You are only ever defeated when you give up.
30th November 2021.
HEAVEN VMX CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 ROUND UP...
“Anything can go wrong and I was determined not to be stopped...”
The Heaven Motorcycle Club, the primary Vintage Motocross Club in NSW succeeded in holding the last round of the 2021 Vintage Motocross Series on the 20th and 21st November 2021 at the Nowra Motoplex, Nowra NSW.
Ready! the 1979 CR250RZ is ready to race. envision media image.
Peter takes up the story “It was with considerable effort that Heaven Motorcycle Club President Kenneth Swan and the Committee made the event happen, even the threat of 100% chance of 70mm of rain forecast for Sunday would not prevent
the event going ahead. In the end and to their credit, the determination of the Heaven Committee and co-operation of the Heaven Members had all the Championship classes raced on Saturday to conclude a rather difficult year.
So the decision was made to get all the Championship classes run on Saturday before the rains turned the track into a mud fest. The track was perfectly prepared by Thysen from the Nowra Motoplex and a little rain Friday night made it
perfect with no more water required, the Weather Gods did not get that memo and light rain fell for most of Saturday to make the riding just a little more interesting.
I had been leading the Championship points going into the last round before, anything can go wrong and I was determined to not be stopped by anything and remain calm. I had trained through lockdown and worked on modifying my riding
style when testing both the 1979 M Real Estate Honda CR250RZ and the 1989 M Real Estate Honda CR250RK. Unfortunately I did not prepare the bikes as well as I should have and that failure made racing much harder than was necessary.
After a brief Saturday warm up on the RK I lined up for the last race of the Post-Classic +65 Championship, I got an average start and started working forward only the bike felt progressively harder to keep going. Starting the last lap I realised
that the rear brake caliper was locking onto the disc. I rode the whole lap in first gear attempting to just keep momentum, I was desperate to make the finish line, I finished 1st in the Over 65 Post Classic Class race and set about
finding a solution in the 20 – 30 minutes before I was due out on the RZ in the next race.
I got a good start in the last race of the Classic +65 Championship race and cut to the inside of turn 2, unfortunately I cross rutted for some unplanned ‘soil sampling’ and was rewarded with last place coming out of turn 2. I picked the bike up and it
started first kick. Yipee, I was now chasing anyone I could see. I passed a few on my way to the Flag and a I saw a few more pulled off to the side of the track with mechanical issues and crashes. In the end I finished 2nd in the Over 65
Classic Class race.
Next was the Evolution 250cc Championship (RZ). After a long wait we finally got going. My start, yet again, was average and while I was pushing I was not flowing, something was not right. In retrospect,
I was confused as to which bike I was on all day and I did not adapt to the different riding style required to get the most out of each bike. So for me it was to get past whoever I could and just keep going to finally finish the race in 9th place.
What I did notice on the 1979 Honda CR250RZ was how well the new YSS VMX Twin Shocks worked - at no point was the rear an issue. The bike had great drive and a comfortable landing from jumps. Where the new YSS shocks excelled was in
the whoops, the bike just handled the whoops with ease and I felt that I could go much quicker with practice. Thank you YSS Australia for the great YSS Shocks.
The Pre-1990 250cc Championship (RK) was my final race for the weekend. To solve the problem with the rear caliper locking onto the disc, I increased the play in the brake pedal and put in very worn brake pads.
In essence I had no rear brake and that was much better than riding with the rear wheel locked up. While I repetitively stomped on the rear brake pedal for no result, relying completely on the front brake in the increasingly slippery and muddy conditions
made for an interesting race - I mostly rode to have fun and not crash. I was running hot into corners and I enjoyed testing how much stopping the front provides in the slippery, wet conditions. Well I had fun and was happy to still finish 7th considering.
2021 Overall Championship Results;
• Over 65 Classic Championship - 1st.
• Over 65 Post Classic Championship - 1st.
• Evolution Class 250cc Championship - 8th.
• Pre-1990 250cc Championship – 7th.
• The Heaven Club Championship - 2nd.
I had no idea I was in the running for the Heaven Club Championship. I wish to congratulate Justin Wiesemes for being Heaven #1 for 2021, Justin rode very well all Year, he is a great competitor and gained more first places so he deserves the #1 plate.
I am happy with the result that from the 10 Over 65 races, I gained 7 firsts and 3 seconds, that was a good effort. (Footnote: regrettably Justin Wieseems passed away in early 2022, you are missed as a fearsome competitor, a great bloke and a friend. RIP Justin).
A good effort and reward.
It is essential that someone who races always expects to do better, go faster or achieve more, that is the essence of a racer. What is also essential for someone who races is support, racing is a team effort. To his credit, both the M Real Estate CR250’s go
exceptionally well thanks to the valuable assistance from Bill of Ultimate Framework, Andrew and Beverly MacIntosh providing guidance and a place to test and practice, Mountain Shade Marquees provide an excellent pit area, wind, rain or shine, White’s
Racing Products provide the excellent Bridgestone Tyres, Pivot Pegs provide pegs that keep my feet planted, Suomy Helmets and Canvas MX Gear keep me safe, YSS Australia have come on to provide excellent suspension and David Middleton from Exel Tint tells me
how I can improve how I ride the bike. To all of the people that support or follow my racing, thank you”.
The M Real Estate Marquee.
There is a group of people, Companies and products that make my racing possible, they are the Companies and Brands that provide support, I am privileged to represent:
M REAL ESTATE – If you are considering an Investment property, this is where you go. You will be listened to and supported to accomplish your objective. M Real Estate has access to a wide range of properties
in the major cities of Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne along with some of the larger growth centres. Using knowledge and experience MRE focus on fulfilling the purchaser’s criteria whether they be an investor,
owner occupier or first home buyer – Call Judy on 0409 044 088.
P MARTIN & Co – For Small Business consulting and coaching, For Real Estate Consulting and Project Management, Sales strategies, Sales closing services and for Business coaching, training and Mentoring – Call Peter on 0403 916 996.
ULTIMATE FRAMEWORK - Ultimate Framework (UF) are production Engineers. From port facilities, bus shelters, rescue chopper bases, factory production machinery, process line maintenance and local Council
amenities to one off prototype manufacture, fabrication and welding. UF has the flexibility to consider both big and small jobs – Call Bill 02 9666 9677.
MOUNTAIN SHADE – Do you want a high quality & durable Marquee built to Australian design standards? We did and we have used Mountain Shade for two Years, when other marquees are blowing away or collapsing,
Mountain Shade stands firm and looks great. Do not compromise on quality or price, Free design service, Free delivery Australia-wide - Call: 1300 850 832.
PIVOT PRGZ – Every point of contact on a motorcycle is important, especially the feet. To have Pivot Pegz means that I can have solid contact at all times, wide for better grip and pivoting as I go over jumps or rough terrain,
always good contact for foot control and good angle for comfort. There is none better, for fitment confirmation, please call 03 6423 1800.
BEACONSFIELD MOTORCYCLES - Beaconsfield Motorcycles provides the highest level of service and support, a level most Dealers have forgotten about. For bike service, parts and support to keep your bike running well,
BMS will look after you, visit 7/24-26 Burrows Rd, Alexandria NSW 2044 or call: 02 9318 0008.
WHITE'S RACING PRODUCTS – Go here for all Motorcycle Tyres and Accessories. With a fitting service every Thursday night until late, there is no better service or more supportive than WRP and with straight advice every time.
For your Tyre needs call Craig on: 0413 461 353.
GT TOOLS – I am amazed at the quality and how easy it is to use GT Tools, the rolling chest came with all the tools I need at the race track and they have proven to be reliable and good quality. Do not buy cheap,
poor quality tools, get GT Tools for a brilliant price and for great quality – visit: https://garage-workbench.com.au/
CANVAS MX APPARRELL – I have never been happy to have some big brand mx clothing maker plastered all over me so I advertise them for free. They do not contribute to my racing so I am happy I have found Canvas MX,
they custom make and print my MX race shirts and pants in the colours I want and so I can say what I want to say on my gear. It means I promote the Companies that support my racing and not some fat cat for free.
Take a look at; https://canvasmx.com/
SUOMY HELMETS – You do not really appreciate a Helmet until it prevents an injury, for me I have learned that I can only afford to use the best safety equipment when on a Motorcycle, anything less is a risk and
an invitation to injury. Consider Suomy visit: Picture Me Rollin, Sydney.