Friday came around real fast, and got down to the track good and early to be first in the scrutineering queue. Isn't it funny how different scrutineers always pick up on different things? Ignoring steering head, swingarm and wheel bearings, the guy checking out my bike went straight for the small drain plugs in the bottom of my forks and made me tape them up....Ever had one of these come out, or heard of someone else who has? Me neither. Lucky we got in quick as the line of bikes waiting to be inspected quickly grew to 200 or so.

The team Kiwi pits were strangely quiet just before practice with the 3 team Pro Weigh riders the quietest of them all. Nerves? You betcha! Especially Dosser and Seddo who had been fed non stop stories of flat out turn 1, tipping in at 240km/hr, knee down through Bass straight flat out in 5th etc etc. Finally we got out onto the track and had a chance to blow the cobwebs away. I had forgotten what a great track this is! So smooth, so fast.

For those who have never been there, a lap goes like this: From the start straight, it's full throttle down to the RH Doohan corner, back off the throttle, tip it in, then hard on the throttle again. A short straight, then on the brakes briefly, down 2 gears and into "Southern Loop" a tricky double apex LH bend that I never fully came to grips with. Get on the gas as early as you dare, then head down and flat out through "Bass Straight" which has a beautiful flowing LH curve you take flat out in 5th (That's the knee down at 200km/hr + corner) before braking hard into Honda, a 2nd gear, RH 150 degree hairpin. From Honda it's hard on the gas up to Siberia with a great view of the ocean. I found the best was to hold it in 2nd, let it scream, but get into Siberia faster. If I changed to 3rd I lost time changing up and back down again. Siberia is a nice swoopy 180 degree LH corner that exits going uphill through a left-right curve known as Hayshed. It's a great feeling blasting up there full throttle, and one area where power rules! After the Right hander, the track steepens into a tight, blind left hand corner known as Luckey Heights. For me this was a "chop down to 3rd and hold on as much gas as I dare" corner. You crest the hill, hold the gas for half a second, then it's hard on the brakes downhill into MG, another "not quite" hairpin. Easy to lose the front here if you trail brake too long....Coming out of MG leaned hard to the right, you short change to 3rd, then throw the bike hard over to the left to start accelerating out of turn 11, which seems to go on forever, straighten up briefly, select 4th, then turn late, left again through turn 12 into the start finish straight (Gardner Straight). The whole time at Phillip Island, you are just kept busy. The straights are not long enough to "have a rest" and the rest of the circuit demands real concentration to be fast, but has so much grip, width and run-off, that mistakes are mostly forgiven. Motorcycling Mecca!!

Practice found us all very slow compared to the Aussies. Lucky we got 3 practices, then another 2 qualifying rounds before the grids were settled. At first qualifying on Friday afternoon, Greg "Shagger" Sharpe on another GS 1000 (#5) was fastest of the Kiwis in 5th place on the grid with a 1'53.48". I was riding extremely slowly over second and a half adrift which would have put me last on the second row! I was disgusted with myself. Seddo (#16) and Dosser (#10) were even slower, at 20th and 11th on the grid, so not a great day for Team Pro Weigh. Lucky there was another qualifying round on Saturday morning. In contrast, Aussie Stu Loly on his GSX 1100 (#1) tore up the track to post a 1'47.58", and pole.

That night it was back to the Seahorse, a quick dinner, then a few quiet after-dinner drinks outside in the motel courtyard. Man those drinks slid down easily. Must have had something to do with the fact that we were finally here and racing after a couple of months frantic preparation. I started feeling a bit "loose" and left my Gin and Tonic sitting full on the table. "Racing tomorrow I told myself". Several of the other just kept going, most noticeably Shagger, who had to walk off a severe case of bed spins at around 2.00am. Needless to say he looked and rode like shit the next morning and was seen walking around mumbling "Don't wanna race". His time dropped to 1'56" while mine improved to 1'52". Was I laughing or what?? I made the front row while Shagger almost didn't make row 2!

I had pulled out my secret weapon though, which was a new rear tyre that I brought over as hand luggage on the plane...Pete Daniell (Green ELR Kawasaki # 54) gave me a quick lesson on changing tyres with levers. Never done it before! I was delighted, as the competition had climbed a few notches since last year, but I managed my same grid position! Dosser and Seddo were back in 12th and 20th. Seddo had just come back from a 6 month break from racing, and Dosser had a half worn rear tyre, with no replacement. Dummy.

Race 1 came round too fast. Good case of nerves on the start line, and a huge 1st and second gear wheelie soon cleared the head. Held 4th most of the race but was slow coming onto the front straight and got passed by a quick, but evil handling Moto Martin Kawasaki, who proceeded to hold me up in quite a few corners, but still beat me well. 5th and a 1'51.87" best lap. I was happy.

Race 2 and again I held 4th until the Moto Martin passed me in the same corner (T12) with better drive onto the straight. All was going well until on the last lap, Shagger went round me under brakes into Honda, then shut the door in my face, his hangover well and truly worn off. I stood the GS up to avoid him and bloody hell! Pete stuffs the Big Green Kwaka down the inside so I can't turn in. I miss my last down change and flounder around on the outside line watch my 2 Kiwi team mates run away towards Siberia. I get a nice rush of blood to the head, catch Shagger (Pete had passed him too) and pass him coming out of turn 12. "Gotcha" I think, but the bugger sits behind Pete, gets a draft to the line and beats me by a wheel. Man was I dark! I resolved to "pull my finger out" the next day and concentrate. I hadn't come all this way to get 7th and do 1'52" lap times!

No drinking sessions on Saturday night! Sunday was our last day with 2 more races, a feature 6 lapper being first up.

Race 3: As I lined up in the last grid position of the front row, I was more than a little nervous, having been given a good slapping in race two by my Kiwi team-mates, starting a row behind me. Consequently I was keen to make amends in the 6 lap feature race at Phillip Island, and that needed a good start.

The starter lines us up, revs up to 7000 on the black GS thou, red lights on, man they're holding a long time, oops, clutch slipping, on with the front brake, damn! The lights are out. Immediately I am passed by almost the whole second row. Bugger! As Stu Loly, Tony Marsden and Shane Zakelj disappear into the distance, they are joined by Greg "Shagger" Sharpe, my Kiwi arch rival on another GS thou, and Scott Webster on a rapid, but evil handling Moto Martin Zed one. Even Pete Daniell on the Green Eddie Lawson rep is having a go, but I manage to squeeze him out as we go into turn 1, and catch up to Shagger a little through Southern loop.

Nothing changes in the seven bike freight train as we pour through the fast sweeper into Honda Corner. Stu and Tony start to gap us a bit, and Scott is giving Shane the hurry up for the first time in the meeting. (Shane won out, but I heard they swapped paint a bit..) Round Siberia, up Lukey heights, and I have gathered up Shagger and am right on his date. Down into MG, and he moves out to the left for a good entry. Take the gap Smithy! I stuff it up next to Greg and I am sure he is cursing under his helmet, the same way I did when he pulled a similar move on me at Honda in the previous race, allowing both him and Pete to pass me on the last lap! Not this time mate!

We start to settle down, and the front 4 are gapping us a bit more with Stu Loly disappearing into the distance. On the second lap, determined not to be caught by surprise again, I look back coming out of Honda, and my visor is filled with green Kawasaki and Red GS 1000. Wo! Head down, and gas it up Lukey heights, keeping tight lines as much as possible. Down into MG and hard on the gas out of turn 11, suddenly, the back steps out. No worries, ease the gas slightly, then hard on it again. Whoops, the bike snaps hard right, and I'm up on the bars looking for a soft landing spot.....Off the gas, and the GS, which is as long as a Gold Wing, and almost as stable, comes back into line and settles down. Thanks big man. I owe you one! What's more, the greedy little Kiwis behind me have not come through. Excellent!!

That corner had made me nervous now, and didn't Pete on the Green ELR know it! Pete was a 1970s and 1980s proddy racer of some note, and has more racing knowledge in his little finger than I have accumulated in total. What's more he has been getting secret training from his good mate (and Ex-Team Kenny Roberts GP star) Richard Scott who was acting as Pete's Pit Gopher for the weekend, so I was under no illusions as to what was in front of me....On lap 5, as I gingerly gassed it out of turn 11, I see the green shadow come around the outside as we head for the turn-in point to the last corner. "No way though there Pete" I think as I go wider. Bugger me, he's still trying. OK Pete, taste some ripple strip, and my GS 1000 suddenly becomes 2 metres wide. That backs him off, and I survive another lap.

Last lap, and I go wide again in T11, just as Pete knew I would. He's up the inside faster than an Aussie into the sheep paddock. Hell! Gas it Smithy! I pour it on, and stick to Pete's tail right round Turn 12, drafting him right until we straighten up, then I go wide. We are neck and neck over the line, will I get him? Yessssss. 0.2 sec in front, but I will take it! Thank God for that little extra horsepower and big fat Kawasakis!

What a race! I hear afterwards that Shagger is only 1.5 seconds adrift as well, and that Stu has set a new lap record at 1'45.94". Awesome.

Race 4 and I continued to improve, passing the Moto Martin through Honda, and shortly after he pulled out. Got very close to Shane Zakelj on the sweet Ducati GTS and finally broke through to 1'49.83 on the last 2 laps.

All in all a fairly successful trip. For me 4th overall and a 1'49. Pete Daniell also got a 1'49 and was 5th followed by Shagger in 6th with 1'50. Dosser got 8th and a 1'53, and Seddo 18th with a 2'04".

The Island Classic is held every year in January. If you ever get a chance; DO IT!!!

Cheers,

Smithy
GS 1000 #9.