14 fastlane
fast
Equipment Sportsman Series for two years and I guess all of the stars
were well-aligned on the night for me and for my great crew I had
there with me – my great mate ‘OB’ and another true champion Dan
Lesnock, the master behind building these V-Rod engines that are
simply ‘unbeatable’.
“We drove around 30,000kms chasing the whole season and had a
few major dramas across those kms including destroying two axles
on the trailer, hitting two Roos, and smashing a few rims and tyres;
but we also had a ball and met some really great people.
“For me, I think the best part of the series was racing at the Motorplex
in Perth – what a set-up they have got over there! I don’t mind the
32-hour drive to race there and be treated like royalty, so for anyone
that hasn’t been there, I say you have to go!
“We truly have learnt a lot about how the bike performs with diff erent
track conditions along the way, and it was well worth it, especially
when you look at our end result: Australia number one – YEE-HA!
“At this stage, our plans for next season are a bit up in the air at the
moment – it is most likely that I will be going into the Competition
Bike bracket, but we will see. What I can say for sure is that we will
be back next season on a new bike that is bigger, badder and faster!
“I have really enjoyed the Modifi ed Bike racing, it is a great way to get
into drag racing whether you are on a tight budget or going all out
with a high horsepower and big dollar bike. It is all fun and we have
a great bunch of racers.
“We do have a few major sponsors on the way which hopefully we
can announce soon too.
“While we didn’t have a lot of sponsorship this season aside from my
business Rickfi eld Truck Repairs, I do still have a good list of people
to thank for getting me through the last two years and helping me
to be able to achieve what I set out to do. Firstly, my accountant Kim
for giving me the ability to do this, my friends and crew Clint, OB,
Beth and Dan Lesnock, and of course Niki Zak who is just an amazing
woman who handed me the bike to be able to get out in front and
win!”
HARRY HARRIS
DENSO Super Street Champion
Harry Harris’ breakthrough DENSO Super Street Australian title
comes as a well-deserved reward after a number of years spent in
its pursuit.
“I don’t think (having won the championship) will settle in until the
next Summit Racing Equipment Sportsman Series season starts
really,” Harris said
“Having said that, I have been able to enjoy a couple of races at
Whyalla Dragway since taking the championship out, and it was a
real buzz to be able to run the number one on the car, that is for sure.
“This is certainly a very exciting time for my team and I. We have
been chasing the title for a few years and it has felt like we have
been knocking on the door of the championship for some time, but
now we have fi nally got there.
“When it came time to receive the trophy, I was pretty speechless –
no matter how many times I stand in front of a crowd, I never know
what to say, and this was no diff erent.
“To be honest I don’t really remember how the presentation unfolded,
I was on such a ‘high’ with the excitement of it all. It was really good
to be able to thank all of the people who have helped me along the
way in front of such a supportive crowd.
“It is always challenging for us to get to the rounds to begin with
as we always run on a shoe string budget. We managed to start our
season off in Alice Springs, with a really tight run against Robyn
Phillis in the fi nal. From that high point where we also gathered 50
percent bonus points, we went to Mildura where we left as the ‘fi rst
round runner-up’ after racing Graeme Cooper,” he laughed.
“From there we went on to race in Adelaide and Portland,
accumulating some good points along the way while making the
semi-fi nals at Portland’s South Coast 660.
HARRY HARRIS
DENSO Super Street Champion