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Our final race day for 2008 has finally been and gone...check out the album and girlies race report!
(AI: Who the bloody hell put THAT there.....Miiiiickkkkk?????  )
Woohoo...yippee...yahooee...the season’s over for 2008!!! Oh, did I say that out loud? Sorry... just slipped out! I’m devastated really...totally torn, dejected, upset even...what on earth are we all going to do with all these free weekends? Do the gardening that has been neglected for the last 8 months? Not bloody likely!!! 
No, it’s not quite over yet, there’s still the awards night in 2 weeks time (8th November – call Andrew 0437 503 979 to organise your tickets if you haven’t got yours yet as we need to confirm numbers with the venue soon), then there’s the Vintage Road Racing thingo up at Wanneroo on 21/22/23 November that some of you are helping out at, and then last but not least...Northam Motorcycle Festival on 29/30 November where we are putting on some demo riding and a static display which is always a fun couple of days (if you can do good wheelies, or a bit of side-winding, WE NEED YOU!!! The crowd loved seeing Brook show off last year, and hopefully he can come again...but come along and have a play anyway...).
Check out the album for some shots of our final race day at Narrogin. Even got a shot of our illustrious Pres Pete’s new acquisition...as if 40 odd bikes isn’t enough. You sure have an understanding wife Pete.
We had a couple of people come-a-cropper, with Michael Schmidt coming off and smooshing his helmet(goes to show why you should invest in a really good helmet, a crap one would have resulted in his head getting smooshed instead). Steve Melvin spent the first race leading the A graders, but later on the sidecar he and his passenger Terry had some unintentional track re-direction issues. Terry walked away with a sore hand/arm and a bit of gravel rash, but Steve gets to sport a very attractive sling for several weeks. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it at the awards night! 
Bill and Paul Copley were duelling it off in A grade too until both their bikes wanted a bit of “me time” back on the trailer! Gary wasn’t far behind them though, and yes Ben, I got a couple of shots of you even though you broke your bike (or rather Gary’s bike) YET AGAIN!
The B graders had Mark and Ian showing them how to do it... but Andrew had a bit of a bad day, ending in losing the backend (so unlike him...snort!) resulting in his foot peg ripping a hole in the back of his boot, and leaving the tiniest mark you have ever seen for such a large amount of fuss...so he’s limping around trying to vie for some sympathy at the moment...well don’t look here bucko...I never get any, I just get a “toughen up” from all you boys! So....”toughen up!”. Actually, I have to tell you this...it was quite funny when we stopped for a coffee and conveniences (that’s flash talk for needing a pee) on the way home (North Bannister has fuel again by the way, and don’t make bad chips! Hey...I needed the salt OK?!)...he had this bright idea to stop on the other side of the highway across from the roadhouse for reasons only known to him. He didn’t realise how much his ankle had stiffened up though, until he got out of the car...he had to (quite hilariously I might add) hop across the highway on one leg! I’m sure it gave Mark Thomas a good laugh since he had just pulled in to the roadhouse too and stood watching with a huge unsympathetic grin on his face. Certainly made me chuckle, but I did offer to carry his coffee back to the car for him (only because I know it would end up all over me if he attempted it himself).
From what I saw, the over 55’s had Bert leading them astray today, and even Ray got out and had a belt on his Bultaco...and did you see Geoff’s shiny green Matisse...reckon that woulda made Nick salivate somewhat? I noticed only 4 made it to the last round - Frank, Peter, Stan and #153 (some friend of MikeG’s I believe...sorry, don’t know his name, coz Mike’s a rude bugger and hasn’t introduced him to me) – good work boys...
The C Graders were again at their best, Mike Taylor was showing off out front with the likes of Duncan and Brett not far behind...with heaps of takers they got to go out on their own, instead of having to combine with another grade (unlike the A Graders who ended up in with the Bs again).
There were a number of takers for the feature race of British rubbish...err, I mean fine examples of British machinery...(sorry Pete, couldn’t resist!). 
I will mention the John Hovey memorial race before I start rattling on about sidecars. We had just about everyone mount up for the handicapped start, but unfortunately I can’t remember who won the trophy for that one (presented by Gary), name escapes me. Girl brain...started losing interest by lunch time...not to mention I am about to carry on about sidecars now, so my brain has gone to jelly! Ooohhheeeeerrrrr....perhaps one of the boys will deign to do a race report this week and enlighten you all...
Now, the sexy stuff...sidecars, outfits, rigs, chairs...nutters, maniacs, lunatics, crazy people...yeap, that’s us...but man do I love it! You really should give it a go...get Gary to take you out one day, reckon he knows what he’s doing by now. I don’t even care whether I’m out there with them, or just watching from the sidelines...it’s just great fun either way!!! With my fave’s absent (come on, surely you know who they are by now), Steve Melvin took up the gauntlet and tried his best to hit a tree on their behalf... did a great job of it too I might add (without actually hitting the tree I believe)...found he’s not made of rubber anymore though... now he’s going to have to coach Alison (that’s big Alison, opposed to me being little Alison) as a backup to ride sidecar next season, just in case... 
I think I am actually getting worse at it myself. I feel like a ragdoll bouncing around and barely able to hold on...although perhaps it is coz our shocks are stuffed, yeah that’s it...it’s the shocks, not me! But the others are getting faster with every event. Sarah and Robert were almost impassable, and I got some great shots with the Povee’s tailgating them all day (check out Steve trying to save rubber on his side wheel, at the end of the Narrogin photos). Gary and Ben were having a blast trying to catch up, having a bigger handicapped start. Pres Pete took young Victor out for a bit of a thrill ride on Gary’s new sidecar (which is still for sale by the way) but had to bail out early on, so I happily handed over the reins to my chair to the young bloke...but even he couldn’t handle it...yeap, must be the shocks!
Oh alright, that’s enough...can’t have me getting so excited I can’t sleep tonight...
Thanks to all our wonderful helpers that, as usual, made our day possible. Thanks to everyone for creating so much fun this year…it’s been a blast hey?
Gonna miss you lot over the summer…smile and be happy! And if you can’t manage that…go start your bike...
Keep upright!
Alison (51 swinger...blisters hurt!)
PS: I’m getting new shocks for Christmas...aren’t I a lucky girl?!  |
