Felt so so bad for Mav, he really had the pace for the win and to hold Marc off and attack/defend if Marc had of made his move a couple laps earlier, Marc just timed his attack perfectly and Mav asked a bit too much of the bike to defend. Shame but at least he had better luck than FQ who I felt had the pace for the win regardless of his injury.
Over the moon to see Miller on the Podium at home (thank God I have no work tomorrow), even if it was a bit of a Bradbury moment, a podium is a podium and no matter how it happened. it’s all that much sweeter doing it at your home GP with all that extra home crowd support. Huge congrats and he was the first Ducati home with the other two close behind him, solid ride even if Mav hadn’t crashed, Miller 4th would have been a respectable result either way. Congrats to Cal, I’m bit of a fan I admit and it was great seeing him and Miller on the podium together. The post race press conference was really interesting. I didn’t really know Cal's 2018 PI crash affected him so badly, great to see him overcome the fear and not let the track break him, really solid ride. The post race conference was so chilled, 3 riders with enormous respect for one another (probably because they were not competing closely with one another in the championship to a degree), keeping it real but having a good laugh, fitting for the Aust / Larikan / Bogan GP. Love hearing riders who are being honest/transparent and not just saying what they are meant to say.
Happy for Zarco, for a first ride on a new bike, with the ...... conditions. He can really hold his head up high. Stoked for him, and know he will be back even stronger at Sepang! He isnt going to get a ride next year, but its a pride thing... love it! and btw .... KTM!
Great effort from the Aprillias, where the hell did that come from. Embarrassing KTM on a $20 budget!
Just wish Jack would have dropped a PROPER top gear tyre shredder burnout in Parc ferme! Loved the shoey, had to be done!!
Ah well, no sleep for me tonight, it’s Jager and Redbull till dawn!!!
Was fortunate enough last year in 2018 to be a Paddock Marshall, and also get the gig to watch for false starts on the starting grid during race day! Like all things its all who you know not what you know. Below are some pics of the weekend, went with the wife and we hired a big camper, one of the best times of my life! I got to hang out in the paddock bludging all weekend getting free cappuccinos while she was stuck on 2 right all weekend waving flags in the freezing cold wind and rain.
Coxy, really nice bloke. When I told him I had a H2 as well he was into me about what mods and what not had been done, could have talked his ear off but he had to run and do his grid interview. Was great to hear how he was dealing and helping Michael after William passed, really brought home what those guys risk and how real the risks are.
Does anyone know who the dude with the grey beard and and black T-Shirt in the background is. We where growling at grid girls on the start line having a laugh, I thought he was a spectator but he did some DORNA interviews in another language on the grid? He was pretty cool and seemed a fun bloke to get on the sauce with, he made the effort to come back over to me shake my hand and say goodbye in his broken english? Nice bloke but no idea who he is, Italian maybe?
Me getting my mug on TV, a bud sent these pics to me. Got to watch the start of the race standing next to the one and only 'Max Montanari'.... as much as i take the piss out of him he was actually a really nice guy.
Our camper, was half the price of dodgy accommodation, no brainer really.Had two TV's and a washing machine. Listening to Holiday Road from the airport to Phillip Island was a laugh.
No introduction required, was asking him to do a MotoVodo track training session in Aust, only in Aragon for now he says.
Mad Mike Jones who rode for Avitina Ducati that weekend, his dad did all my GSXR suspension, nice guy and lives only two suburbs over from me in QLD. Leading the ASBK championship this year on Bayliss' bike. Real proud of him stepping in and up like that!
Bayliss and Ben Henry's team, Oli was also there racing the 300's. Unofficial ASBK round, no points. There was the ASBK guys and club racers in the mix with about 20 seconds difference in lap times from the front to the back of the grid.... Scary for the quick guys but fun if your a club racer to be out there with the Aussie crowd, lucky .......s, I was envious.
Doohan doing a lap on the MotoE, Coxy wanted footage of it but we couldn't here it and needed me to keep an eye on the screens to watch him come out of T12 to know when to start watching and filming. You only hear them after they come past.
Uccio and one of the riders.
Bayliss taking this chick from Race Control for a two up dink around Adelaide, scaring the life out of her.
2009 when McGoo was in the T4 tent with our crew, he was a good laugh and commentated the race in the Adults Only version after a few drinks, going off claiming that TC was ruining the sport and calling for it to be banned. Really fun bloke, loves a laugh and drink and is very old school.
I caught up with McGoo again after the race in 2018, bummed his last smoke and then tried to steal his lighter. Never mind I said, the first time i met you, you called me a C#*T and told me to .... off lol. I showed him the 2009 picture and told him how I didn't age and get old and ugly like he did, "what happened to you?" i said?
He loves a god .... stir. The guys is a proper lad and a legend.
He was telling me about how he is helping this visually impaired/blind guy ride a Hayabusa at the salt flats, giving him verbal steering cues... 12:30 11:00, 1:00 type thing. The guys has already cracked like 180mph or something crazy like that, nuts. Maybe it's less scary with your eyes closed? McGoo had to do his first pass at like 120mph he said and build the speed up gradually over multiple passes to get his salt flat licence type thing. He says he couldn't help himself and had the hayabusa in top gear crossed up with the lack of traction as he was trying to feed the power on, getting told off when he came in and also getting his open licence/permit thing in the process lol. Love it.
2009 Me dressed up as the Rulet RAAF pilot, doing photos with the people in the tent and their families. They bought the gag hook line and sinker. Ant West's cousins and family where in the T4 tent, his cousin called me Pilot the following year out of nowhere, he lives in Cowes and says it was the highlight of his weekend. I was really hoping anyone who was there forgot.
2009 That blondie was smokingggg drop dead hotness, they were staying at the same Hotel in town as us. I tried my very best but was punching well above my weight.
Spewing I didn't grab the tickets earlier this year, that's the same tent Millers friends and family where in this year at T4, would have been ....... awesome!!!
My setup for the 3 days and nights of solid drinking and Video Pass! Not exactly Phillip Island but in QLD it was 30 degrees with a pool and air conditioner and no line up to get drinks or use the pisser, even borrowed the ice machine from work, because beer simply tastes better on ice.
With my wife now pregnant with triplets
(3 helmets, 3 motorbikes, 3 sets of boots), I'm a bit busy this year but still miss not being there and being part of it. With Miller getting on the podium couldn't help reminisce and look at old pics while im having a few drinks tonight and thought i'd share.
