Saturday October 12 saw Mallala Motorsport Park host Australia's first ever Ladies only motorcycle road race. This event was part of the Cafe' Racer Club's Interclub Challenge and State Titles weekend. Now equipped with air fences, the Mallala track has been re-opened to bikes after the tragic passing of Liam Magee earlier this year.

Uncharacteristic sunshine and only a gentle breeze early in the day, were near perfect track conditions one hour north of Adelaide.

Riders took to the track for practice sessions in Formula One and Three, the new Ladies class, and three separate Brackets. The Ladies class, which is the first of its type in the country, came to fruition after the number of female competitors in recent events began to increase. These women have committed themselves to gaining respect on the track and encouraging each other in a male dominated arena. The Cafe' Racer Club, along with many others, has been showing a keen interest in the ladies' progress. The club has decided to run a Ladies class to allow the women to race against more even competition. Numbers will only continue to grow as more women become aware of a class dedicated solely to fast femmes.

A Large array of machinery was put through its paces by the ladies. As the wind increased during the day some of the smaller bikes were given a decent buffeting. Those feeling the breeze included Teeka McCartney on a Honda H100, Michelle Thompson on a Yamaha scooter, and Angela Cotton on a Cagiva Mito. Dianne Jones - Honda CBR929 and Clair Bulte - Ducati Monster 600, weren't so adversely affected. However, a group of frontrunners on smaller bikes (Tracey Bassham - RGV250, Shelley Hartvigsen - RGV250, and Dana Michalski - CBR250) battled each other as well as the winds.

Race One saw the fastest times of the day, with race-winner Diane Jones posting a 1m25 on her Honda. Second place was taken by Tracey Bassham and Dana Michalski was third. On a borrowed bike, Shelley Hartvigsen stalled on the line but fought back to finish in fourth. The days are numbered when we can describe a ride as 'balls out'.

Consistency was the order of Race Two, faster overall times but no records were set. Jones and Bassham again took first and second places respectively, Hartvigsen managed to find her way onto the podium in third place.

The new air fences were not used at all during the day but a few of the ladies were seen doing a spot of Saturday arvo gardening. These ladies punish their rubber, we'll have to wait to see more of the way they treat leather!

The media attention received by the Ladies class, shows there is growing interest in this type of racing and with the ongoing support of clubs like the Cafe' Racers' of S.A. it will only prosper. The enthusiasm, speed and beauty shown by these super fast women will become a major draw card for the annual racing calendar.

Cafe' Racer Club - Ladies Bracket Results

QUALIFYING

1. 1:23.82 Honda CBR 929 Dianne Jones
2. 1:31.62 Suzuki RGV 250 Tracey Bassham
3. 1:32.88 Suzuki RGV 250 Shelley Hartvigsen
4. 1:34.74 Honda CBR 250 Dana Michalski
5. 1:40.90 Suzuki SV 650 Kirsten Gordon
6. 1:41.06 Kawasaki ZX6 Dorothy Tuchyna
7. 1:46.22 Yamaha R6 Mary-Rose Hoffman
8. 1:46.44 Ducati Monster 600 Clair Bulte
9. 1:47.05 Honda NSR 150 Holly Muller
10. 1:50.78 Kawasaki ZX6 Dawn Barclay
11. 1:53.04 Honda CB 250 Cheryl Tildesley
12. 2:01.93 Cagiva Mito 125 Angela Cotton
13. 2:02.59 Honda CB 125 Vicki Burnett
14. 2:10.94 Yamaha Scooter Michelle Thompson
15. 2:14.08 Honda H100 Teeka Macartney

RACE ONE - 6 Laps

1. Dianne Jones 1:25.52 9:05.00
2. Tracey Bassham 1:31.67 9:26.00
3. Dana Michalski 1:32.21 9:29.63
4. Shelley Hartvigsen
5. Kirsten Gordon
6. Mary-Rose Hoffman

RACE TWO - 6 Laps

1. Dianne Jones 1:27.11 8:57.72
2. Tracey Bassham 1:32.22 9:28.97
3. Shelley Hartvigsen 1:35.02 9:40.73
4. Dana Michalski
5. Clair Bulte
6. Kirsten Gordon

IMAGES - By Adam Fisher - Click To Enlarge