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April
Riding
Vintage - Gary
McDonald style
March
Vintage
Motocross in 2008
Riding
Vintage - Gary McDonald style
Since he was 12 Gary
McDonald, has had a passion for motor bikes.
Now aged 51
those bikes he once read about, looked at pictures of,
dreamt of riding, are now his reality, the only difference
is now they’re vintage bikes
and Gary finds great pleasure in both riding and restoring
them.
Regular Vintage Ride!
eNews contributor Jackie McDonald speak with Gary.
Ride! eNews:
Okay Gary, so what was your first motocross bike and
do you still have it?
Gary McDonald (GM): It was a Montessa
125 Capra 1972 model. I remember Mum and Dad lent me the
money, it cost $700. I don’t have it any more, I
sold it and bought a 74 - 250 WR Husqvarna.
Ride! eNews: Where
was your first race, and how old were you?
GM: It was at Tivoli, I
was 16. There was no watering system back then; the dust
was horrendous, all you could smell was diesel, which they
put around the outside of the track to keep dust down. We
raced for 30 minutes at a time, the track was only prepped
once a year, so you can well imagine, it was rough…
Ride! eNews: Have
you been racing since then?
GM: No. I stopped racing in my early
twenties. I worked for myself, and had a family so I
couldn’t
afford any broken bones. I’m retired now, and the
kids have grown up, so I thought I’d give vintage
a go.
Ride! eNews: How
long have you been racing vintage motocross?
GM: About seven or eight years now. I
joined both the Brisbane Motor Cycle Club and QVMX.
Ride! eNews:
What bikes do you ride these days, and which one is your
favorite?
GM: I only ride Huskies. I’ve got
a 125 CR 72 model, 250 70 model, and a 400 73 model, but
my nephew Ryan rides that one. My favorite is definitely
the 125. I bought it from Ray Ryan in 2001, that’s
a story in itself…
Ride! eNews: If
we were to look in your shed, would it be clean or full
of unfinished projects?
GM: Half and half, half
clean, and half full of unfinished projects.
Ride! eNews: Are
you working on any projects now?
GM: I’ve just rebuilt
my 250 Husky. My next major project is the building of my
mag Husky, I’d like to have that done this year, see
how I go.
Ride! eNews: Do
you have a favorite track?
GM: Yeah, Coles Creek by a long shot.
But at the same token, Nudgee is also an excellent track
that’s well maintained, I think the Brisbane Club
deserve a huge pat on the back for getting this track up
and running, and its so close to the city - how good is
that.
Ride! eNews: Since
racing Vintage, have you noticed any changes in the sport?
GM: Yes, the increasing
amount of Evolution bikes.
Ride! eNews: Does
that bother you?
GM: No, not really.
Ride! eNews: Is
there anyone you would call your hero?
GM: I wouldn’t say
hero, there are a couple of riders that I admire, Torsten
Hallman and Joel Robert. However, I envy Col Metcher, lucky
bugger rides all over the world.
Ride! eNews: Gary
thanks for your time, and we’ll see you on the
track.
GM: No worries, see you
then.
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Vintage
Motocross in 2008
This
year’s calendar
is looking good for Vintage Motocross, so if you've been
contemplating having a ride, then this is the year to start.
QVMX kicked
the year off with a successful sign on and practice weekend,
which was held on the 8th / 9th February at a new property
half an hour past Gympie.
Unlike
most of this club's tracks, excluding Tamborine, this
one was relatively flat. It
seems most riders were happy with the track, but found
the distance a bit off putting.
It's still unknown if this
track will be added as one of the club's venues. About
eighty riders attended over the two days, and by all accounts,
it was a pretty good weekend.
The first race meeting for
QVMX will be on the 30th March, at Coles Creek. With its
rolling hills, Coles Creek is a much-loved natural terrain
track, well suited for both the vintage bike, and evolution
classes.
While bikes lay sleeping,
and collecting dust over the break, the Brisbane
Motor Cycle Club has been extremely busy. The
advantage of this club is they only have one venue, and
it’s in our own backyard, right here in Brisbane,
at Raubers Road Nudgee.
Last
year drought caused this club plenty of heartache, but
the water tank is now installed and will be filled with
recycled water. Heaps of work has gone into this track,
it’s a good loamy
track, which can be run in either direction, and still
be challenging. A permanent hut / storage area has also
been erected.
Club president Lance Winley
was pleased with the number of riders that turned up on
the 24th February for sign on and practice day. It was
a welcome surprise to see a few girls on the track, but
the biggest surprise was our blond bombshell Terry Henderson,
looking good dressed in her riding gear and ready to ride.
Terry has been a real trouper over the years tending to
the men in her camp Mitch and Gary Semmens. They will miss
her attention, but by the same token they're proud as punch
of her.
Also on the track a were
a couple of sidecars, I believe they would like to get
something going here so if anyone is interested contact
the club.
The
first race meeting for BMCC is on the 9th March at Raubers
Road, Nudgee. Don’t
forget both QVMX and the BMCC have a food van at all meetings,
the prices are good and the food is great…
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