplementary Regulations when finalised will be available from the Motorcycling Queensland web site www.mqld.org.au

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Precise CQMX Series wrap
Story by: Kirstie Brooks
Photos by: Kirstie Brooks

The chequered flag has been waved on the final round of the 2008 Precise Central Queensland Motocross Championship with the final round hosted by the Clermont Motorcycle Club on 18th July.

Ten clubs hosted rounds during the 2008 Series, with the Series averaging 270 bikes at each of the rounds. This certainly proves the strength of motocross in the Central Queensland area.

Although most of the classes were already decided for overall first places, there was still room to move in the minor placings.  Several riders made the most of this opportunity and were able to improve on their series placings by the end of the day.

While there were some classes “sewn up” other classes went down to a count back of most wins had to decide final placings, notably the 65cc 7-9 years class.

Joel Dinsdale proved to be too hard to beat in the 85cc 9 – 11 class going undefeated all year.  The race between Raymon Dair and David Marks in the Clubman Lites went down to the last race with Raymon just edging out David by one point.  With less then 19 points between Ashleigh Thomson (2nd), Dawn Kenny (3rd) and Codie Rasmussen (4th), these ladies were feeling the pressure going into the last race for podium positions, they finished the Series in this order, with Kirstie Brooks taking the Series win.

Another engrossing battle was between Shawn Kenny and Brett Scott in the Masters Class. Shawn just held onto the overall Series win by 4 points. James Goss clearly dominated the Junior Lites 15/16 years, wining the overall without even needing to race the final round. 

Racing in the Junior Lites 13/14 years and Mini Lites 12/15 years was exciting to watch all year with the 3 boys, Jackson Jones, Jake Gook and Jake Valinoti swapping ranks all year.

Many riders have improved throughout the series, a number of junior riders have also stepped up to senior. James Goss has a lot of senior riders anxious as he makes his way from Junior Lites up to Senior Lites. Tahryn Haufe and Kymberley Ufer have also left Junior Lites and stepped up to the Senior Womens.

Two awards were presented for the Most Improved Junior and Most Improved Senior, with Ryan Edan taking out the junior award and Jason Munster the senior award.

A highlight for all those present at the 2008 end of Series Presentation was to hear from Guest Speaker - Greg Elliott (father of Jamie Elliott who was seriously hurt at round 2 of this year’s CQMX Championships). 

Greg told of Jamie’s’ improvements, including the fact that Jamie is working on his “throttle hand”.  Greg thanked the CQ Motocross family for all of their support and well wishes. To date in excess of $8,000 has been raised to assist the Elliot Family. A further $5,000 was also presented to Greg Elliott by Brett Gook, on behalf of all CQMX Clubs.

A huge thank-you is in order for the officials that made this year’s Series the best ever, names like Seana Clarke, Julie Newsome, Bud Markley, Brett Gook and Di Stapleton – without these people this Series wouldn’t be the success that it is. Great news also that this year’s Series sponsor – the Precise Corporation has also agreed to be the major sponsor again for 2009.

*Clermont Motorcycle Club is set to host the 2008 Yamaha Queensland Quad Titles on the 23rd and 24th of August, and then the annual Central Queensland Number 1 Plate on the 13th and 14th of September which includes Natural Terrain and Dirt Track on Saturday and motocross on Sunday.

Overall Series results available from here.

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One on one with Michaile Di Nardo
Story by: Kirstie Brooks
Photo by: Kirstie Brooks

17 year old Quad rider Michaile Di Nardo, has senior open riders anxious leading up to the 2008 Queensland Quad Titles to be held in Clermont on the 23rd & 24th of August.

This is the first time the Quad Motocross State Championships is being hosted at a venue outside of the South-East Queensland corner and ‘Mic’ is looking forward to locking horns with some of this state’s best riders in the premier open class.

Originally from Brisbane, Mic has been traveling throughout the state as a part of his carpentry apprenticeship and is taking every opportunity he is given to ride the Central Queensland tracks.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Mic to get a preview of the 2008 Queensland Quad Titles.

You used to race 2 wheelers, why did you decide to race Quads?
Dad got sick of me riding his Quad so he got me one when I was 13.

Why the preference for 4 wheels instead of 2?
Bikes are too easy to fall off!!! I was really just looking for something different.

Do you have any goals for the Queensland Championships?
Just not to wake up in an ambulance like I did at last year’s Championships in Roma...

You have a pretty big list of injuries.  Did you ever think you wouldn’t be able to get back to where you were at?
I didn’t to be honest. None of my injuries have been that bad, just ligament tears and I compressed my spine when I was 13 but that was about the worst of it. I got more injuries when I used to play rugby.

Do you think there could be any improvements on the track before the titles?
Not really, the track is great fun as it is. Maybe some of the jumps could be bigger but nothing major.

You’re always busy with your work.  How do you find time to practice?
Unfortunately I haven't been lately. I just show up to the track and race. I just try to keep fit by riding my pushbike to work each day.

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I just enjoy racing so I might as well give it a good go.

Do you have a set routine you go through at the race meets?
Not really. Just relax and a quick stretch before the race, nothing too special.

Thanks Mic, and all the best for the Championships.
No worries, I’m looking forward to it.

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