After a decent day of rest, Royce has jumped back on the bike tonight and returned straight to his previous speeds. Although being a bit sore and having a finger wrapped, Royce set out bravely to learn his lines aboard the 600.

PIC: Royce tracking past the Creg-ny-Baa Pub

.

Completing two laps, Royce pushed hard to clock in at 111.9mph on his first and 114.6 on the second. The Ducati parts have arrived with friend Ali, who enjoyed coming out to watch the racing after a 30 year hiatus from the Isle of Man. With the Classic TT running in conjunction with Royce’s practice session, many of the bikes were exactly as she remembers.

PIC: Nurse Rosser has done a tidy job keeping Royce’s knee strapped tight

.

Team Principal Brian Rosser has spent a long day slowly pulling apart and putting back together the 650 Ducati. All the parts are now here and ready to be assembled. There are just a few technical issues being sorted before we wheel the old girl through scrutineering to see whether the organisers are willing to have us back!

PIC: Cunning Stunts from the Purple Helmets

.

The rest of the team visited the Grandstand during the afternoon to check out the opening of the Festival of Speed, the official name of the Manx GP fortnight which includes the Classic TT. There were rider interviews, local bands, stalls and a stunt show by the Purple Helmets. It’s hard to describe for those who haven’t seen the lads perform before, but they are an institution of the TT and definitely worth You Tubing – especially the methane man and pole dancer stunt.

PIC: Royce heading down the mountain past Kate’s Cottage on the way to Creg-ny-Baa

.

Tomorrow is predominantly focused around the classic racing, but Royce will still head out for a qualifying session. Unlike a traditional qualifying session in racing terms, this is aimed towards riders who have not yet made the cut-off time to enter the race. Fortunately, Royce has already qualified for his two races as far as time goes, so the qualifying sessions will be used to slowly adjust back to racing after his fall.

After a late night from the initial shock of Royce’s off, the team has gathered their thoughts and assessed the damage. Apart from a bruised knee and general soreness, Royce has pulled up alright. A good night’s sleep and day on the couch has served him well, with plans to jump back on the bike (Suzuki 600 for the Junior/Senior practice) tomorrow he’ll need all the rest he can get.

PIC: We’re not sure to be worried, but Royce refused to take the dress off for hours…

.

The bike, on the other hand, is a bit worse off than first expected. Although being laid down on the right-hand side, the rear-wheel has hit the gutter with an impact of extreme force. This has buckled through the rear suspension, basically crumpling everything that is connected at the tail of the bike. The rear rim itself hasn’t bent, which is a testament to Carrozzeria rims. The rear axle and ‘bars are broken, but easily replaceable. Unfortunately the frame has cracked in half, which has been the most difficult part to source.

PIC: Some major surgery is needed on the Duc

.

So, the plan of attack? Hit the ground running with the help of some great people. Royce’s leathers had numerous holes and tears, so local friend Jamie, who has helped us with bits and pieces in the past, put the call out for a sewing whiz. Moments later we were on the way to the village of Peel to meet Christine, a leather specialist. Dropping everything to help us, we were told to kill time for an hour or so, which was filled in by fish ‘n’ chips by the seaside. The leathers were patched up to perfection. We couldn’t be more grateful of Christine’s work.

PIC: The whole left side copped a battering

.
Next was trying to source the parts needed to repair the wounded Duc. Just to test us, Monday is a bank holiday in the UK, making it basically impossible to get the parts required freighted over to the Island. Unfortunately, the Island itself hasn’t got a wreckers with the bits needed. Fortunately, team members Deb and Greg Lock have a friend in the North of England who was willing to drive four hours to Hull in order to pick the frame and other parts up, before then shooting over to Liverpool to catch the 3am ferry to the Isle of Man, delivering our desired parts by 7am tomorrow morning. What a woman! We can’t thank Ali enough for going so far out of her way to help the team keep the dream alive. We’ll have a Manx kipper roll and luke-warm O’Kells Bitter waiting for her on arrival.

PIC: Pieces of the puzzle come apart

.
We’ll be placing (literally) Royce on the Suzuki tomorrow, but it’s unlikely the Rowe Racing Manx 650 Ducati will be ready to ride. With all things going to plan, provided head honcho Brian Rosser and mechanic Greg Lock don’t pass out from exhaustion, we will have the Duke back up and running by Saturday practice. This then gives Royce the chance to make up the needed amount of laps to qualify for the Supertwins race.

PIC: The brains of the operation picking the brains of the machine

.

Amongst all the madness, team rider Paul has been continually impressive aboard his Ducati 650, leading the Newcomers B group with a 106mph lap. Brian and Locky have still needed to remain sharp with Paul’s bike, so you can imagine the weary heads around the dinner table… at 9pm after 7pm practice has concluded.

PIC: Royce’s two steeds side-by-side ready to ride… almost

.

With an injured body, Royce got the rare chance to stand on the other side of the fence to watch the bikes tonight. We all revisited The Nook with him to check the dodgy spot and thank the marshalls for looking after him. After waiting for a solid hour, we were told a bike had fallen and caught fire, setting the road alight too. This caused enough damage to warrant road repairs, so coupled with fog rolling down the hills it was enough for the Clerk of Course to call the night off. So our team rider Paul was left hanging at the line and Royce never got to see a bike from the spectators point of view.

Check back tomorrow for how a bruised but not beaten Royce fairs on the Suzuki, as well as updates on the extensive Ducati repairs.

An eventful Wednesday night practice has left rider Royce Rowe battered and bruised, but the encouraging results have outweighed his minor fall.

The initial session for the Junior/Senior class aboard the Suzuki GSX-R600 was a mighty improvement on the past few days, with Royce’s two laps clocking in at 112.9mph and 113.5mph respectively. Being his first year on the Suzuki, seeing his times slowly climb are a good sign.

PIC: Royce getting to grips with the 600

.

Jumping back out on the Ducati, Royce was released with a relatively clear track due to an earlier red flag which released half the field then stopped them at whatever point they were at along the track, before slowly allowing them back to base under yellow flags. Following the current Supertwins leader, Royce passed the grandstand on lap one with a 109.8mph time, his fastest ever aboard the Ducati 650.

PIC: Royce really hooking in over Ballaugh Bridge

.

Heading through each timed speed trap, Royce picked off the top riders one by one, eventually making his way to top position through Ramsey. Continuing his flying lap, obviously in the zone, Royce was fastest again through the mountain section down to the Creg, looking to be on track for a 110mph lap. Then, tipping in through The Nook (right-hander), Royce noticed his shoulder brushing the hedge too early, indicating to a rider that his exit for the corner will be wider than desired. To combat entering too early and hot, Royce has tried to crank over harder which has resulted in tucking in the front. With the front letting go, Royce has gone down and begun to slide on a damp track. This has actually worked in his favour, helping him slide along without too much abrasion. It was a quick entry and slide, so hitting the gutter sent Royce and motorcycle cartwheeling through a picket fence. The impact was far worse on machine than man. Basically everything on the right-hand side has been worn down – handlebar, lever, pegs, fairings. Most worryingly the rear axle has snapped from the abrupt impact of hitting the gutter. Luckily, and weirdly considering we forgot many basic items, the team has a spare!

PIC: After the initial check over, it was back to Aussie larrikin mode

.

The team has a busy day ahead tomorrow repairing the bike as best we can. Royce was taken to hospital, but released a few hours later after precautionary checks. He has abrasions to his right elbow and chin, plus general soreness all over. Of all the places to learn the limit at the Isle of Man, this would be it. So, after Mum got over the initial shock and we realised the dream wasn’t over, smiles returned. As ridiculous as it may sound, especially knowing the dangers this course holds, the brush with danger has brought us all closer and the team is more determined than ever to help Royce achieve his best results. We may even pass a hat around to chip in for the local’s picket fence repair costs.

PIC: Cranked past the Raven Hotel as punters look on

.

Luckily tomorrow is a free day, so Royce can rest up – not that he needs an excuse to sleep-in. Paul, our fellow team rider, will still be heading out as a newcomer to gain more track time. He has impressed greatly so far, leading the Newcomers B group with a 105mph lap today. To be clocking in at that speed on only his third official lap of the circuit is hugely impressive, we can’t wait to see how he fairs in the coming races. Compared to some of the extravagant teams in the paddock, we are very proud of how we handled a hectic session and recorded some fantastic results.  If they didn’t notice us before, the movers and shakers will definitely be taking notes next week!

With rain and fog forecast, tonight’s practice session looked doubtful. Huddled around the radio at 4pm, the team heard the delayed news at 5pm that practice would in fact go ahead. The more laps the better for Royce, and especially Paul our newcomer, so it was welcomed news.

PIC: Royce making the most of the early clear lap on his Suzuki GSX-R600
The day itself started off with a bang, opening the morning paper to find a write-up about the Rowe Racing Team by local sports journo John Watterson. He was an extremely lovely man who came to visit our makeshift workshop a few days earlier, having a lengthy chat to the team and reminiscing with Les about TTs past. If you’re reading from Oz, it’s unlikely your local newsagent would stock the Isle of Man Examiner, so this picture of the paper and a freshly brewed Manx coffee will have to do! Don’t worry, we’ll be bringing plenty of copies home with us.

PIC: We made the local paper!
The day itself was spent changing oil and trying to diagnose the Suzuki’s issues. We took the 600 to the guys at EvoMoto in Ramsey to dyno the machine, hoping to diagnose the problem. Unfortunately, as Murphy’s Law goes, it ran perfectly and showed no signs of the power troubles it had given Royce heading up the mountain. With suspicions pointing to a clogged fuel filter, the team has now swapped to the spare tank, hoping this may eradicate the problem.

PIC: Royce tipping in to Hillberry corner
When the time came to head out, the Suzuki performed well with no issues, so the problems are at bay for now. The first lap posted was 109.1mph, before fog started to settle on the mountain the second time around, forcing the session to be abandoned. All wasn’t lost though, as the yellow flags came out two-time TT winner Gary Johnson passed Royce, tapped his behind signalling for Royce to follow and led him back to the Start-Finish line – some valuable lines and knowledge was gained. Having the same trouble of needing to jump straight from the 600 to the Ducati, Royce was lucky to score a quick breather as the officials held up the Supertwin practice for 10 minutes while the fog rolled back down the hill. Setting out in damp conditions, Royce squeezed just the single lap in of 104.4mph. The top 10 Supertwin riders are only separated by 3mph, so we’re hoping for some exciting racing ahead in the pocket rocket class.

PIC: Royce getting back into the groove on the 650 Ducati
Tomorrow looks to be a fine day, with only some small cloud. Unfortunately the Classic bikes have control on Thursday, which will be a much needed day of rest for the team before Friday practice which looks to actually be a rather hot day – in English summer terms.

After a tedious wait over the weekend, the team finally got the chance to hit the road tonight. Getting up bright and early we had our doubts, with rain and fog still covering the island but by lunch the sun was out drying the roads. By mid-arvo the clouds had disappeared and the mountain was bathed in sunshine – it was so clear the Motherland was visible across the Irish Sea.

PIC: Even the cats are brave on the Island

 

Our second rider Paul headed out for his first ever sighting lap, followed by Royce on his GSX-R600 in the Junior/Senior category. He managed to squeeze in two laps, his first ever on a 600cc machine. His first from a standing start clocked in at 107.7mph, with the second falling much lower. This was due to Royce having to nurse the Suzuki back home for almost half of the second lap after feeling some minor issues poking their head through. The bike has never seen a test like this, so we were expecting some small niggles to pop up. Luckily Brian is up for the challenge.

PIC: Team rider Paul on his first ever flying lap

 

The Supertwins practice was straight after the Junior/Senior, so with Royce realising he would only fit the single lap in anyway, he took a five minute breather before heading out on old faithful. Obviously enjoying being back in his element, Royce clocked a 104.6mph lap, slotting him in as fifth fastest. It’s early days yet, but getting back to similar times he posted last year is a great sign. Royce said, “Finally after waiting for what seemed to be an eternity since the last time I rode round the Isle of Man, I got to set off Bray Hill throttle pinned.
I was out first on the Suzuki, and being my first time round the track on this particular beast, I’ve got a lot to go to tame it. My first impressions on the 600 was, I couldn’t imagine what this is like on a 1000! There was a lot of wrestling with the bike as the front was light most of the time going over bumps wanting to lift up. With corners coming up a lot quicker I had to be on the ball straight away after a year away from the track. Half way through the second lap, the bike started to lose power whilst full throttle, this proved to be rather annoying, so I had to nurse the bike back in, not being able to pull over because I had my Ducati session waiting for me. Brian has a feeling it’s got to do with the fueling so we shall have a look at that tomorrow.
The Ducati went swimmingly and felt strong, I only got 1 lap on it so I can’t wait to get back out there.”

PIC: Royce powering through Kirk Michael on the Suzuki

 

Tomorrow sees us complete the same format of practice. The day itself will be spent going through a safety checklist on each bike and trying to diagnose the Suzuki’s niggle.

Tonight’s first practice has been cancelled due to poor weather conditions. Although hopes were high at our 12.30pm technical briefing, the Clerk of Course, Gary Thompson, has just announced that due to incoming heavy rain the sessions will have to be abandoned.

PIC: Footage from the Bungalow webcam this afternoon

Last night the Island copped some heavy rains and wind, damaging parts of the track near Ramsey. It hasn’t stopped drizzling all morning, with the heavens expected to open around 5pm. The Newcomers first sighting lap was scheduled for 5.30pm, which included our second rider Paul, which wouldn’t have been safe at all for first-timers.

PIC: Visibility on the mountain was terrible yesterday afternoon

The team was prepared anyway, so now we just move on to Monday with our fingers crossed. Tomorrow is a non-race day, so some more twiddling of thumbs will be completed as we wait with baited breath. Unfortunately, this feeling is somewhat reminiscent of last year’s first practice week. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of this terrible weather and can get down to business on Monday!

PIC: When in the Isle, do as the Islanders

In the meantime, the team has decided to keep precision training up by working on Royce’s hand-eye coordination. It seems most scousers visit the ‘Cat with No Tail’ when the weather is monkey’s, so while the boozer is full of well lairy lads we might have a bit of nosh before nicking off to Bedfordshire.

After a draining 21 hours of recycled air, bad food and crying babies, the Rowe Racing team has finally landed and settled in to the Isle of Man. Although nearly missing the flight out of Dublin due to a long meeting with the mighty black elixir of Ireland, some well earned rest to beat the jet-lag was in order on arrival. Not wanting to waste anymore time, the team got straight to work Tuesday morning, heading down to the business district to pick up the crates containing the three bikes and spare parts. Everything was as we packed it, with nothing damaged or lost. A massive thanks is owed to Bikes Abroad who took the bones of our race team halfway across the world without a hitch.

PIC: When in Rome…
Once unpacked and loaded into our two hired vans, the lads set off to our cottage to start sorting through the mountain of tools, parts and gear. The great people at Island Express were kind enough to let us leave the large crates in their warehouse for the duration of the trip, making the task of re-packing everything much easier in a few weeks.

PIC: Bikes Abroad did a faultless job getting our gear to the Island safely
Brian and Locky spent yesterday taking each bike through a rigorous checklist before our first practice on Saturday. A lot of time has gone into preparing a schedule for bike maintenance over the next few weeks… which will no doubt be altered after the race organisers change the programme. We have already become wary of Saturday’s first practice as rain is predicted, something officials will avoid like the plague if new riders are due out.

PIC: Island Express has let us keep the crates in their warehouse, making transport much easier
Today Royce will head to the paddock for his first riders briefing, then will officially sign on tomorrow. Wrangling two bikes around the Mountain Course is certainly going to take it out of him, but it also holds huge logistical challenges for the team. Factoring in our second rider Paul, our small but dedicated group will have to do the work normally expected of a ten man team. Always up for a challenge, the guys have already been down to the pits to check out power options for tyre warmers. Running on a ‘first in best dressed’ system, the team will need to be on the ball when rushing to secure a usable pit position.

PIC: It’s a mighty operation shifting a race team across the world

 

 

Saturday’s first practice begins at 5.30pm IOM time, making that 2am Adelaide time. This will likely change due to rain, so we’ll do our best to keep people updated on event changes through our Facebook page. Alternatively, fans can listen through the Manx Radio website for updates on time changes. Luckily the team is shacked up only five minutes from the start paddock, so we’ll also have our ears glued to the radio for changes before the mad rush down to the line.

PIC: The team’s makeshift laundry workshop has been a Godsend
The lovely family of Ballacaine Cottages have again let us convert their laundry into a makeshift workshop, making the boys’ life much easier. We’ve also picked up a load of gear that we left on the Island from last year with our great friends the Kneen family. For stuff we couldn’t bring over, like oil and so on, the blokes at AGR Motorsports have sorted us out, along with some great local advice on Mountain Course maintenance. We can’t thank everyone enough who has done anything, big or small, to help us get to this point. There is a great buzz within the team and all we need to do now is get Royce out on the track! We’ll have an update soon following the first ride.

Preparations for the 2016 Manx GP are well underway, with team and rider busily putting in the ground work for our second crack at the Mountain Course.

Last year saw Royce and the team achieve unprecedented results. The whole experience was new to the team and it didn’t take long for us to find our feet. A laundry was converted into a garage so the guys could get on the tools, a rhythm was found for pit-stops and before long Royce was piecing the track together with gusto.

Being given number 58 for the Newcomers class, an eclectic mix of bikes mounted by first-timers, put little confidence in the young Adelaidian. This doubt was soon extinguished after he qualified for the ‘B’ Group on-board a Supertwin machine, eventually scoring fourth place in the race. Similar was the Supertwin experience. Our machine was the only Ducati on the grid, up against a sea of purpose-built Kawasakis, really making heads turn. Team Principal Brian Rosser of BJR Products was over the moon to receive the ‘Best Prepared Bike’ trophy, especially being up against over 400 teams.

PIC: Cold mornings in Mount Gambier are all part of the northern-hemisphere preparation

There was certainly a lot of hype surrounding the passionate Aussie team. We scored recognition through the ‘Sponsor a Newcomer’ initiative and Royce was even interviewed twice on Manx Radio. After being handed number 55 for the Supertwins race, the last position on the grid, Royce carved his way through traffic on race day to secure a very respectable tenth position with a best lap time of 108.4mph. With the jubilation of scoring two replica trophies for his efforts came the want to come back stronger and faster next year.

So fast forward about eleven months and here we are! Leaving on 14 August with the festival beginning on 20 August, the team are chomping at the bit to get back over to the Isle for another crack at glory. This year Royce will be competing in three classes on two different bikes. Being his second year, the Newcomers class is obviously out of the equation. The Manx 650 Ducati will be venturing back over with the team, hoping to build on last year’s impressive results in the Supertwin class. We will also be taking over a race-spec Suzuki GSX-R600 to compete in the Junior and Senior classes. The Junior class features machines that must not exceed 750cc, with most racers opting for the common Supersport four-stroke 600cc option like ourselves. The Senior class boasts the final race of the Manx GP programme and is regarded as the major race of the festival. It is open to bikes not exceeding 1000cc, but we will be entering the Suzuki Royce has become accustomed to.

PIC: Royce making hay while the sun shines

Facing a busy schedule, Royce has this to say; “I’m really excited to be heading back over to the Isle of Man. We wanted to have the 600 over there last year but weren’t accepted due to a huge number of entries. Now that I’ve proved myself I can head back over with both bikes and a mind full of knowledge about the track.

“There are a number of practice sessions that coincide, so I will really have to be on my game. Luckily, in the past I have had many race meetings where I would jump off my 125GP bike and onto a 1000cc Superbike, which is like chalk and cheese! I’ve built up the ability to switch off and on with different riding styles, so I’ll definitely be utilising that skill for this year’s Manx GP.

“Last year was a huge learning curve and I now have a basic idea of how to tackle the track. The annoying thing is that you pass a corner you know you can take quicker or wanted to maybe try a different line, then it doesn’t return for another 20 minutes, unlike a circuit where you get another chance in just over a minute. So, this year I will be using my large amount of practice sessions to try out these different lines and start to string together more of a precise lap.”

PIC: The opportunity to test and alter the bike at Mac Park has been invaluable for the team

In preparation for this year’s assault, the team has been busy altering the Ducati for optimum performance. The race is a test on the machine just as much as it is on the rider, so after treading carefully last year the team will plan to arrive with a beefed up version of the Supertwin class conqueror.

Since returning from the Sound of Thunder meeting in February where the team came away with wins and lap records in both classes entered, they have had a number of testing days at MacNamara Park. The first saw the team dodge some unsavoury weather to enjoy a full day’s riding, much to the delight of mechanic Brian. This helped iron out a few issues with both the Ducati and Suzuki having both undergone rebuilds. The team stayed in the Old Mount Gambier Gaol for the weekend, enjoying the character of the old cells and chapel common room. Luckily Royce got his times down throughout the afternoon, so Les’ threat of solitary confinement wasn’t acted upon. The team’s latest testing day at Mac Park only last week saw another successful day of riding. With black clouds looming, both bikes were given the necessary 30-or-so laps needed to run everything in and gain more data. This was the last chance to suss out any suspicions as the bikes will now be crated and sent off to the Isle. We stayed at the Country Comfort Motel, a cosy joint just out of the Mount Gambier CBD which made it an ease to hit the track fresh in the morning.

PIC: Royce tracking over the old Water Tower Corner at Mac Park

Rowe Racing HQ has also undergone major construction, making all this preparation far easier. The new area offers a much larger work space for the bikes, including the addition of a work bench and adjustable bike stands, bringing the bikes up to eye-level and eradicating the loss of small parts. Stoked with the new man-cave, team boss Les inaugurated the area with an angle-grinding sparks spectacular! Like most amateur firework displays, it didn’t quite go to plan and Les will now be sporting an arm-cast for the duration of our trip.

PIC: From humble beginnings, the Rowe Racing HQ has evolved from needing professional carpet cleaning to just being straight out professional!

Another exciting addition to this year’s expedition is fellow South Aussie rider Paul van der Heiden. Paul is a regular at race meetings aboard his BMW S1000RR, but will be swapping the superbike for a slightly smaller BJR Products Manx 650 Ducati. He has been joining the team on the previously mentioned test days and has been putting in countless hours with Brian Rosser to get his Ducati prepped for this year’s Supertwin and Newcomers races. Our blog will predominantly be focusing on Royce’s exploits over at the island, so if you’d like to keep track of Paul’s progress, his blog can be seen at: http://vdhracing.weebly.com. Being a technician for Moto Adelaide, Paul’s blog discusses much more of the technical side behind the Manx 650 Ducati. So if you are interested in the nitty gritty of how the BJR Products machine ticks, head on over for a look.

PIC: Although we didn’t always get the best weather, the necessary prep was still completed

So what’s the plan of attack? From here, we crate the three bikes (Paul’s included) and meet them over at the IOM docks once we arrive on 15 August. The team has a few days to shake the jet-lag and begin preparations for timed practice on Saturday, 20 August. The full schedule is posted below (IOM time used, we are 8.5 hours behind). We will be posting more regular updates from here on in, including instructions on how to listen to the racing LIVE. For now, if you’d like more information on the event please visit www.manxgrandprix.org.

 

Rowe Racing Schedule 2016

 

Saturday 20th August (all sessions will be untimed)

1730       1825       Senior / Junior / Classic TT 250 / Superbike (No MGP Newcomers)

1830       1925       Classic TT 350/500 / MGP Lightweight / Supertwin (No MGP Newcomers)

 

Monday 22nd August

1820       1905       Senior / Junior / Classic TT 250 / Superbike (No MGP Newcomers)

1910       1945       Classic TT 350/500 / MGP Lightweight / Supertwin (No MGP Newcomers)

 

Tuesday 23rd August

1820       1905       Classic TT 350/500 / MGP Lightweight / Supertwin / (No MGP Newcomers)

1910       1945       Senior / Junior / Classic TT 250 / Superbike (No MGP Newcomers)

 

Wednesday 24th August

1820       1905       Senior / Junior / Classic TT 250 / Superbike (No MGP Newcomers)

1910       1945       Classic TT 350/500 / MGP Lightweight / Supertwin (No MGP Newcomers)

 

Friday 26th August

1820       1900       Senior / Junior / Classic TT 250 / Superbike / MGP Newcomers A

1915       2000       Classic TT 350/500 / MGP Lightweight / Supertwin / MGP Newcomers B

 

Race Day Practices

 

Saturday 27th August

1325       1400       MGP Senior / Junior / All MGP Newcomers Qualifying    (2 Laps)

1810       1840       MGP Supertwin / Lightweight / All MGP Newcomers Qualifying (2 laps)

 

Monday 29th June

1210       1305       MGP Senior / Junior / Supertwin / Lightweight Qualifying             (2 laps)

 

Wednesday 31st August – Manx Grand Prix Race Day

1015                       Junior Manx Grand Prix Race      (4 laps)

1315                       Supertwin / Lightweight Manx Grand Prix Race  (4 laps>)

1515       1550       MGP Senior Qualifying  (1 lap)

 

Friday 2nd September – Manx Grand Prix Race Day

1015                       Full Factory Winnerswear Senior Manx Grand Prix Race (4 laps)

Coming off a solid effort yesterday, the Rowe Racing team was hoping to continue the great results in both of the two classes contested today, plus the one-off Trans-Tasman Challenge race. With packed grids and busy corners, Royce showed maturity beyond his years to smartly avoid traffic and slink his way to the front of the pack. Not only did close racing ensue, but his times continued to drop throughout the day.

PIC: Not quite Phillip Island spec, but exciting all the same

Having both Royce and Howard aboard the same bike meant the machine was going to endure a lot of strain throughout the day. The team had rebuilt the clutch overnight and done everything possible to ensure it was as prepared for the demanding track. Sharing the bike resulted in some hectic work at the pit gate as Royce and Howard’s races were back to back, and saw the first rider come in from their race, leap off, the second rider jump on, while the team changed race numbers and transponders and topped up the tank as the next race went out. The team did a great job and it all went seamlessly.

PIC: The bike held together well – a testament to the team

Utilising his confidence from the race win yesterday, Royce steered the BJR Ducati 696 to two race wins in the Superstock Limited class. Pulling a solid gap from the get-go, Royce thrived around the tight and technical circuit pushing for more and more corner speed aboard his lightweight machine – a familiar feeling to the 125GP bike he began his career on as a teenager.

PIC: Eyes on the prize

In the F2 class, it was a similar scenario. Although having the second race red-flagged which subsequently ended the meeting, Royce managed to separate himself from the pack and take the first race win which was enough to take home the overall trophy.

PIC: Royce continued to drop his times throughout the weekend

There were entries from as far as the UK and USA but the main rivalry was between the Australians and New Zealanders. The feature race of the weekend was the Trans-Tasman Challenge involving ten Aussies versus ten Kiwis. The crowd were on their feet the moment the green light flashed and had everyone agreeing afterwards that it was the best race of the meeting. The field consisted completely of bikes between 1000 to 1200cc – except for Royce on the BJR Ducati 696. He started from second row of the grid and then spent the five laps dicing with the leader who was on a 1098 Ducati. The lead swapped several times with Royce passing the Kiwi through the twisty sections and the 1098 pulling away down the straights of the 3.5km circuit. The two bikes entered the final straight to the finish line side-by-side, but the 1098 had the legs to the line and Royce finished 2nd by less than a second. The Kiwis ended up winning the trophy with more points from the race than the Aussies.

PIC: Royce dicing for 1st in the Trans-Tasman Challenge

Obviously ecstatic about securing such solid results for his first time on the Island, Royce said, “After a good day yesterday I was keen to keep the lap times coming down. Turning heads with times that not even the locals could keep up with, the team and I were stoked with our results. Some prize money presented has recently resulted in beer money all round. The fush and chups over here have been bonza and all the Kiwis have been more then welcoming. I’m overly happy with the weekend’s results and I can’t wait until my next outing on the bike.”

We were lucky enough to have an expat Pom invite us to share his garage for the weekend. His name was Guy Lowe and he had raced at the TT on six occasions as a sidecar passenger. His pet parrot ‘Reg’ was a popular garage manager for the weekend.

PIC: Howie, Guy and Royce posing for a photo with team manager Reg… the parrot

We would like to thank Hamish Cooper for arranging our entry and helping in the pits, Glen Hand for snapping some great photos over the weekend, Eddy Garner for putting in an enormous effort in getting everything sorted in Australia and New Zealand, the NZ BEARS Club for putting on a spectacular meeting and the people of Christchurch for their warm and friendly welcome wherever we went. Christchurch is a beautiful city and well worth visiting. Now it’s time to celebrate in Middle Earth!

 

After a promising practice day, the Rowe Racing Team has hit the ground running in Christchurch with unprecedented success on Saturday at Ruapuna Park. With one qualifying session for each of Royce’s two contested classes this morning, limited time was utilised by the young racer, cementing pole position for both classes.

PIC: Royce off to a flying start

The Superstock Limited class, contested by 37 riders, was a crowded affair. The first two corners meant bumping elbows and fighting for space, with Royce managing to find his way to the front. After securing the lead, he never looked back, taking first place by a convincing distance.

PIC: A technical track slowly coming together

It was a similar affair in the Formula 2 class, with Royce fighting his way past 40 other racers to lock in first place. The bike performed well throughout the busy day, but the team has still decided to rebuild the clutch overnight as a precaution.

PIC: Confidence is high

It was an unexpectedly fruitful day for the team, with everybody stoked at how well bike and rider had performed. Royce had this to say, “Today the team had high spirits and a strong confidence in bringing something good to the table and we did just that. It was a hot day of racing (30°C) by the Kiwi’s standards. They were melting while the Aussies still had jumpers on! On a positive note, the track was nice and sticky. With some great starts today and a bit of maintenance to the clutch, I’m keen for some even better ones tomorrow. Getting my head around the track, the lap times just kept coming down. I’m keen to keep showing the Kiwis how us Aussies do it and I can’t wait to get back out there tomorrow.”

PIC: Royce on the way to another race win

The team has a further two races for each class tomorrow. Although the weather may be taking a turn for the worst, the team’s spirits are high and will be hoping to leave a lasting impression on the Land of the Long White Cloud.