Race Report: Team Carpentry Services Ltd Maidstone Motorcycles Vets go to the NZ Veterans Motocross Champs in Amberly

A severely depleted team left Wellington on Friday 7 September to do battle with the South Islanders for motocross glory.

Only Kev "Seth Enslow" Chapman was and Bernie "I've got a Husky" Harnett were left from last year's effort. The others succumbed to the desire to win lots of money at the North Island Spectro Series or their wives said they weren't allowed out.

Kev was contesting the 35 - 39 years Open Class on his YZ 250 and Bernie was flying the flag in the 40 - 44 years Open Class on his Husqvarna TC 450.The biggest disappointment was our official team photographer was missing. Not only did he have to go to school, but he was in the hunt for a prize at the Spectro Series in his own right.

Day One: Friday. Travel 

We rolled up at the Ferry Terminal good and early. And proceeded to wait. Then a bloke in an ADB beanie wandered up and said "Gidday. I reckon youse blokes would be off the the Vets Nats down south. My name's Simon." And then there were three.

With the weather fine and driving good, we meandered down the coast towards Rangiora where we were staying. A stop for lunch in Kaikoura broke the journey and Kevin and Bernie got to know Simon a bit better. Interesting chap. Originally from Australia, now lives in Hamilton, drinks Speights and flys helicopters for a living. Oh, and rides a Yamaha. So he fitted right in.

Kevin and Bernie arrived at their palatial motel only to find there'd been a bit of detail lost between the booking being made and the guests arriving. "Oh, so its not you and your wife, Mr Harnett. We've got you in a double room." This was quickly sorted out. Top people run the Rangiora Lodge Motel. They are quite happy to host motocross racers. The Maidstone Motorcycles team were the third group of them to check in that day.

Day Two: Saturday. Racing Part 1. 

Saturday dawned cold and fine. Up at the crack of dawn, and off into the wild blue yonder. The Team headed out towards the racetrack following the other riders they'd met at the motel. The others knew a short cut to the track so our boys just followed along. They reached the track in good time and set up camp. Bernie signed in without drama, but Kev had changed his racing number since entering so there was a little drama while he got that sorted out. Simon the mad Aussie turned up and parked next to our boys, put up his tent and the Maidstone Motorcycle Pits were now a two room apartment.

The Boys walked the track. Bernie wanted to walk away. A vets track is traditionally a nice rolling thing, with nothing too hard in it. This one had a vertical step-up, a big step-down and two chasms to ride down and up. It looked like it was going to eat a few people.

Practice
Simon went first. He came back saying it was a bit slippery but very ridable. Kev and Bernie were both out together for practice. The big step-up was no issue. Hit with any speed, a rider would just float to the top. The step-down stopped Bernie. He just couldn't find the bravery to do that. Kev didn't either. He sat in the pits after practice saying "I've just got to do that. I'll lose too much time if I don't." Over and over again.

Race 1
Kev was up first. It was here he was to earn his name for the event. The race was red flagged after a rider charged the start gate and just blew it over. At the restart, Kev got a halfway decent jump and then got mugged in the first corner. He appeared around the end of the first lap in about 21st place. And then he got to the step-down. His thoughts were "I need lots of speed here" so he charged it. Up he went. Over the edge of the hill. And down he flew. And down. And down. His eyes were like saucers. His arse was like a bank vault after closing time, his life flashed before his eyes. He landed just on the bottom of the slope. A bounce later he was around the next corner. His next thought was "I'll go over that slower next time." He said he thought he was Seth in the first Crusty Demons movie and that he was about to eat handlebar for lunch.

The rest of the race was just passing the slower riders and being passed by guys who were faster. Not a great result by Kev's standards, he came in 24th.

Bernie was next. He failed to get a good jump and was last around the first corner. Using the power of the mighty Husqvarna up the hill he passed a couple of people. And his charge to front stalled about there. He rode around learning more of the track and trying to sort out some better lines for the rest of the race. He did finish on the lead lap. That was good, and a 17th place finish was OK, too.

Simon was last. Really, he was last. Lack of bike time and trying to remember which way the throttle worked handicapped him a bit. Kev and Bernie looked at what he was doing, noted he was smooth as hell, but slow as a wet weekend in Taihape. Helpful advice was offered. Such gems as "The girls on the 85's are faster," for instance. And they were.

Race 2
Kev was on a mission. He wanted a start, and a result. The start was the same as before. An excellent jump, followed by a monstering in the first corner. Then he was held up for two laps by a guy he just couldn't get past. He didn't overjump the step-down this time, but there was a moment on the step-up when the front was going in and an over the bars moment was about to happen. He got away with it, but didn't want to do it again. A much better result. Now up to 20th and scoring points.

Bernie also had a repeat of race 1. Not a bad jump, slowed too early for the first corner, got passed by everyone and then avoided the first corner pile-up by riding around the outside. Up the first hill and rode inside the guys who'd crashed in the next corner. Life was good, he was up near mid-field. He was going faster, had a few good lines and his confidence was coming up. Then a KTM rider blew past. Closely followed by another KTM rider. Bernie gave chase. He hunted down the first KTM. He used the power of the mighty Husky on a straight to get into one of the tight corners first. A fast, single line section gave him the opportunity to gap him. The second rider was in his sight. By riding smoothly, he caught him, and again he used the Husky's power to launch out of a corner to gain on the straigh, a bit more bravery over one of the jumps and then the inside line to the next corner. A real race. With passing. Then the finish. Happy, but still in 17th place.

Simon was last again. He had a good hold on this, but was going faster and was still really smooth. He'd taken the advice of Kev and Bernie and was now jumping the small tabletop. He was last, again, but still smiling. Some more advice was offered. "Mate, we could read a newspaper in the gap between the tank and your knees. Grip the thing tight from the ankles up." So Simon promised to "do better next time."

Race 3
Kev was determined to get into the 'teens. He wanted to be at least halfway up the field. So, the gates dropped and he disappeared into the dust cloud that was the first turn. He appeared a bit later about mid-pack. No riding dramas this time, no hold-ups, just g ood speed and trying to be smooth and fast. While he didn't quite get the result he wanted, he did get a better placing. 17th and four more points.

Bernie was settling down, now. He still hadn't managed to find the courage to jump the step-down, but was happy with everything else. He started OK, avoided the two guys who shot off into the scenery in the first corner, and gave chase to the rest of the field. No-one passed him, and he didn't catch up to anyone. It was a bit of an anti-climax after the first race.

Simon was also determined. He was going to do the step-down and he was going to pass someone. So he got his usual sorry excuse for a start. Kev and Bernie were providing support from the sideline. Then there was a powerstand towards the step-up. Then he jumped the step-down. Then Simon passed someone. Life was looking up. Second to last. He was on his way.

Day 1 overall placings
Kev was in 20th place, Bernie in 17th and Simon was tied for last.

Day Three: Sunday. Racing Part 2. 

The weather was still fine, but there was lots of cloud in the sky. The sun was still out, and that was a problem, too. When our boys rode towards the step-up, the sun was in their eyes so all they could see was a big, black, blank space. When they got into the shadow, they had to look up into the sun. So it was all blind. Exciting, this vets racing.

Practice went without major incident. Oh, and Bernie finally did the step-down. He rode up the ramp and all he could see was sky. Came up a little short and was heard to mutter "need more speed, need more speed."

Race 4
Kev up first for the day. He was hoping the cloud would block the sun so he could see up the step-up. No such luck. Still nice and sunny. The gate dropped. He was off and had a really good jump. He reappeared from the dust cloud that was the first corner looking really good and near the front. Sadly, this didn't last as he got picked off by the 450's behind him. The track really favoured the big bikes. He reported another little issue in that race. There was a large grassy lump just on the edge of the track on one of the vertical drops, and Kev hit it on the way down. Front wheel turned, bike lurched, panic arrived, and he just rode out of it. Again he thanked the suspension gods at Yamaha for keeping him safe. Despite the good start, the finish didn't reflect the effort going in. 18th for that one.

  Bernie was getting more confident. He had getting the big Husqvarna off the line a bit more dialled in, and with the knowledge he could easily jump the step-down, he was hoping to do better. Or, at least, not do any worse. He also had his new bright blue and yellow Husqvarna riding jersey. So even if he didn't win, he would be noticed. A poor jump was made up for by the acceleration of the Husky and he was into the first corner with the pack. Again, other riders were hitting each other and crashing out of the way and the chase for the guys in front was on. Knowing where the track went and having some better lines that carried more speed helped him go faster for longer. Not fast enough, though, as he didn't manage to catch anyone after the first couple of corners. A KTM rider caught him in the middle stages of the race, and a real battle ensued. The Husky was faster out of the corners and down the straights, but faster into and the corners. Bernie kept him behind him for a lap and a half until he overshot a sandy corner and then it was over. 16th place, and the best finish of the weekend so far.

Simon was left on the line wondering where everyone had gone. He did catch up and was seen to overtake a rider. Then he jumped down the step-down and got another one. His charge to the front stalled about then, but he was having fun.

Race 5
Kev decided that he needed to be somewhere else on the start line. He'd been out to the right all weekend and was getting hammered in the first corner. So off the the left and the inside he went. Distracted by the spectacle of the junior women racing, he was a lmost caught by surprise when his race was started. He reckoned half the field was still looking behind them when the 5 second board came up. This time he did well in the first corner melee. Near the top 10, he shot off into the distance, up the first hill. This was it. Do or die. There was dicing and passing and re-passing. He was getting lots of air up the step-up, and landing about halfway down the hill on the step-down. This was as good as he'd gone all weekend. Sadly, the race was over all too soon, and Kev was left to think about what might have been and how he'd have liked 20 minute races. He was 17th. Again. For a final result of 20th.

Bernie was all fired up after race 5. He'd decided he was having fun, now. The gates dropped, he was off, and found even more speed into the first corner. He rolled off too early and squandered a good start, but had a better line up the first hill than before and made the most of it. This was the only racing he did all race. The faster guys steadily rode away from him, the guys behind never challenged, so all he did was ride around as fast as he could and enjoy himself. And it must have been faster than before because he finished 15th. His highest placing all weekend. Overal placing was 16th. He was pretty happy with that.

Simon had to beat the two guys he'd passed in the last race to get out of a tie for last place. So this time he actually got off the line with everyone else. He got that job done early and gapped them. He didn't report any drama during the race, but reckoned he was all done when he finished. His overall placing was an amazing 8th for the weekend. He was rapt.

Race Roundup
The team rode all five races, didn't fall off and didn't break down. Well prepared bodies and machines worked well all weekend.

Final Results for the Weekend

Day Four: Monday. Travel. 

Left Rangiora at 6:30 in the morning. Drove to Picton. Caught the Ferry to Wellington. Drove home. Life is good. Roll on next year.