Robbie Bugden(Australia), Dan Stauffer(Australia),
James Smith, Craig Shirriffs, Nick Cole in the first five. Stroud was in sixth
place back 1.248 seconds. Sunday was looking to be exciting with close
racing.
Sunday morning out they go, first lap down the back straight and they are
flying into the corner and they are leaning on each other
, the crowd move up the hill for better viewing. Nick moves into the
hairpin along with several others , it’s tight, then it looks like there is a
bit of contact going on, Nick crashes.(He has some of the other riders paint
work on his fairings, it was that close) Bugger I hope he hasn’t bend the plate
in his collar bone. Next thing you know Nick is back up and away. He manages to
work his way back up towards the back of the riders and is moving forward, then
bugger me he has a crash in the same place but he is up again and manages to
work his way to 14th. Results: Bugden 1st, Stauffer 2, John Ross 3, Sloan Frost
4th Nick was 14th ahead of James Smith. Craig Shirriffs was a DNF.
Race Two was the Grand Prix Race and there was a few guys really on fire so
much so that Stroud crashed on lap four. As many will know this is something
that he never does so the crowd were really on their feet for this one. Scott
Moir crashes and then a spectacular crash happens on the last corner before the
front straight which had the ambulance hurtling down the track the wrong way to
attend. Results were as the riders were on their sixth lap they would go back a
lap so it was Bugden, Stauffer, Shirriffs, Smith,Ross, Nick Cole 6 th. The
riders were sent to their pits whilst the ambo did it’s job. Restart was called
with a ten lap race. The riders line up and Scott Moir was not allowed out
according to the rules but hang on Stroud is allowed out. Stroud lined up in the
middle of the pack, Bugden looked back and saw Stroud there and raised his hand.
The grid marshal's push him back with Stroud arguing the point. In the end the
riders all moved off as their bikes tyres were cooling off waiting for the
marshalls and officials to sort it out. They all line up again and Stroud is
pushed back to the back again. They are off and Stroud pushes his way into 2nd,
he had the devil riding on his shoulder. The race finished with Srtoud going
over the line in first but it is still up in the air as to who has what
positions. The 2nd half is at this stage unofficially Stauffer 1st, Shirriffs
2nd, Smith 3rd. Nick finished in 11th after bike jammed in 5th gear so had to
complete the last few laps in 5th gear only. Robbie Bugden DNF and Stroud
Disqualified. It is now under protest so nobody knows what the official points
are for this round yet.
This morning we have the gear box apart in our friends workshop sorting it
all out before we head to Timaru for the next round. At least we have a spare
bike if necessary.
Today several guys are off home after engines exploded, gear boxes
disintegrated or bones were broken so we are the lucky ones.
