Record-setter Scott White recaps his southern swing
Following a positive outing at Portland's Slamfest for Wishes event last month, in which Darwin's Scott White reset the (660ft) track record for motorcycles, the mood in the camp was positive for the Summer Speedfest at Adelaide International Raceway a week later. This event featured round two of the ANDRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships.
South Coast Raceway – Portland, Victoria
"This was our first time at Portland and what a great little eighth mile regional track it is although the bend in the breaking area was something that I had never experienced before, said White.
"We were there to run some exhibition runs and were slotted straight after the Top Doorslammers. The bike put me up on the back seat with ease and ran a great 1.12 60-foot time at 4.79 seconds, but that was when the fun started with the scariest stop I've ever done.
"Being a five speed 'auto' gearbox I have to get into top gear before I can back off. So after crossing the 1/8th mile finish line marker I had to shift up twice while under power before I could grab it. But suddenly there's this bend coming up fast and I thought I was a road racer for a moment leaning it over and hearing the front tyre chirping over the dips. The discs were glowing and it's amazing to look at those tiny lightweight brakes and discs and know how well they actually wash off speed.
"The second run was quicker at 4.72 and this now stands as the new track bike record. The braking area was harder as I made a mistake and had to go further to get into top – this time even my crew was worried as they saw me shoot off to the left out of sight. Thankfully I pulled up okay again.
We were very happy with the performance of the AMPAC Suzuki and setting the South Coast Raceway motorcycle track record was a bonus for the crew and myself.
Adelaide International Raceway – South Australia
"We came into Adelaide with confidence and felt well prepared apart from the fact that the rider was barely able walk following a back injury. It was a stinker at the track with conditions very hot but I wasn't bothered at all. Hailing from the Northern Territory I know all about humidity.
"Our first pass saw us cook a clutch pack that we had in there as a test and ran 7.84 seconds over the quarter mile. The second one showed a more realistic measure with a 7.66, but our final qualifier showed amazing results in the early part of the track with a PB 1.10 60ft and 4.71 PB to half-track. Our 7.50 ET was short shifted so allowed for improvement but our third position in qualifying kept us at the pointy end.
"After the run we checked over the bike looking for a mysterious knock, but nothing was apparent until the race day warm up. There we realised we had a cylinder down on pressure and no time to swap in the spare. We chose to risk one more start up and burn out for the first round of eliminations to give us championship points. This required the bike to stage and break the beams on the starting Christmas tree. I was not going to be able to put in a race so the best outcome for me was for my opponent to red light or cross the center line. If that happened then we would have time to swap motors before the next round.
"Well my opponent did no such thing. In fact he went on to defeat Luke Crowley in the final, a race I didn't see as I was already heading homeward bound past Port Augusta and pointing towards Coober Pedy."
Summary
"Again we showed very good potential but didn't come through on race day again due to engine issues. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn – and we're learning fast,"said White. "We have pulled down the engine and it doesn't look as bad as we expected. We're onto the repairs now so we're still hopeful to make the next round in Sydney, but that's very dependent on funding."
The next round of the Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship (Rd 3) will be held in Sydney at the Nitro Champs on May 4-5.
Scott White Racing is looking for sponsorship for the remaining ANDRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship rounds and is interested in discussion a variety of options and packages available. A promotional DVD is available for those who are interested in knowing more about our team and also the fantastic opportunities that drag racing provides in reaching a target audience.
