Racing News |
SART Championship Round 1 Phillip Haydon Trial
Over the weekend I ventured out to Tarlee in the state’s mid-north for the opening round of the SART series. The forecast was predicted to be cloudy with intermittent showers throughout the afternoon. My preparation for this event was less than ideal, I spent the first half of the week absolutely floored with food poisoning. I haven’t been that sick in a very long time, so I had some doubts about my performance on the weekend. Thankfully, I started to recover by the end of the week and was able to focus back on the task at hand. The event was a 6hr day-night trial. I was given a starting position of 82nd and was scheduled to leave main control at 2:22pm. I was happy to be starting mid-pack, not only would it give a chance for the track to develop a line but there was a big rain front coming through the area around midday and thankfully was able to miss the worst of it.
Over the off-season I’ve made a few bike changes in hopes of making it more suited to the terrain usually found at a reliability trial. The main upgrades being a steering dampener and gearing changes. As the tracks have to accommodate for sidecars, they are usually more open and less technical than a conventional enduro. The steering dampener has helped to stabilize the bike on the faster stuff and gearing the bike up has been a really positive change as well. Overall making it quite a comfortable package for carrying more speed! Big thankyou to SA Motorcycles and Cykel for getting me a range of sprockets last minute to experiment with some different gearing combinations!
It was drizzling when I felt main control on my way to the first section. I’d heard along the grapevine, that the first section was very slick and some of the sidecars had a ton of trouble getting through It. Once I was in the section, it was greasy but not as technical as first thought. Most of the section followed an existing track which made navigation easier. Section two, worked it’s way along a dry creek. It was possible to double some of the banks throughout the section, but I had to be mindful as there were multiple blind or unmarked drops to keep things interesting. Section three was in the hills to the east of Tarlee and was flowy grass-track that worked it’s way between rocky outcrops. I had a few heart in the mouth moments in this section but was able to keep it on two wheels and record a competitive time. After a quick stop at the fuel dump, section four started in the paddock next to main control. The start of this section was bloody unreal; the rain had a chance to soak in so there was plenty of traction on offer. The remainder of the section worked its way along another dry creek. Tufts of reeds made the section difficult. Where clipping one with either wheel would give the bike a bit of a kick. Thankfully I got through without any dramas. Section five was the best section of the trial. It followed along a deep, washed-out creek. With the track popping out every so often for a flat-out blast along the side of a crop. Section six started in some tight scrub with a fresh track cut through it. This terrain suited me down to a tee, a combination of the flat-track and observed trials practice, meant I was right at home on the awkward flat turns. The main line through this section offered some support but once I started working the edges of the track the traction was unbelievable. The amount of trust I could put in my wheels meant I could just flow between turns which felt really good! After the tight stuff the track dropped into a creek with big, wet rock slabs. I usually feel confident in any technical riding due to my background in trials but because at a reliability trial, you’re riding into things blind, I made an absolute meal of this creek. Came in way too hot, carrying too high of a gear and legs flailing everywhere. It wasn’t fast but I kept the bike upright and made it out the other side. The seventh and final section followed along a floodplain that was full of reeds, a track had been cut through with a machine. Which was super easy to follow but had a wet base. Once out of the reeds, the track followed along a low creek, this part of the track was insane. It was like riding a motocross track, the creek was at the right height where you could use the banks as berms and carry a ton of speed.
I made the mistake of choosing to run tinted goggle lenses on the first lap rather than a clear lens. I was concerned about riding into the sun as it set. Unfortunately, this decision was the wrong one, as it stayed cloudy throughout the afternoon and the sun never appeared. The tinted lenses ended up being too dark and although not advised, I raced the last three sections without goggles to help visibility. I won’t be making this mistake again!
I was surprised to find out I was the fastest bike on track on the first lap! I felt really good throughout the first three hours, I wasn’t riding over my head or feeling like I needed to take unnecessary risks, but the pace was there. This is the first time I’ve had a fastest lap at a reliability trial and a true sign all the work in the off-season is paying off!
It had started to rain again as I headed out for lap two. In hindsight, I was trying to push too hard for the conditions in the first two sections, which led to a few mistakes. The drizzle made visibility difficult, and I was lucky to get away with a few close calls without coming off. I was able to recognize this by the third section and tone it down slightly, I was able to settle into more of a rhythm for section three and ride myself back into some form. The rest of the lap went relatively smoothly; it’s a balance trying to go fast at night without making mistakes. I was happy to still record competitive section times on the night lap. Bringing the bike home in third outright for the event. Very happy to land on the outright box for my first outing in the expert class. It feels like a confirmation that being moved up to the expert class was the right decision and I’m glad I was able to perform!
Thankyou to everyone in my corner, the setup this season looks and performs amazing and I’m very grateful for all your support! Onwards and upwards for round 2!
