First woman to run over 200 mph
While some dream of getting a land speed record, others stay awake and do it! And it includes women. This is way cool.
During the 8th edition of the BUB Speed Speed Trials in Bonneville with no prior experience of the Utah Salt Flats, Jody Perewitz with the support of the Team J’Witz, became the first woman to run over 200 mph on an American V-Twin motorcycle.
In this class of bikes, the course in Bonneville is 5.5 miles long with riders having 2.5 miles to get up to speed, then a mile clocked by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), then 1.5 miles to slow down. On Jody’s 200+ run she entered the mile going 199 mph and exited the mile at 205 mph. 203.111 mph was the average speed in the mile. Jody and her machine were going 200+ mph for over a mile!
source: Cryil Huze Read the full story: http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com
Video: 1978 Castrol 6 Hour
Part 1
Part 2 – interviews with Jim
Behind the Scenes – Kenny Roberts quote
Interesting note in the 1978 Oct/Nov issue of REVs issue. I wonder if anyone kept a straight face when they heard this one, and I quote:
I suppose you’ve heard about the Sydney circuit promoter who, on hearing that Kenny Roberts may be coming to Australia for a holiday with Gregg Hansford said: ”When he hears about the money at our next meeting, he’ll want to ride!”
A long, long way off the mark.
Chivas – “He’s a non-crasher”
Leading up to the 1977 6 Hour Team Avon was late in naming a co-rider for Jim Budd, after one Barry Sheene turned down the ride. According to Avon chief Lindsay Walker, Budd finally said he was going to ride with fellow Central Coast man, Neil Chivas.
“What’s he like?” said Walker.
“He’s a non-crasher,” replied Budd.
Neil Chivas, 23 at the time, working as a machinist, very fit and playing several hard squash matches a week. It was a pressure ride. He didn’t want to put a foot wrong. He and Budd chased the winning BMW to a race-record lap score that stood until Chivas had a role in breaking it on Sunday.
Racing is a family sport for Chivas. Father Doug had a 20-year run in car racing, with success in sprints and long distance, sports cars, clubmans and tin-tops. Neil and elder brother Doug Jnr had their first 6 Hour in 1974. They finished sixth in class on an RD350 Yamaha. In 1975 they were seventh outright on a Kawasaki H2 750 and backed that with sixth outright on a Z900 the folllowing year. Neil was scoring good finishes in intersetate production races when he was chosen to co-ride with Budd. Not that – he finishes.
Las year Chivas and Hales were face favourites with many, and two and a half laps in the lead when Hales fell. As son consolation, last year neil was signed to partner Kiwi production hotshot Dave Hiscock and the pair broke Kawasaki’s seeming monopoly on the New Zealand Castrol 6 Hour on a Suzuki GS1000.
“We were fortunate this year – it was a pit we didn’t do it last year,” Chivas told REVS after the race.
“People say we’ve ‘lived’ here for the last two months. In fact two months ago we started comign out here to practice. We came out five times during the next month, then we didn’t come back until the Sunday before the race.
“The reason for the spell before las Sunday was I ‘destroyed’ a shoulder and a knee in a dirtclimb at Jilliby Park. Being best known rider there they made me number one. At the top of the hill I was posing and fell off!
“Apart from this win, it’s been a lean year. I was dicing for third at Bathurst and put down by a clash with another rider. In the Adelaide 3-Hour and Perth 4-Hour I was third, and placed fourth in the Surfers 3-Hour. At Surfers I was fastest in practice, but I pulled a nail out of the tyre just before the start of the race. I was conscious of that from the start and pulled in to have the tyre checked early on.”
If that was unsettling, Neil also had an anxiety no racer wants, during this year. He was right behind Jim Budd at Amaroo when Budd grounded an engine case and went down instantly. Neil had no time to blink before he struck Budd. Being a friend from childhood and the same area wouldn’t have made that easier on the mind. But Budd is back.
Chivas is already negotiating to defend his New Zealand 6-Hour win. At 25 he’s now a full time professional racer living in Warnervale on the NSW Central Coast.
Buddy in the 1977 Six Hour
The latest Repsol ad campaign
The stars of the 2011 team, and advertising campaign, local hero Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso, with Moto2 competitor Marc Marquez demonstrate the importance of the work of an entire team to achieve that one-hundredth of a second that results in a win or loss in on-track performance.
The campaign shows the company’s personality through values such as talent, effort, teamwork and spirit of self-improvement. Racing is not an individual effort, it depends completely on the work of a lot of people devoted to the technical performance of the bike adapted to suit the riding style of each rider. Shot in a recreated competition garage with race bike replicas to replicate the atmosphere of a real garage.
Repsol chose the days before the Spanish Moto GP at Jerez this weekend to launch their advertising campaign. The ad was broadcasted yesterday for the first time by the main television channels in prime-time, coinciding with the Repsol launch at the Puertollano Industrial Complex (Ciudad Real). Several showings have been scheduled at the same time as the as the different Grand Prix in Spain, and on all media including television (20 and 30 seconds spots), press, radio and internet.
Rider quotes from the ’77 Six-Hour
Don Wilson: on the winner’s rostrum, replying to a question from the ABC-TV commentator about what the team wil do now: “We might play up a bit, I think”.
Joe Eastmure: “It’s take me a long time to win it, there’s been a few near misses, but it’s nearly worthwhile.”
Ken Blake: “The revs were over the limit near the end.”
Lindsay Walker on the two huge erections in the pits (The Team Avon refuelling towers): “We had to get DA approval for them. Any higher they’d have needed flashing lights on the top.”
Ken Blake (early in the race): “The new BMWs have more torque, more low down grunt out of corners. Joe seems to be getting faster as the race goes on.”
Joe (after 10 laps of practice): “The bike is great, better than last year. I’m going fast, I can go faster. I’m going home.”
Brian Martin: “We expected to do a wheel change, it depended on the temperature just when. After that if there’s still tread on the tyre at the end we’ll give it all it’s got.”
Jim Budd (on riding in the rain): “I spent a few laps waiting for a slide, it didn’t happen, so I powered on.”
Gary Thomas: “My front wheel was taken out by Crosby.”
source: Revs Motorcycle News, November 4 – 11, 177
Want to view more images of the ’77 6-Hour? Check out our friend DeeJay’s site.
Mark ‘Atcho’ Aitchison joins Team Pedercini for 2011 World Superbike Championships
The Pedercini Team has made a decision regarding the 2011 season in the World Superbike Championship. Lucio and Donato Pedercini reached an agreement with Mark Aitchison who will join the Pedercini Team starting from the next Phillip Island test that will take place on February 21st and 22nd before the first World Superbike Championship round. Twenty-seven year old Australian rider will be team-mate to the Italian rider Roberto Rolfo.
Aitchison’s started his professional career competing in the World Superstock Championship 
with Suzuki Italia. He completed his campaign finishing fifth in the World Superstock Championship and was named 2007 Rookie of the Year. In the 2008 season Mark partnered with Triumph to enter the World Supersport Championship entering into the Top 10 on several occasions.
In 2009 he teamed up with the Hanspree Honda Althea Team for his second full season in the World Supersport Championship. The 2009 season was very competitive and Aitchison reached the podium on one occasion and scored a number of excellent Top 5 finishes, culminating 8th overall in the championship standings. Last year he participated to the last four races of the World Supersport Championship with Kuja Racing Team.
Donato Pedercini: “I’m very satisfied with the agreement reached with Mark Aitchison and I’m delighted to welcome him on board with our team. He’s an excellent addition to the team, I appreciated his riding qualities and his determination. Mark is full of enthusiasm and with a passion for racing. Together we will take on this new challenge and we firmly believe he will quickly grow. Mark is strongly motivated and he’s on the same wavelength as we are in terms of projects and targets. He’ll test the new Kawasaki ZX 10R during the next Phillip Island test and of course the first two races will not be easy for him, but I’m sure that all our technicians will help him to be competitive very soon “.
Mark Aitchison : “To say I am excited now about my season ahead is a major understatement. To race in the World SBK class has always been a dream of mine and to be given this opportunity with a team that has such long history in World Superbike racing is something I am very proud of. I would like to thank all the Pedercini family for giving me such a wonderful chance to be a part of their team and I look forward to repaying their faith in me by giving all my motivation and dedication toward this project. In Phillip Island I’ll be riding and racing the bike for the first time, so even though it will not be easy, I understand that this is a long season. The new Kawasaki package looks amazing, the bike is relative in size to its 600cc counterpart and after I have some laps under my belt I’m sure my technicians and I will have a much clearer understanding for the development of the bike and how we need to improve to reach our goals. I’m extremely looking forward to this new challenge, and I’m especially looking forward to getting back onto the Phillip Island circuit, which I love to race on”.
All Australasian media and sponsorship enquiries need to be directed to:
Laynie Kelly, the Marketing Muscle
m. +61 403 534 521 e. laynie@themarketingmuscle.com.au
