~ Auto Buzz ~: Phillip Island Classic 2016: Part 1 High effort and higher drama in Australia for the American Classic Team: Inside reports from the men on the front lines!

Our man Nick Ienatsch compiled these first-hand accounts from the Team USA riders taking part in The Phillip Island Classic at the track of the same name. Dave Crussell, USA Team Captain, 1979 Yamaha TZ750:

“The Captain” on apex and at speed.

A good development year for the US team. This year we had new riders and faster, more competitive, and new machinery. With these changes we had a few technical issues causing our team to lose valuable points. We finished 4th, behind the triumphant UK team, Australia and Ireland, and we beat the New Zealand team again, no bacon for Croz. Personally I really appreciate all the work that the team put in over the last year, it was a fantastic effort and everyone gave as much as they possibly could. My racing was a little off this year, I was slower than 2015 and in the last race the clutch on my TZ750 stopped working. DNFs hurt the team points. This year we will continue to develop the team, both riders and bikes, and we are looking forward to 2017. There is a strong chance that in 2017 additional events will be added to the International Challenge, which will bring the excitement and spectacle of old motorcycles going insanely fast on the race track to (maybe) the UK and US.

Dave’s wife Lorraine packed her Honda 200 to the Island and ran in the top three every race. Huge cheers from all for this true motorcycle enthusiast as she collected her trophy.

Nick Ienatsch: 1983 Spondon Yamaha TZ750:

Nothing simple about getting bikes around the world, and most American racers packed a second crate of spares. Here Brian Filo and David Hirsch help the forklift expert with the inch-perfect unloading of Eirik Neilson’s CMR XR69 replica.

On the surface, the AMCN Island Classic at Phillip Island appears simple: Practice Thursday, qualify Friday, race twice on Saturday and twice on Sunday. Fast bikes are preferable and you need something that doesn’t break because the points are cumulative for each team’s top-five finishers. Falling off hurts in more than the usual ways. There are some individual point-scoring awards but the big focus is on the team score. Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States each enter eight riders for a 40-rider grid. Each race is six laps. I knew these facts last summer when I agreed to race Rusty Bigley’s Spondon-framed Yamaha TZ750 at the Classic after a giggle-fest at the New Jersey AHRMA race. This bike defines “roadracer” in my mind and I will race it as much as possible. I’m 54 years old, graduated high school in 1979, the same year the TZ750 reached its zenith, so this desire seems ingrained, revolving around feel, sound, weight and adrenaline production. And perhaps that the TZ750 is never calm and controlled when ridden the way God and Kenny Roberts (perhaps one and the same) intended. My risk-tolerances and skills will never allow me to truly glimpse what Kenny saw, but at least once a lap the TZ speaks to my heart and soul. One good lap on a TZ750 repairs many of life’s wrongs.

This is the picture in Webster’s Dictionary under “Joy”. Dave Crussell (17) and I enjoying the Island on strokers.

The 2016 Phillip Island Classic invented a new Murphy’s Law in racing: The further you are from your shop, the more problems you will have. And there are some politics and pressures to take into account. Let me elaborate on each of those three: Murphy’s Law, Politics and Pressures. This new Murphy’s Law saw us chasing a leaking fuel tank all Thursday, limiting me to six laps, and really only one at any kind of speed. One of the welds to accommodate the Ohlins shock fitment was leaking and Brian Filo finally identified and helped tuner Rusty Bigley epoxy it. The fuel petcock was leaking too and the Irving Vincent team technician spent an hour tapping and drilling the mounting. Meanwhile, the rest of the US team was dealing with leaking oil coolers, seized cylinders, broken coolant-bleeder bolts, destroyed engines, broken ignition wires, recalcitrant shifters. We fought back against Murphy and were helped in that battle by every other team in the garages and our calm team captain Dave Crussell. Every country helped us willingly in many ways and we gladly returned the favor.

This was our Thursday and Friday: Chasing a fuel-tank leak that threatened to lube the rear Bridgestone with a mixture of 110 octane fuel and Yamalube.

It rained all of Friday and the Challenge team captains decided the Challenge bikes wouldn’t practice or qualify in the rain. We had packed rain tires but the official word I got was that not all the teams had rain tires or extra wheels, but of course rain tires were for sale at the track by Craig White/Whites Racing Products and others, and many of us have switched tires on our single front and rear rims many times a day. So politics had me run zero laps Friday. Seems that the best riders on the best bikes should be able to run in the rain. Yes, the rule was fair for all but hurt riders with low PI hours. So it was decided that we would have a 15-minute qualifier for all 40 Team Challenge riders on Saturday morning at 9. Murphy dialed in misting rain at 8:58 (no kidding) and the TZ and I slid around for two laps and a 20th qualifying spot, seventh row, including an almost-crash in the oil slick running into Honda corner. On the first lap, a four-stroke lowsided into Honda and some people crashed in it, but the pressure to get us qualified left us out there and I snuck through the oil twice before the red flag. I would have kept lapping, I was having fun on the Bridgestone front slick and treaded Battlax rear and redefined the term, “No dull moments.” And then I screwed up. I slipped the clutch too long during my Race One launch and destroyed the plates: DNF. That put me at the back of the grid for the remaining three races as it had been decided to let the first race’s lap times dictate grid spots. Race Two saw me finish 23rd, Race Three 16th (was 15th when they red flagged the race for oil out of Siberia, just after I came within one thin eyelash of highsiding myself to Sydney) and Race Four 19th after a needle change on the Lectron carbs put us too lean. I wasn’t happy with my riding but thoroughly enjoyed the big smoker around the Island.

Look closely…the right boot (left side of photo) is discolored by clutch dust, that’s how bad I smoked the plates in my first launch.

Politics and pressures were apparent in a few other spots: The organizers allowed Aussie Marty Cragill to change his grid spot from the back row (no finish in Race One) to where he finished Race Three, yet the American request to do the same for me was denied. That’s not a big deal to me at this point because I was never a top-ten rider in this group, though I would have enjoyed starting from 16th instead of 40th at least in one race. I believe Cragill deserved to have his TZ750 gridded up at the pointy end, while I was happy to make laps and enjoy every facet of Bigley’s TZ. Pressures: In Race Three I came in with oil covering my helmet’s faceshield and the entire front of the #64 TZ. I almost crashed in a huge, ugly, third-gear highside in this race, almost lowsided at relatively slow speeds in qualifying, all due to oil on the track. The pressure to finish the races is huge in this format, so racers stay out on stuff that is leaking, starting to grenade, limping around with four-stroke motors that are built to extremes, apparent as you see teams unload pallets of extra engines. Despite catch pans, our “elite” class oiled the track as much as the amateur classes at AHRMA, and I’m pretty sure the hospital would be my home right now if Bigley’s TZ hadn’t mysteriously put me back in the saddle out of Siberia, twice. It let go, saved itself, swapped lock-to-lock and let go again. And saved itself again. Sobering, isn’t it? It’s the risks we take, the bullets we sometimes dodge, sometimes absorb. An oil spill last year caused several top Challenge riders to go down. Can revised oil-catch-pan rules help? Should the Classic add rules similar to MotoGP regarding engine counts to keep tuners just shy of the breaking point? Add a fluorescent coloring to the oil to alert following riders? Add harsh team-point penalties for blowing up? (Do you blame me for being a “two-stroke snob?”)

Top five point-scoring Americans, (and proudly, not a “young ringer” in the bunch). From left to right: Dave Crussell, Daniel “Joe” Weir, Pat Mooney, me, and Eirik Nielsen

I finished fourth, second, and first American in my three races (the mercurial Pat Mooney was first American in the three races he finished), running low 1:46 lap times in constant traffic charging from the last row. The challenge for me as a rider is unlike anything I’ve had since AMA, and I was significantly slower than the top three riders to the tune of nine seconds a lap. Not even close, but the rare air breathed at the front of the grid isn’t a necessary ingredient for my enjoyment anymore. Racing a TZ750 at Phillip Island, improving every session, meeting and hanging with great people, that’s the joy of the 2016 Classic for me. If the four-strokes could keep oil inside their engines it would be 100 percent good.

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Pat Mooney, CMR FJ1200:

Pat Mooney carried the speed flag for America, almost sneaking into the top ten. His practice day was interrupted by a leaking oil cooler so the big Yamaha engine ran without it all weekend. Cool temps and rain helped.

My Phillip Island venture was a big success. My main goals were to finish all races without crashing and try to turn lap times in the 1:42 range. I succeeded in finishing three races with one DNF and I got my lap times down to 1:43.066, and had no crashes. Hoorah! We all had some trials and tribulations with the bikes, which is to be expected when you're pushing old bikes really hard. What left a big impression in my mind was how well the whole US team worked together. With such a diverse group it could have been quite different. This was a world-class event at a world-class race track with some of the best competitors in the world. The level of machinery surprised me as well; there were some stunning bikes at this event. Right now I can't wait until next year for the Phillip Island Classic International Challenge. A big thanks has to go out to Dave Crussell for all his hard work putting so many bikes on the grid for this event.

No room for prima-donna riders at PI: If your stuff needs fixin’, get the wrenches out. The FJ’s clutch was dragging Mooney forward at the starting line so some plate-and-spring R&D was in order.

Eirik Nielsen, CMR FJ1200:

Eirik Nielsen’s XR69 CMR replica echoes back to the beginning of the four-stroke Formula One era with shadows of the Suzuka Eight-Hour bikes we all fell in love with. Ghost Works put together absolutely beautiful racers and Nielsen rode his superbly.

The 2016 International Challenge started the day we completed last year’s race at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Full of adrenaline, high on-track battle stories (and tall tales), exhausted by Australian summer temperatures, energized by individual and team successes and a bit intoxicated on VC (local brew handed to us by the friendliest of fellow racers), we were no match for team captain, Dave Crussell, as he tried to persuade a handful of us to ‘get serious’ and step up to the premier class for next year’s event. Glowing with excitement to have finally led Team USA to not place last (like the previous year’s efforts), Dave drew upon his experience as a business entrepreneur to craft a powerful pitch that needed no extra tuning—our resoundingly unanimous response was a solid, “Let’s do this!" The following year was a bit more challenging than usual, but that’s what we signed up for. Daniel ”Joe” Weir and Dave Crussell had been racing similar vintage superbikes for years and had multiple local and national US championships to show for it. They had both raced the IC event in previous years and were the natural sounding board for our new racing machine builds. The first order of business was to get Denis Curtis of CMR Racing Products to help build us five replica 80’s Suzuki Formula One Works racing frames. These hand-built chromoly prototype frames were redesigned with slightly different specifications from the original XR69s, as these machines would produce a lot more horsepower. We also planned for more stopping power. The rest of the team consisted of a multiple land-speed-record holder (over 240 mph) and road racer extraordinaire, Ralph Hudson of Ironwood Racing, as well as, Jon “Hole” Munns and myself, Eirik Nielsen, both local and national road racing champions in the small and medium displacement classes.

Cubic hours and ingenious effort are behind each Classic bike because the level of competition is world-class. Here, Nielsen and Joe Pethoud make magic with a modern CMR iteration of an XR69 stuffed with FJ power. (Photo by Glenn Scott Lacey of Americonic Films)

Our second order of business was partnering up with the right engine builders to make these chassis go fast! Portland-based Vicious Cycle and Larry Cook Racing were our obvious selections, as they’re both seasoned champion racers and exceptional engine builders. Larry also supported us at the race event to make sure our equipment would perform exceptionally through the full distance.

Larry Cook Racing’s Larry Cook (left) accompanied his slew of engines to the Island, pausing for a beauty shot with Neilsen. We might describe the Classic as “A week of fun with friends… that includes a race.” Sometimes tough to get your leathers on when you’re laughing too hard.

It was the perfect combination of machines and humans, coming together to create something awesome; and then it was time to put it all to the test. Needless to say, the race was a combination of nerves, race fuel and lightning speeds. Each team member put forward epic effort and having personally reached top speeds of 167 mph, there may never be anything else like it. It was a stellar way to enjoy the fruits of our longtime labors at the most prestigious historic racing event of the year, at the fastest and possibly most exciting race track in the world. Sharing grids with the best racers around left an unforgettable experience. In the end, we received excellent support from master motorcycle suspension and chassis tuner, Dave Moss, and only needed one day of test and tune to make sure our equipment could stop, turn and go without too much hassle. Dave also supported the entire US team at the race meet, all while racing a TZ750 himself—very impressive. We also received invaluable support from GHOST WORKS, Ohlins, Hindle Exhaust Systems, ICON, Race Tech, AirTech, Dunlop Tires, Sigma Performance, Dynatek, Falicon, MTC Engineering, L.A.Sleeve, Fast By Gast, Canby Transmission, OMRRA and Europa Motors.

Team USA’s Eirik Nielsen and Jon Munns ham it up during the awards ceremony, accepting second- and third-place trophies for their Period 6 efforts. Each Classic support races runs twice a day on Saturday and Sunday, with all four races counting toward the placings.

With the race now complete, we find ourselves in the same spot as last year, where it all began—at the forefront of another exciting year and the highest of expectations for our next chance to race at Phillip Island, faster.

Dave Moss, Crussell Racing Yamaha TZ750:

No dull moments for Dave Moss at PI. Here he’s sneaking his #223 TZ under a diesel while Crussell looks to the inside.

I endorse the philosophy of “my glass is half full.” Some days or even weeks keep topping up that glass through experiences that are acquired as an individual or within a group. Those experiences can be in person, second hand or as a result of reading. Inspiration is abundant, around us all and can bring positive impacts to you, or another, or both. Being asked to represent your country does not happen often. I've been very fortunate in this regard as a collegiate track and field athlete for the UK, then the USA at the International Rugby Classic in Bermuda and now with the USA team at the Phillip Island Classic. There is an Aussie-land train of inspiration to be had when competing at the Phillip Island Classic event! It was not only a huge source of positive experiences but also a significant opportunity to learn from mistakes to create a positive out of a negative on a daily basis. There’s no getting away from the fact that this level of competition requires a significant level of personal commitment with time and money in making the trip. Add to that an average bike price of $35,000 for a competitive motorcycle for the Team Challenge event and it quickly becomes clear that you are making a very significant investment to compete, let alone place well. Thursday was a very quiet day as I had a limited amount of time on the motorcycle that I was being loaned: a 1979 TZ750. This was not a ‘stock’ bike at all, therefore the amount of care and respect given to the bike is significantly more than normal. You might even consider not riding a bike of that value, let alone do your best and ride it to the edge of your ability. The consequences of crashing this bike would be the equivalent of passing on your first born in lieu of a large cash sum. My first ride was just before noon, and prior to this I had only had four laps on the TZ at Thunderhill. Also add in that Phillip Island is a circuit I had never ridden. Perfect! So much to learn in the next four days. In my first session, I knew right away the fork was too stiff and the gearing was questionable, but seat time was required to learn the track. That is, learn to be fast in the fast sections: T1, 3, 7, 8 and 12. Fortunately, fast riders abound so you can pick up lines and apex speeds quickly. To expedite the process, Team Captain Dave Crussell took me out for my second session (that turned out to be at the end of the day) and his help was invaluable. That experience created a lot of notes and countless minutes of closed eyes and mental replays to back up those notes. Friday was a day of rain, so you can easily imagine my frustration at not being able to go out at all as I had no budget for wet tires, nor any desire to create several hours of cleaning work at the end of the day. There was nothing to gain at all, so it was best to look forward to Saturday and sunshine with a dry track and qualifying for the Team Challenge at 9am. Yes, rain on Saturday morning meant that the qualifying for the team challenge was a crash fest and then oil was added to the track as well with an engine blow up. My mantra was simply to keep turning laps and get a qualifying time. The red flag came out and those riders who did not make a lap were therefore going to be at the back of the grid. That would have left some very famous names in a precarious position. Common sense prevailed and each Team Captain picked the grid for the first race. While all this was going on, I checked with registration about my other class–Forgotten Era Unlimited (better known as P5). We were told that if we didn’t ride on Friday we would be gridded at the back of the grid. On Saturday morning, I wasn’t on the grid sheet. After a couple of questions, it became apparent that you needed to have turned one lap on Friday (no matter how slow) to have made the grid and races on Saturday and Sunday. Lesson learned. I asked Kellie if there was a reserve list based on no-shows for the first race. There wasn’t. Hmmm. Kellie started one, so there was still hope. After the first P5 race was completed I went back to Kellie and was written in for the next race, and that gave me very valuable practice time as I had only managed 12 laps by this point. Next up was the Team Challenge, Race 1. Due to the schedule being significantly impacted in the morning, our race was cut to five laps. As I pulled up to the grid I looked for the row numbers on the ground and wall, but there were none. I was so shocked by that, I forgot to keep the bike revving and it died on the grid. After pushing the bike into the hot pits and getting a set of rollers to start the bike, I went out onto the track. Another great opportunity to turn adversity into a very valuable lesson. I managed to eventually catch the back of the pack and started to take places. With clinical ruthlessness, I fought my way from 40th to 29th in two laps, then the red flag was flown and that was the end of that race. The next event was P5, Race 2. With all that I had learned in the Team Challenge, there was a lot to look forward to. I kept the engine running and got a reasonable start. With a Cheshire Cat grin, I set about passing riders quickly. Within two laps I was approaching the top ten riders and by the checkered at the end of lap three I had made it to 7th place. Again, a huge amount learned, especially in regards to braking. The final event on Saturday was Race 2 of the Team Challenge. Captain Crussell’s TZ was not happy, so I gave him my (oops, I mean his…) bike as he had significantly faster lap times than me. It was the right call especially for the team as points are based on where you finish. Sunday morning was of course wet… I chose to miss P5 Race 3 of the weekend and by the time the Team Challenge came around, the track was dry. The Team Challenge Race 3 was a great time, especially in the first two laps with passing opportunities under braking being a frequent occurrence. So much so that I worked my way up from 36th to 22nd and put in a new personal best of a 1:49. That gave me a lot to smile about. I took that momentum and enthusiasm into the last P5 race for the weekend and from the worst start of the day, fought my way up to 5th place in three laps. The relentless pursuit of improvement creates a great deal of positive energy! Finally, we had Race 4 for the Team Challenge. All I can say is that I wasn’t fully focused in the moment. I was fully focused on the outcome I was projecting. As we pulled up to the grid after the sighting lap, I let the engine stall. It wouldn’t refire so I had to start the race from the pit lane. It was a crushing embarrassment and I felt as though I let the team down very badly indeed. To counter that, I knew I could make up a lot of places with clinical riding so by Honda corner on the first lap I had passed the last rider. From there, it was all about focus and precision while pushing as hard as possible. I believe I ended up 26th with a 1:49:00 and while I did not meet my goal of a 1:48, I did the best I could. As I sat back and reflected while unwinding from my last race of the event, I had so many experiences to be grateful for and so much that I learned that I could share with others and pay forward not only to fellow racers but to other riders who have dreams of their own and setting them off down a road of challenges. That will all be shared via my Facebook page and website. With a half full glass, the journey is always compelling, full of opportunities to learn and improve while providing those around you with a great deal of optimism. This experience was no different. Putting bikes that old on the track to race them at full speed is most certainly the definition of optimistic.

Moss with Pat Mooney (right) and Carry Andrew, Roger Baker listens in, there’s a lot of motorcycling knowledge in this photo.