WA Historics

2019 HCMCWA Interclub Championship Rd 1 & 2

Sunday 26th May 2019 is a day that will long be remembered by all in the motorcycle racing fraternity in Western Australia; the day that two years of hard work, graft and probably not a few tears all came to fruition with the running of the first ever motorcycle road race on the newly licensed Collie Motorplex ‘Long Track.’ The new track is 2.55 km in length and has a total of 12 corners, eight left-hand and four right-hand with the fast 400m uphill back straight, which has already been nicknamed ‘The Bowling Alley’ an absolute feature.

The program was set down as 3 x 4 lap races but following incidents in each of the first three races, the officials made the decision to drop the final round of races and extend the second round to six laps with the exception of the Sidecars which remained at four laps. The circuit met with universal approval and racing began in overcast conditions. Dave Manson was the winner of the very first race with a fastest lap of 1:21.190 seconds, a time he bettered in his second race with a fastest lap of 1:20.464. The current outright lap record is held by Leigh Boujos (BMW 1000RR) with a time of 1:11.920.

In the three-wheel division things couldn’t have gone any better for Dillan McDermott/Paul Matthews who excelled in the absence of Jero Joyce/ Corey Blackman who were racing in the National Sidecar Championships on the East coast. The duo set a blistering time to secure pole position with a 1:16.327. Race one was an all the way win for the pole sitters from Harvey/ Wells and Stronach/Marshall with a fastest lap of 1:15.926. Race two and the two front runners finished in the same order, third place went to the F2 outfit of Sam Watson/Tony Keogh with Stronach/Marshall failing to start due to a mechanical problem. McDermott/ Matthews lowered the lap record to 1:15.6820 seconds.

The Period 5 250,350,500 Formula 750 & Unlimited lap record is currently held by Tony Hynes with a fastest lap of 1:18.757 second lap. In the Junior division it is Flynn Winning who holds the lap record with a time of 1:35.831 seconds on his Honda CBR150. Period 6 250 Prod/250GP, P4 250, 125GP – Steve McDermott currently holds the lap record for the class with 1:21.907 second lap. Period 2, Period 3, Period 4 350 & Period 4 500 Glen Ottley holds the record with a 1:27.2310 second lap. Period 6 Formula 750/Formula 1300 & 125GP and it was Matt Brown who set the fastest time of the day with a 1:18.511 second lap.

Round 2

Given the weather forecast for the weekend of 22nd – 23rd June the running of the race meeting was always going to be a challenge, with up to 60mm of rain forecast over the two days. On Saturday evening there was a huge downpour and on waking on Sunday morning several areas

around the circuit were covered with sand and gravel where the water had run through the run-off areas, requiring a large scale clean up. On top of that a dense fog shrouded the entire circuit which caused a significant delay to the start of qualifying and racing. HCMCWA members – riders, passengers, parents, wives, husbands and sundry people – turned out to sweep, wash and use the blowers to get it all cleaned up. However due to the loss of time the officials decided to drop a complete round of racing, but to increase the number of laps from 4 to 6 per race. The only class to have three races were the Juniors who were competing in the second round of Banhams WA Junior State Road Racing Championship.

I chose to concentrate on the P3 250/350/500 & Unlimited – P2 350/500 & Unlimited & P4 350/500 on the two six lap races. Race 1 on a ‘Mostly Dry Track’ it was Paul Smith (1972 Honda CB350) who got the hole shot and was never headed. Glen Ottley (1970 Honda CB350) and Chris Gammidge (1970 Honda CB350) did everything within their power to rein him in but to no avail. In race 2 with rain falling it was the same three at the front with Smith again getting the best start and forcing the other to try and chase him down in the treacherous conditions Ottley was again second with Gammidge third some 52 seconds behind the winner.

Round three of the Interclub Championship will be held on the weekend 20th -21st July at the Collie Motorplex. Full results available at... racing.natsoft.com.au

Dave Manson (1996 Honda NF4) was the winner of the very first race on the new circuit.

Looking down the ‘Bowling Alley’ from outside Turn 6.

Chris Gammidge finished third in both races on his 1970 Honda CB350. Leigh Boujos, current outright lap record holder. Double winner Paul Smith on his 1972 Honda CB350. Dillan McDermott/Paul Matthews – top dogs in the Sidecar class. Glenn Ottley was twice runner up on his 1970 Honda CB350.