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What an event!
I have a post in this forum , way back somewhere, saying how much I loved Barry Sheene, his talent and his humour. He died this year, too young, from cancer. He was riding and working right up until the end. What a man!
Yesterday was the first Phillip Island event held since he died . He is so missed by so many people and they paid great tribute to him.
A couple of days before the event they held a 300 km memorial ride in his honour....1000 bikes took part, they stretched 2 abreast for 10 kilometres. A LOT of people loved Barry. The organisers did an unprecedented thing and allowed the road bikes on to the Phillip Is. circuit to do a lap for Baz.
It was fine weather in the lead up to race day, but yesterday morning, the heavens opened. It was pouring rain and freezing cold. The teams madly scrambled to change the bikes set up. It made for dangerous riding conditions.
Before the race Mick Doohan, our Australian 5 times World Champion, did a memorail lap on Barry's Manx Norton classic racing bike. He reckons barry sent the weather as a joke to test him out...barry has a famous quote "Welcome to Phillip Island...gateway to hypothermia!"
It was a moving sight to behold anyway.
Then the 125cc event got underway. We had great hopes for Casey Stoner an Aussie rider. In interview before the race he said he has learned 50% of what he knows in the past 12 months of his 13 year racing career. He turned 18 this week!!! I watched his first 4 laps , they went to an ad break and when they came back...he was gone!!. His brakes locked up and he lost it on a corner...he had been leading. Sorry about that young man.Good luck next year, I hope you get the deal you deserve.
Later in the day I turned on the telly and just caught the start of the big fellas. Lo and behold the sun had come out , the wind was blowing and had dried out the track. We all knew Valentino Rossi would win, but for a good while there , the Australian rider, Troy Bayliss, was leading. But then he got crowded out, his back tyre hit the grass and he was gone. Both I and the commentators thought he was dead. It was a dreadful few moments. I was watching when Ayrton Senna was killed...it was awful to see Troy's limp body rolling across the paddock. He had been knocked unconscious, but came too fairly quickly and waved a hand to let us know he was OK...phew!( his wife, two toddlers and new baby were watching on TV at home, I 'll bet it was an awful moment for her).
Anyway..it was very emotional event, to see all the old footage of Barry Sheene. He has left a most beautiful and classy wife and a sweet son, Freddy. Best wishes to them both.
It was your day Bazza. RIP..Rev In Peace
I have a post in this forum , way back somewhere, saying how much I loved Barry Sheene, his talent and his humour. He died this year, too young, from cancer. He was riding and working right up until the end. What a man!
Yesterday was the first Phillip Island event held since he died . He is so missed by so many people and they paid great tribute to him.
A couple of days before the event they held a 300 km memorial ride in his honour....1000 bikes took part, they stretched 2 abreast for 10 kilometres. A LOT of people loved Barry. The organisers did an unprecedented thing and allowed the road bikes on to the Phillip Is. circuit to do a lap for Baz.
It was fine weather in the lead up to race day, but yesterday morning, the heavens opened. It was pouring rain and freezing cold. The teams madly scrambled to change the bikes set up. It made for dangerous riding conditions.
Before the race Mick Doohan, our Australian 5 times World Champion, did a memorail lap on Barry's Manx Norton classic racing bike. He reckons barry sent the weather as a joke to test him out...barry has a famous quote "Welcome to Phillip Island...gateway to hypothermia!"
It was a moving sight to behold anyway.Then the 125cc event got underway. We had great hopes for Casey Stoner an Aussie rider. In interview before the race he said he has learned 50% of what he knows in the past 12 months of his 13 year racing career. He turned 18 this week!!! I watched his first 4 laps , they went to an ad break and when they came back...he was gone!!. His brakes locked up and he lost it on a corner...he had been leading. Sorry about that young man.Good luck next year, I hope you get the deal you deserve.
Later in the day I turned on the telly and just caught the start of the big fellas
. Lo and behold the sun had come out , the wind was blowing and had dried out the track. We all knew Valentino Rossi would win, but for a good while there , the Australian rider, Troy Bayliss, was leading. But then he got crowded out, his back tyre hit the grass and he was gone. Both I and the commentators thought he was dead. It was a dreadful few moments. I was watching when Ayrton Senna was killed...it was awful to see Troy's limp body rolling across the paddock. He had been knocked unconscious, but came too fairly quickly and waved a hand to let us know he was OK...phew!( his wife, two toddlers and new baby were watching on TV at home, I 'll bet it was an awful moment for her).Anyway..it was very emotional event, to see all the old footage of Barry Sheene. He has left a most beautiful and classy wife and a sweet son, Freddy. Best wishes to them both.
It was your day Bazza. RIP..Rev In Peace
