Hi Everyone -

 We need your help please. John and Tony has been nominated for the Sidecar Competitor of the year award and we need you to please vote.

Can you please go to the following site:https://sites.google.com/site/nzspeedwayawards/home/voting put in your name and email address and go about 3/4 of the way down the page and vote for the Sidecar Competitor of the year – John Hannan\Tony Hirini – Please vote as this is a huge award for these guys and to be nominated is great. Its an award that shows there dedication and all the hard work and miles they put in do the sport they love.

Thanks heaps for the support

PS – The voting closes midnight July 11th (this sunday) Thanks

Travelled to Rosebank with the Rain hoping when we got there it would be fine to race.  Fortunately weather was kind and John and Tony went out for the first race.  As usual they didn’ gate (you should be all use to this now) but passed the first two within half a lap and was gaining on 1st place then all of a sudden they lost power gave the wall a tap and ended up infield.  When they came back to the pits they found the header pipe had split causing them to loose power.  Started to do a frantic patch up, thanks heaps to Misty for the help, and went out for the next heat.  Unfortunately the patchup job didn’t work too well and as they were closing in they lost power again.  This was a bummer as they felt it was going to be a good meeting and with the set up they had and the best racing they have had with using a 19″ tyre.  So out for the rest of the meeting out came the chocolate and wine  (For the girls) and they started to pack up and ‘Safesex’ turned up with his bike in tow offering it to John and Tony, even though they wouldn’t qualify they decided to still go out for the last heat and they won their race, Thanks for the loan of the bike ‘Safesex’ it was appreciated. 

Just want to say a big thank you to: Champ & Sharon, Michael, Mark & Kellie, Tanya, Phil & Janine, Misty & Brendan, Jeff Keown, Tonee, Ryan, Craig and of course Rowena, Debbie, Paige, Brayden and Jaxon.

A Special thanks to GT (Glenn Taylor) for the website, it has been great to be able to keep everyone up to speed with how everything is going and we wouldn’t be able to without GT’s help so thank you.

Well that was the last race of the season and now John is getting the bike ready for next season.  See you then.

Rowena

Gold Cup was going to be held at Ferndene but got changed to Palmy where 16 bikes turned up ready to race.  First Round in Heat 1 was 8p Andrew & Brent, 42p Steve & Shaun, 21a Glenn & Anne, 32p Josh & Sam and 33p Jeff & Kyle, Steve & Shaun gated well with Josh & Sam close behind, Josh did a great pass on lap 3 to get First. Heat 2 was 25p David & Bryce, 39p Spud & Phillippa, 6p Dereck & Horse,  96p Dilligaf boys, 47g Les & kervin, unfortunately Dilligaf boys hit the tapes and was excluded from the race.  Heat 3 71a Tim & Sian, 49k Russell & Andrew, 11p Mark & Gordy, 19v Handbag & Tony, 45p Phill & Simon and 18p Aaron & Cory.  Russell got the gate and Handbag out second with Mark on his tail, Handbag tried to catch up but to no evail.

Results:

Round 1 – Placings

Heat 1   - 32p, 42p, 33p, 21a, 8p, Heat 2 – 6p, 47g, 39p, 25p, 96p hit tapes,  Heat 3 – 46K, 19v, 11p, 45p, 71a, 18p – Unfortunatley Mark & Gordy out with motor problems

Round 2 – Placings

Heat 1 – 46k, 96p, 45p, 39p, 25p,  Heat 2 – 6p, 19v, 33p, 21a, 71a,  Heat 3 – 32p, 42p, 47g, 18p, 8p

Round 3 – Placings

Heat 1 – 6p, 32p, 21a, 25p, 39p,  Heat 2 – 46k, 42p, 96p, 18p, 71a,  Heat 3 – 19v, 45p, 33p, 47g, 8p

Points Table

• 6p Horse & Ram                    15
• 46k Russell & Andrew         15
• 32p Josh & Sam                     14
• 19v Handbag & Tony          13
• 42p Steve & Shaun               12
• 47g Les & Kervin                  9 
• 45p Phil & Simon                  9
• 33p Jeff & Kyle                       9  
• 96P Dilligaf Boys                   7
• 21a Glenn & Anne                 7
• 39p Spud & Phillippa          5
• 25p David & Bryce               5
• 18P Aaron  & Cory               4
• 8p Andrew & Brent             3
• 11p Mark & Gordy               3
• 71a Tim & Sian                   3

Run off for 1st and 2nd with 46k & 6p, Ram & Horse got out in front and it was a very close race with Russell trying to get pass, Russell managed to find a gap on the inside and off he went to Win the Gold Cup with Ram & Horse 2nd and Josh & Sam 3rd and of course Handbag and Tony getting a consistant 4th for the season.

Written by Rowena

Westcoast Champs in Wanganui Friday night 9 bikes, each bike had 3 heats to qualify then a one race 6 bike final.  First race Steve & Shaun (42P) won and John & Tony got second.  Second and third race John & Tony won so was in top 6 with Les & Kervin 47G, Mark & Gordy 11P, Steve & Shaun 42P, Josh & Sam 32P and Dilligaf boys 96P.  Lined up for the final and had a real crap start (5 bikes lined up the Dilligaf boys bike wouldn’t start so they were out) and was coming last, Les & Kervin got a great gate and took off.  John & Tony managed to pass everyone except Les & Kervin and chased them down.  The last two laps of the race Les & Kervin and John & Tony were side by side for most of it and at pit corner on the last lap John & Tony managed to just get pass Les & Kervin and win the Chequered Flag, there was only half a bike length in it and it was the best racing I have seen all season.  Needless to say the boys are extremely happy.

1st 19V John & Tony

2nd 47G Les & Kervin

3rd 11P Mark & Gordy

Written by Rowena

Had a week off from racing to recover from the trip, back into it on Saturday night.  First race got a fairly good gate and managed to get in front by first corner and won.  Second race didn’t gate very well so had some ground to make up, Mike & Poo (1NZ) and Steve and Sam got caught up together coming down grandstand straight, handbag shot up the outside of them making tony suck it in (he become one with the bike otherwise he would have been one with the other bikes) and they shot pass like a bullet, what a great pass the best race all night just awesome to watch and they won that race.  The final race and they didn’t gate well at all, pulling a wheelstand which made them in forth, they battled with Mike & Poo and managed to pass them only for Mike to get him back on the last lap so congrads to Matt & Nandor for the win.

Well, what a drive for the boys, they left Palmerston North 10th Feb 5.30am and made it to Ashburton around 6.00pm thanks heaps to  Murray & Marie (Champs Aunt and Uncle) for putting the boys up for the night and organising a great BBQ it was really appreciated. Onto invercargill in the morning, arriving around 3.30pm off to the pub.

Qualifiying on Friday the 12th.  Had a practice everything was all good.  Running 19″ tyres managed to get 2nd in the first heat, 3rd in the second heat, 2nd in the third heat finding no grip with the 19″ tyres put a 17″ tyre on the back for the last heat and won that heat so qualifying over.

New Zealand Finals Saturday had long discussions with the team as to what tyres too run, decided to go with the 17″ tyres.  Got a 1st in the first heat, 3rd in the second heat, 1st in the third heat, after this heat put a brand new tyre on to finish 2nd in the fourth heat and in the running for a podium finish.  After the fourth heat damm near wrecked a $300 tyre struggling for traction.  Final heat got 3rd to finish 4th equal.  Big Up’s to Tony as it was only 4 1/2 weeks before that he lost his finger.

Thanks to Ray & Dawn at the Tower Motor Lodge for putting up with the noise and also giving us the use of their shed it was much appreciated.

Left Monday morning 7 of us (Handbag, Rowena, Jaxon, Champ, Tony, Debs and the Blow up Doll called Cuzin curtousy of Phil Kirk and Stu Priest) to go to Catlins to have a look, wow very pretty scenery and we found a place called Jacks Blowhole so of course it was a must see.

Onto Balclutha for the night where we found an old lady with a doll sort of like ours – very weird hers wasn’t a blow up but it looked like a real person and she was all buckled into the seat and everything – dada lang dang dang dang hee hee.

From Balclutha we passed through Clinton then onto Gorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre had to get cuzin to have a photo of course.  Then onto Te Anau, what a stunning place, had fish & chips for tea (yuck there was only 1 place to get fish and chips and they only could do 1 scoop at a time)

We went to Manapouri Power station which was great, ferry ride to the station then a 2k\m bus ride underground which was very cool.

Off to Queenstown for a couple of days to stay with Champs cousins Kath and Steve, great people they live in Glenorchy such a beautifull place.  They were great hosts and awesome people and thank you guys so much for letting us stay.  John,Jaxon and me decided to do the Gondola and then Jaxon and John Went down the luge together (Jaxon did want to go by himself but dad would’nt let him lol).  The next morning before we left Queenstown for cromwell Kath organised us to all go on the shotover river, what a rush, great fun with Jaxon judging which was the better 360.

After that we went off to Arrowtown to have a look around, very quaint little place.  We also stopped at Kingston before getting to cromwell.  Got to Cromwell and met up with Spud & Phillippa 39p and all went out to tea and a really nice pub with excellent food and good humour.

Saturday morning of the racing at cromwell we decided to go to Wanaka to The aviation muesum and also Puzzle world.  Highly recommend puzzle world, heaps of fun to be had.

Well finally racing for the GP at Cromwell. John and Tony won 4 out of 5 races easily then they had the finals, what a dust ball, as spectators we couldn’t see the bikes until they were pretty much in front of us as the track didn’t get watered and the dust was horrendous.  So obviously if we couldn’t see much you can guess the guys in the final’s didn’t see much either so John and Tony were a consistant 4th for the GP’s as well.

Just as a matter of interest total travel K\m 3750.

Written by Rowena

Tony still on the mend so asked Sam Carter to Swing.  Unfortunatly there were only 4 bikes racing, pretty poor really, Handbag and Sam, Cudge and Aaron Rose (first timer), Dilligaf boys and 25p.  Track was pretty rough but they went out and did there 3 races, handbag and Sam winning all three.  Thanks Sam!!.  Roll on Invercargill!!!

 

Well with Tony still on the mend and Les & Kerv’s bike getting ready for the New Zealand’s Kervin Jumped on the back with John for the North Islands.  Had to adjust the bar on the seat for Kerv and his reach is not quite as long as Tony’s lol.  Qualifying on Friday was all good with John & Kerv qualifying with top points along with Mike Zachan & Paul Humphrey. 

Saturday the main event and it was raining off and on all day, amazingly enough it stopped around 6 ish and we were able to race.

John & Kerv managed a second in the first heat after this heat changed gearing then posted a 16.125 lap to win that heat and the next one, by that stage John & Kerv, Spud & Philippa, Steve & Shaun and Mike & Paul were all on same points – very exciting.  The 4th heat was going to be interesting with, Pitty & Sally, John & Kerv, Spud & Philipa and Steve & Shaun drawn together for the same heat.  John was trying to be careful and not buzz up but instead pulled a wheel stand (John’s still gutted now he won’t make the same mistake at the NZ’s) which meant he was coming last, he managed to get round steve & shaun to get 1 point.  The final heat they won and the final results were Mike Zachan & Paul Humphrey 1st, Pitty & Sally 2nd and John & Kervin 3rd.  Well done to everyone!!!!  Thanks to all the Team and supporters and the most courageous supporter Tony who hated being on the sideline.

Well after racing off to Forest Elbow for a few hours then home where we had a house full, 5am finish then off to bed.

Must say, Thanks to Cameron (Aussie) for cooking us breakfast 4 hours after we went to bed lol, it was awesome and you make the best french toast, hope you and Robbie enjoyed your stay and look forward to seeing you again.

Written by Rowena

What a great night, very impressed with all the hard work Mick, Denise and Phil did as the night was a great success.  The racing was also great with John and Tony winning the first 3 races out of 5, unfortunately in the third heat in the first corner there was a coming together with Russell & Andrew on Pole,  Spud & Phillippa beside them and John & Tony going round the outside.  After about the 3rd lap the race got stopped.  Once everything got sorted off they went again and reran the race which John & Tony won.  When the boys got to the pits Tony took off his glove and found his finger had been squeezed off in the coming together and was just hanging there by a tenden.  Off to hospital he went only to come back a couple of hours to the clubrooms, to make sure he got his trophy,with his cut off finger in a jar showing everyone, what a guy!!.  Thanks to Kervin for jumping on for the last two races (Les & Kerv’s bike wasn’t running well so they pulled out) and hanging on (just) to help New Zealand take out this meeting against the Aussies and John and Tony and Kervin getting top points for the night.

Written by Rowena

New Zealand vs Australia International Sidecar Series

1st   84 Darren Treloar & Justin Plaisted – Australia
2nd  75 Mark Plaisted & Sam Harrison – Australia
3rd   2NZ Russell Stuart & Andrew Parker
4th   35 Mark Mitchell & Tom Golding – Australia

Third round of the series – Very close to not happening with the weather packing up.  The first heat had Mark Mitchell, Mark Plaisted and Sefton we were in second place coming out of corner got sand blasted by Mark Mitchell lost all sight dropped to fourth .  The rest of the day rained off and on, made the B final to finish 6th overall for the day.  Ran 19″ solo tyres for this track just a little bit behind on our gating but had good pace once we got going.  The final’s were run in drizzle and everyone left extremely muddy to carry onto invercargill.  We decided not to do that round so we left to go to brother Michael’s local pub in Rangiora and got inebriated.

The pictures are what the bike and leathers looked like when they got home.  Took 2 1/2 hours to clean the bike and 2 hours to clean the leathers, inside of helmets, goggles and all the other gear which was covered in mud.

Written by Handbag and Rowena