International Challenge Race One Report
By Trevor Hedge
After a myriad of clutch problems plagued the British stars last year but the UK squad have come back more determined than ever with Roger Winfield’s delectable fleet of machines growing in number and strength to take on the ever strong Team Australia squad. A number of Aussies have boosted the ranks of Team New Zealand while Team USA is back again for another crack.
When the lights went out to open the Island Classic 2014 International Challenge it was Beau Beaton that scorched off the line with Shawn Giles but it was Cameron Donald that led the field through turn one for the first time. Jeremy McWilliams quickly moved into second place as the race order started to settle a little with Steve Martin and Shawn Giles in tow.
A red flag then came out after Robbie Phillis lost the front entering the hayshed for the first time. Robbie has been left fairly battered and bruised and feeling a little sorry for himself but the thing that will likely prevent him from taking any further place in proceedings is the fact that the 1982 XR69 Suzuki he was riding is in a diabolical looking state.
Race direction ordered a full race re-start and the riders entered the pits for more fuel and to put the tyres back on the warmers.
After a short delay the race got underway again with Cameron Donald again getting the jump to lead Jeremy McWilliams through turn one with Shawn Giles looking to join that affray. John McGuinness started his Island Classic International Challenge debut start in seventh place on the 1982 Honda Harris F1 but had slipped back to tenth by the end of lap one. Cam Donald set a 1m42s lap from a standing start on 1981 Suzuki XR69 and was already starting to pull away from the field a little.
Jeremy McWilliams made some sort of mistake on lap three, possibly missed a gear, which allowed Shawn Giles to blast past and set out after Cam Donald. The race leader already setting 1m37s scorchers in his efforts to break away.
Shawn Giles took the lead heading towards Gardner Corner but Cam Donald got him back a few turns later. Jeremy McWilliams had recovered to continue in third position as Steve Martin coasted to a crawl with some sort of problem on the 1982 Suzuki Katana. Malcolm Campbell had retired earlier, possibly as a result from the crash he suffered in a category race a little earlier in the day.
With four laps down Jeremy McWilliams took the lead as all the leading riders started suffering from tyre degradation issues.
As they commenced the final lap McWilliams held sway by 6-tenths of a second and stretched that lead out to 1.1 seconds at the second split and held that advantage to the chequered flag to take out the opening International Challenge bout to please Team UK.
Jeremy McWilliams the winner by 1.1 seconds over Cam Donald who in turn had a bike length on Shawn Giles. Beau Beaton brought the Irving Vincent home in fourth place a further six-seconds behind the podium finishers. The top finishing four all in the 1m37s bracket.
Gary Johnson took fifth place ahead of Brendan Roberts, John McGuinness, Mike Edwards, Michael Dibb and Ryan Farquhar rounded out the top ten.
Despite the joy at taking first blood in the International Challenge there is serious consternation in the Team UK pitbox. Despite maintaining race winning pace the Honda Harris F1 is not completely healthy, a mis-fire problem around 8000rpm possibly caused by running borderline lean jetting in their efforts to try and keep with the speed of Cameron Donald’s 1981 XR69 Suzuki making McWilliams and his mechanics a little nervous as they prepare the machine for bout two.
Team New Zealand’s top finisher was Australian defector Glenn Hindle on a 1980 GSX Suzuki.
The top finishing rider from Team USA was James McKay on a 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R while Team Captain Ottis Lance finished in 18th place on his 1982 GS Suzuki.
The fastest lap of the race was a 1m37.462 set by Jeremy McWilliams on lap two. The Northern Irishmen strong through turns 1-2-3 and the Hayshed but says he loses ground to Donald and Giles at the slow turn four and also Siberia, however the British rules that allow for better stoppers gives him the edge under brakes for turn four and MG Hairpin while the Aussies perhaps fare a little better through turns 11 and 12.
Robbie Phillis was extremely disappointed with how his Island Classic ended in the Hayshed kitty litter, “The hayshed got me again! In the first lap of the first International Challenge race, new front not scrubbed in enough and I didn’t look after spuds horn motorcycle like I promised I would. I feel worse about the bike than how my body feels at the moment, I feel like shit.
“I was in fourth gear cranked over into the right of hayshed then the front folded and we slid over the ripple strip at the speed of sound on me guts, catching old mate over the ripples, then hit the gravel trap and start endo-ing, flogging my hands, arms, legs through that unsafe and unforgiving shit that should never be used for motorcycle riders, then my face got flogged into the gravel. I came to a stop hurting like fuck thinking that I had just scalped my head, there was blood in my right eye, and my fingers and knob felt like someone had smashed them with a hammer.
“I just lay there hoping that they would red flag the race so I was safe, laying there the next lap around it was red flagged and the medics went into action and looked after me so well, they did an awesome job to make me feel comfortable. I tried to fight them off from sticking a drip into me but they won, then the two lady docs felt me up with there soft touch, thanks girls, but next time can youse finish the job! LOL. I’m home now feeling like a punching bag not wanting to move, its hard enough typing!”
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2014 Island Classic – Internation Challenge – Race One
Pos No Name Class Machine Laps Time Behind Fastest On Lap
1 99 Jeremy McWILLIAMS (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Harris F1 1250 6 9:52.177 1:37.462 2
2 86 Cameron DONALD (VIC) / John Trease AU 1981 Suzuki XR69 1260 6 9:53.342 1.165 1:37.750 2
3 19 Shawn GILES (NSW) / Trevor Birrell Racing / TBR / D&D / Springwood Suzuki AU 1982 Suzuki Kat. 1294 6 9:53.474 1.297 1:37.573 2
4 86a Beau BEATON (VIC) / K.H. Equipment P-L / Austart Air Starters AU 1978 Irving Vincent 1300 6 9:59.319 7.142 1:37.772 3
5 7 Gary JOHNSON (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Suzuki Harris 1230 6 10:01.192 9.015 1:39.078 5
6 24a Brendan ROBERTS (SA) AU 1982 Suzuki Kat. 1260 6 10:01.210 9.033 1:39.055 5
7 77 John McGUINNESS (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Honda Harris 1150 6 10:05.970 13.793 1:39.178 2
8 121 Mike EDWARDS (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Suzuki Harris 1230 6 10:06.068 13.891 1:39.373 5
9 1 Michael DIBB (VIC) / T-Rex Racing AU 1982 Honda Harris 1150 6 10:10.550 18.373 1:39.811 3
10 17 Ryan FARQUHAR (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Suzuki Harris 1230 6 10:23.444 31.267 1:42.335 3
11 14 Michael GODFREY (UK) / Team Winfield UK 1982 Suzuki Harris 1170 6 10:23.762 31.585 1:42.181 2
12 31 Craig DITCHBURN (VIC) / Milspec Manufacturing UK 1978 Yamaha TZD 750 6 10:36.314 44.137 1:44.003 6
13 76 Scott WEBSTER (VIC) / West Gippsland Auto Electrics AU 1982 Suzuki M-M 1200 6 10:36.522 44.345 1:43.181 4
14 50 Glenn HINDLE (NSW) / Old Gold Motorcycles / Goulburn Power Centre NZ 1980 Suzuki GSX 1170 6 10:49.039 56.862 1:46.126 2
15 90 Mick MOLONEY (VIC) / Toss Dog Racing NZ 1980 Suzuki GSX 1166 6 10:49.325 57.148 1:46.553 2
16 888 James McKAY (USA) / Two wheel Custom Performance / ARC US 1978 Kawasaki Z1R 1050 6 10:51.216 59.039 1:46.671 3
17 23 Laurie FYFFE (NSW) / Superbike Performance AU 1980 Suzuki Harris 1166 6 10:52.248 1:00.071 1:45.848 4
18 57 Ottis LANCE (USA) / Lone Star Motorsports / Moyal & Friends US 1982 Suzuki GS 1260 6 10:52.365 1:00.188 1:47.134 5
19 69 Dave WOOLAMS (UK) / Wooly’s Autos UK 1982 Harris Suzuki 1230 6 11:00.924 1:08.747 1:47.520 2
20 888a Mark McVEIGH (QLD) / motoDNA NZ 1980 Kawasaki J 1166 6 11:08.190 1:16.013 1:48.910 4
21 35 Clive WARNER (VIC) / Lord Morley / Shop 35 UK 1978 Yamaha TZ 500 6 11:09.627 1:17.450 1:49.951 4
22 66 Rob MESA (USA) US 1978 Yamaha TZ 750 6 11:12.841 1:20.664 1:49.408 6
23 117 David CRUSSELL (USA) / Mojo Yamaha US 1980 Yamaha TZ 748 6 11:12.852 1:20.675 1:50.061 5
24 10 Richard EASTON (NSW) NZ 1980 Suzuki GSX 1170 6 11:15.397 1:23.220 1:50.700 3
25 8 Albert TEHENNEPE (VIC) NZ 1980 Kawasaki Z1J 1260 6 11:24.276 1:32.099 1:51.978 4
26 32a George (Joe) PETHOUD (USA) / Vicious Cycle / Ten Moto Racing / Motorex / Race Tech US 1982 Honda CBF 985 6 11:28.671 1:36.494 1:52.777 3
27 73 Glenn CRUTCHLEY (VIC) / Kallista Electrical NZ 1979 P & M Kawa. 1200 6 11:29.050 1:36.873 1:52.824 5
28 3 Malcolm CAMPBELL (TAS) / Manta Engineering / Bell Helmets / RST Leathers / Finson AU 1980 Honda RS 1220 6 11:34.191 1:42.014 1:44.180 3
29 29 Russell KEEN (NZ) NZ 1981 Suzuki GSX 1100 6 11:48.085 1:55.908 1:55.047 3
DNF 107 Roger GUNN (VIC) / Sunset Racing / Spice Consulting / Byrners Suzuki / Metzeler NZ 1982 Suzuki Katana 1300 5 9:02.373 1 Lap 1:46.453 5
DNF 16 Dan ‘Joe’ WEIR (USA) / Tenmoto / Vicious Cycle US 1982 Suzuki GS Kat. 1261 5 9:31.880 1 Lap 1:51.168 2
DNF 11 Damien KAVNEY (QLD) / Team Kavney Racing / Bullet Racing NZ 1982 Suzuki XR69 1100 4 7:06.873 2 Laps 1:44.671 2
DNF 99a Steve MARTIN (VIC) / Trevor Birrell Racing / TBR / D&D / QBE Insurance AU 1982 Suzuki Kat. 1294 3 5:05.575 3 Laps 1:40.093 3
DNF 15 Rory REIBEL (WA) / Motorcycles Plus / FME / Track Dayz / Austex US 1980 Suzuki GSX 1200 2 4:15.090 4 Laps 2:03.001 2
DNF 162 Rick KWOK (NSW) / HH Racing UK 1978 P&M Kawa. F1 1230 0 6 Laps
DNF 211 Shawn REILLY (USA) US 1978 Yamaha TZ 750 0 6 Laps
DSQ 999 Anthony BANN (VIC) / Sunset Racing / Spice Consultancy Group ?? 1978 Suzuki GS 1200 6 11:28.828 1:36.651 1:52.638 4
 Fastest Lap was 1:37.462 by Jeremy McWILLIAMS (UK)
*** No. 999 (Anthony BANN) disqualified under 2013 rule 12.12.1.4.b.2 as he failed to start the original race that was red flagged after 1 lap (and then re-started) *
The results are provisional until the end of the time limit for protests and appeals.
