Toparis survives Motegi deluge to finish Moto3 Race

Goulburn teenager braves Motegi Monsoon to finish

Tom Toparis recounts Motegi Moto3 Debut

After a pretty tough few days at Motegi, due to the weather being so terrible, it’s a great way to come home in twenty-fourth place and on the lead lap!

The team pretty much told me just to finish the race and if I finished the race and on the lead lap, than that would be even better!

I kept it upright and without a doubt was the hardest conditions I have ever raced in. What else made it even harder was the oil which was dumped on the track in the morning warm up which made the surface just so slippery and I had no feel at all.

However, we brought the bike home in one piece. We’ll now be able to go out on track in free practice one next Friday at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and have a bit of a play.

Honestly, in my whole lifetime I have never wanted the weather to be good at the ‘Island’ so badly. I do not want it to rain at all. If it rains we might have a hard time like this weekend.

I simply just want dry time on this bike as the team and I can’t seem to get it together on this bike in the wet. A lack of experience with the bike definitely cost us this weekend. I want to work at it and hopefully be closer to the field at the conclusion of next weekend.
I know I can ride fast at the island, and hopefully the bike will be up to it. Wet weather will just be hard for us.

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone in the team for putting up with me this weekend. Everyone has just been happy to be here. It’s so hard to do a Moto3 wildcard ride. But that’s the reason why it’s the toughest championship in the world.

Anyway, it’s been a good experience for everyone, as we have learnt a lot. We could have learnt more, if it was dry conditions, but we have learnt what we have and will now turn our attention to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix next weekend.

I am feeling a bit more confident heading into Phillip Island next weekend as it now feels a bit more ‘normal’ now being out on track with these other riders. At the start of the weekend I was getting passed by riders such as Romano Fenati or Nicolo Bulega and going “wow”…

I’m going to be a lot more confident heading into round sixteen of the MotoGP, especially if it’s dry, which will make me so happy.

Main thing is, the bike and I are in one piece, so we’ll hopefully have a good result next weekend and be closer to the field.

I would like to a massive thanks to all of our sponsors who have got behind this project and everyone here for all the well wishes and the fantastic support I have got this weekend. It’s been amazing and I do appreciate every single well wishes. Hopefully I can do everyone proud next weekend on home soil!