Historic Nationals Underway

This weekend over 150 riders from throughout Australia will be descending upon Western Australia for the Shannons 2013 Australia Historic Road Race Championships.

After a 5 year absence from the western state, the championship is returning to Barbagallo Raceway for what is sure to be an action packed weekend.

Among the plethora of well-credentialed riders include current British Supertock 600 rider, South Australian, Levi Day. Day, who’s debut season this year in the British championship saw him finish in position 9 for the year, is keen to ride his Jerry Koistra prepared Honda’s to what would be his third Period 3 500cc & Period 3 350cc Australia Titles.

“The bikes always a little bit unreliable, always fast, but we’ll see how we go, fingers crossed we can get a good result.

“I hadn’t ridden at Barbagallo up until a few weeks ago, and knowing that the bikes don’t last very long we opted to test on a 125 at a club meeting here a few weeks ago. So we did that, that way we didn’t have to do the practice day on the classic bike, I know my way around the track now and I’ve ridden the classic bike enough that hopefully we’ll be right for the weekend.” Said Day.

“I never like to try and be too confident there’s always Jack Wright who’ll be a top contender and Keith Campbell and plenty of guys out there can always upset it a little bit, I just hope for some good racing and that we can come away with a good result. “

With no shortage of Historic racing lately, most recently the New Zealand Leg of the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed, it hasn’t put a dampener on New Zealand competitors making the trip across to take their hand to winning an Australian Title. Terry Martin is one New Zealander who feels his is in with a chance to take his Powerhouse Racing Triumph Trident 750 to an Australia unlimited Period 4 Title win.

“It’s a great track”. Said Martin, who has had a 5 year absence from the track since last Australian Historic Titles.

“Good weather and should be fun, it seems pretty similar to last time, but I don’t really remember it so doing a bit of learning again”

There is however no doubt on the current jewel of Australia Historic Racing being the Unlimited Forgotten Era class, this class seeing machines between the years of 1973 -1982.

Current Australian Superbike competitor and local Western Australian, Adam Senior will be hoping his local track knowledge is enough to take his Yamaha TZ750 to hold off the likes of T-Rex racing’s current Victorian Historic Champion Michael Dibb, onboard his immaculately prepared Harris Honda. Dibb however may not be such an easy man to beat,

“The bikes beautiful, it’s not doing anything wrong, the tyres are working great so I’ve just got to pull my finger out… It’s a really good track and I really like this track, its just I know that I’m stuffing up a few corners, once I get the few corners sorted that I’m stuffing up I think we should be right.” Said Dibb.

With 14 Australian Historic Titles up for grabs and too many fine examples of motorcycles to mention them all, the competition will be fierce.

Qualifying and practice from Barbagallo Raceway will be from Friday (15th November), 9am, with racing starting from lunch time on Saturday and all day Sunday.