Maddix Park : Home of MX and Trail Biking, Tauranga, New Zealand.

www.racerxonline.com  Aaron Hansel

Although we’ve seen three different Lites winners in as many races, the one constant has come from Eli Tomac, who has set the fastest lap in all three races. In Los Angeles, Tomac’s fast time of 53.915 was even quicker than the fastest 450 lap of 54.341, which was set by Ryan Villopoto. Look for Tomac to be laying down more scorching laps this weekend.

This may be how the rest of the field views Tomac if he gets out front early.
Photo: Simon Cudby

Factory Foe

Billy Laninovich has returned to supercross this year, and so far his results have been steadily improving. Laninovich took fourteenth at A1, twelfth in Phoenix, and tenth in L.A.. These results aren’t a complete shocker; Laninovich was once a podium threat every time he lined up, and even won a Lites main in San Francisco in 2005. What kind of results will Laninovich pull this weekend?

Stewart’s Turn?

So far, James Stewart has watched while one by one, his main competitors have all taken race wins. Villopoto won the opener, Ryan Dungey took Phoenix, and Chad Reed ran away with it in Dodger Stadium. Despite a small crash, Stewart recorded his best finish of the season last week when he crossed the line in third place. If Stewart can keep it on two wheels tomorrow night, look for him to challenge for his first win of the year.

Rookie Move

Gavin Faith made his professional AMA supercross debut last week as a replacement rider with the GEICO Honda squad, and while his eighteenth place finish probably didn’t turn any heads, it’s still worthy of mention. Even after the threat of rain cut practice down to a single session, Faith went out and made the main in his first attempt ever. Now that Faith has some experience under his belt, how will the rookie from Fort Dodge, Iowa, do in Oakland?

Can Faith improve after last weekend's scramble?
Photo: Simon Cudby

Do or Die

It can be very difficult to overcome a disastrous race, especially in a short series. After experiencing poor results last week, championship hopes for Marvin Musquin (nineteenth) and Cole Seely (fifteenth) aren’t looking very bright, and both riders are facing must win situations if they want to keep their title chases alive. Will Musquin and Seely rebound in Oakland, or will their championship flames be extinguished?

Life’s a Beach

The soil in Oakland is extremely sandy, and is unlike any of the racing surfaces we’ve seen so far this year. Sand tracks wear in differently, get rough quickly, and require a completely different type of bike setup. Sand also makes for some fierce roost, which is sure to provide vision problems for riders who run out of tearoffs.

Equal Opportunity

A quick look at this week’s Bench Racing Ammo reveals just how much talent exists in both classes. So far, six races have produced six different winners. With guys like James Stewart, Jake Weimer, Ryan Sipes, Tyla Rattray, Marvin Musquin and Zack Osborne still chasing their first win of the season, Oakland has the potential to keep the new-winner streak alive.

Musquin will be one of many vying for a first win in Oakland.
Photo: Simon Cudby

Mad Max

Max Anstie didn’t have the best showing at A1 (sixteenth), but since then, his results have improved, with a ninth in Phoenix and a sixth in Dodger Stadium. Will the British rider’s upward trend continue Saturday night?

The Replacements

With all of the injuries taking place, we’re going to start seeing a wave of new or replacement riders in the pits. Last week it was Gavin Faith with the GEICO Honda squad. This week we’ll see Matt Goerke joining the BTOSports.com/Butler Brothers MX team, Cody Mackie to fill in for Josh Grant at DNA / Jeff Ward Racing, and Bobby Kiniry aboard a Star Valli Motorsports 450.

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2012 AMA Supercross Tom Wera 01/26/2012 www.ultimatemotorcycling.com

Following the hectic AMA Supercross crash Saturday evening in Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, Muscle Milk Honda's Trey Canard remained on the track, unconscious. The Oklahoma native, who was landed on by Villa Yamaha's Ryan Morais at the end of a triple at LA Supercross, was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered Canard sustained severe back injury, though surgery was questionable. But on Wednesday, American Honda reported Canard underwent successful surgery, doctors stabilizing the injured area of the back.

Speaking to American Honda, Trey's brother Aaron says: "The surgery went exactly as planned. He is still in some pain and discomfort but is able to deal with it better and better. He is staying positive and his spirits are up, which is great to see. Depending on how the next few days go, the doctors are hoping Canard can be released to go home by the end of the weekend."

American Honda will release additional news on Canard's condition at the family request.

The Supercross crash occurred when Canard got tangled with a tuff block at the first turn at Dodger Stadium, which set him up for a sloppy landing on the triple jump. As Canard regained his momentum, Morais landed on him, sending both riders to the ground. Morais also sustained a host of injuries, including a broken jaw, several fractured vertebrae and some broken ribs

This is not the first time Canard was sidelined; the Oklahoma native, who pilots the No. 41 Honda CRF450R in the Supercross/Motocross Championship, fractured his femur while training towards the end of the 2011 AMA SX Championship; although he was forced to miss the final three rounds, he still finished fifth with 255 points.

Canard was forced to miss the first half of 2011 AMA MX due to the injury, but returned at Round 7 in Spring Creek to finish third. But misery followed Canard at Round 8 in Washougal, where he re-broke his femur, forcing him out of the remaining races.

Then Canard broke his collarbone while practicing for the 2012 AMA Supercross Championship, missing the season-opener at Anaheim I.

 

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Rocky Robinson www.motorcycle-usa.com

In 1999 Richard Brown claimed he reached a peak speed of 365 mph at Bonneville. Now, the Rocket Man returns in hopes of taking the title of World’s Fastest 2 Wheeler.

“Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff.”

The steady whine of the spooling jet engine increases in volume and intensity until the wheels begin to roll. Your cell phone must be turned off and your seat in its upright position. There are 200 passengers, maybe more. The in-flight movie fittingly is The World’s Fastest Indian. You bury your head in a magazine, pretending to be interested in whatever it is Sky Mall is pedaling.

The truth of the matter is, hurling down a concrete runway in a sheet metal tube while traveling a couple hundred miles per hour compressed against a fire retardant seat tends to make one a little uneasy. While an alcoholic beverage or a stewardess in a short skirt might be a nice distraction, the fact is, once you’re in motion your very being relies on thrust, aerodynamic drag and lift. Sure, there are many other factors at work, but each time you blast down that flat, narrow course at breakneck speed as the pilot does his best to keep the powerful beast between the markers - you’re getting a small taste of what Craig Breedlove, Art Arfons and even Andy Green experienced in their jet-powered land speed racing machines.

Remove the other passengers; shorten the length, narrow the fuselage and clip the wings. Your Hawaiian shirt and Dockers are replaced with a Nomex firesuit, gloves and a helmet with piped in air. Your 5-point harness, complete with arm and leg restraints, won’t allow you to reach for your drink, let alone scratch that annoying itch. The playa is natural terrain, unlike leveled concrete. Oh yeah, let’s also take some wheels away - leaving only two. Now, you have to balance this jet-powered monstrosity as if it weren’t already difficult enough. Breedlove and Green are no longer in the picture.

Richard’s hydrogen peroxide hybrid rocket powered streamliner is now on display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, Birmingham.

Art Arfons built a two-wheeled jet-powered streamliner, but he was unable to obtain the proverbial ‘happy ending’ after crashing the mutant machine and immediately abandoning the project.

Richard Brown is familiar with propulsion powered vehicles, having designed and built the Gillette Mach 3 Challenger, a hydrogen peroxide hybrid rocket motorcycle streamliner. In 1999 Richard ran an impressive 332.887 mph one way average through the timed mile on the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, exceeding Dave Campos’ then current FIM record of 322.

I caught up with Richard recently and asked why they were unable to complete the return run to officially claim the title of world’s fastest two-wheeler: “I actually did this speed twice. However, on the first run the timekeeper gave us a faulty time, and on the next record run, which is the one quoted, centrifugal force caused the rear tire to grow off the rim, causing total deflation. We planned to run on solid wheels, but were forced to run on 300 mph rated Goodyear rubber due to poor surface conditions.”

Following his 332.887 mph run
with the Mach 3 Challenger,
Richard put his talents to use on
the Jet Pack project.

Richard claims he reached a peak speed of 365 mph.

I asked why he never returned, and where the bike is now: “I returned from Bonneville 95% satisfied with what we achieved and keen to do other projects, one of which being the Jet Pack, which is still ongoing.” Insert image of James Bond, or Buzz Lightyear here. “However, when the two-wheel LSR got exciting in 2006 with Bub and Ack Attack running faster, I started to consider making a return to the salt with a new machine. The Gillette Mach 3 Challenger was taken for display at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, Birmingham, where it remains today.”

So why the change from rocket power to the jet engine you are currently using?

“As an engineer you can always improve on a previous design. At the time we wanted to set the world record on Pendine Sands in the UK which, at only 4.5 miles long, dictated using rocket power to provide the necessary acceleration. Unfortunately, Pendine proved unsuitable. One negative of the rocket bike was the very high cost and logistics of running it. During the Jet Pack project I have almost scratch-built my own fanjet turbine, so my knowledge of gas turbines/jet engines has vastly increased. For the new bike propulsion I have substantially modified a turboshaft helicopter engine to convert it into a turbojet and then added my own afterburner.” Sir Malcolm Cambell was the first to set a land speed record at Pendine Sands in 1924, running 146.16 mph in a 350 horsepower V12 Sunbeam he named Blue Bird.

Do you feel you will have better control using the jet engine over rocket power?

All dressed up and ready to go. Richard plans on going after the British motorcycle speed record in 2012, and return to Bonneville in 2013.

Based on a 1250 horsepower helicopter engine, the massive turbine is placed inside a frame not unlike a traditional streamliner frame.

“If it handles as well as the rocket bike I will be very happy. It won’t need the tow start and it’s possible to make very slow passes to get the feel for it. Last time I had to build a crude but functional piston powered “trainer bike” so I could first learn how to ride before attempting to do it with a lit rocket up my a_ _! As soon as I am stable at about 50 mph I will engage the afterburner, a 400 mph pass will need about 7.5 miles total, including stopping.”

While piston-powered wheel driven motorcycles are an existing market, electric powered motorcycles are now competing in various disciplines of competition and their market to the general public is expanding at a huge rate. I don’t know if the same can be said about propulsion-powered motorcycles. Is there a growing market for this technology, or is this fed by passion to design, build and compete on a unique platform where unlimited power is king?

“I won’t claim that anyone will eventually be riding to the supermarket in a jet or rocket powered streamliner, but in the arena of land speed record breaking, good design, innovation and quality workmanship is key. The world needs engineers driven by the desire to do something better than before. I hope I am one of them.”

What is your timeline and goals for the new machine? What is the ultimate top speed or FIM record you are hoping to obtain?

“I plan to test and run up to the British record by the end of 2012, and if all goes well, than Bonneville in 2013. My goal is “World’s Fastest 2 Wheeler.” It would be great to be the first to reach 400 mph, but I know others are also chasing the same goal. It should be an exciting few years!”

As always, enjoy the ride…

 

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Wednesday 25 January: www.moto-media.net The 51st annual Woodville GP is on this weekend. Minis and Juniors race on Saturday and Seniors on Sunday.

Let's have a look at the bigger MX event's attendance by the riders.

• Last October's Extravaganza entries were down on previous years.
• November's Auckland Champs, with a last minute burst, had more than 2010 which was the Oceania. 
• Summercross had a total of 515 entries.  They had excellent spectator numbers.
• Last weekend's Valley Champs was low on numbers. 
• MNZ's media says; "With more than 700 riders expected to race over the weekend..."  but I only counted 497 last night. The 16 in the River Race are also riding other classes.  (Source: www.voxy.co.nz  - Tue 24 Jan)

What is interesting is to compare the three big MX events of the year. 

• Taupo's Extravaganza is over Labour Weekend and a welcomed break after Winter. It's a MNZ permitted event.
• Summercross is Summer holiday time between Christmas and New Year. A Dirt Bike Federation event (i.e. non MNZ sanctioned) and always very well attended. 
• Woodville is Anniversary Weekend for those in the Upper North Island but it's big attraction is it's official MNZ Grand Prix tag.  It's a track that is only ridden once a year - more challenging than open terrain.
• All 3 events call on a Central North Island base of plenty of riders. 

       Extravaganza                 Summercross               Woodville GP (as at 24th)
       95 Seniors                       139 Seniors                    198  Seniors  (55 in MX2 and 52 in Support Under - 25 in Support Over)
       29 Vets                             50  Vets                           35  Vets
      111 Juniors                      174 Juniors                     168  Juniors
       19 Women                        26 Women                      21  Women
       87 Minis                          126 Minis                          75  Minis
                                                                                        16 River Race (most riding other classes so not in the total) 
     341 Total                           515 Total                        497  Total

  

We can't complain about the quality in amongst Woodville's 36 x MX1 riders.  Ben Townley has only ever ridden once at Woodville and it was in mud albeit without the title.  Josh Coppins should be close to full form and he's won it five times previously.  Cody Cooper too, is in full fitness. Australian star Tye Simmonds who rode in the AMA Outdoors last season will also be there.  Don't discount Justin McDonald either - he won it in 2010.  To call the podium is difficult because riders only have to drop one race and they're in big trouble points wise.

 

Woodville's timing is perfect for the new timing of the NZ MX Nationals as it provides riders with an ideal race pace build-up.

 

The return of Queenstown's Scott Columb to the MX2 ranks is welcomed.  It's a star line-up of 55 entries and guaranteed to be near the front is 43 year old Darryll King. 

NZ's OMA and GNCC star Paul Whibley is nothing less than spectacular in Woodville's River Race.  It usually signals his departure back to the United States.

 

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