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 Bendigo
Youth Racing’s (BYR) “The
A-Team” have won the 11th Wonthaggi HPGP by
six laps over
Trisled and 13 ahead of Tru-Blu Racing.
The victory marks three wins in a row for the community
team, who set a fierce pace from the gun and were never
headed. With the Design & Construction and Trial points
combined however, it was Trisled's Easy Tiger team who
won the Community class.
Under sunny skies and soaring temperatures, the racing
in Wonthaggi saw the overall distance record smashed by
BYR and the open girls’ record destroyed by
St
Margaret’s School’s (SMS) “Lynx” team. |
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Looking at the category winners
– it’s the traditional front runners who take the
silverware again. BYR, SMS,
Weeroona College, Flora Hill SC,
Berwick SC, Wonthaggi SC and Trisled are all
regularly on the podium.
It’s the welcome addition of
Tru-Blu Racing and Vermont SC which is most
exciting. To see these crews move to the pointy-end of
their categories is fantastic, not just for the teams
themselves, but the broader sport of HPV. |
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How the race
unfolded
From the flag – BYR took off, with “The Grudge” in second place.
Following closely behind was a close and quick bunch which
included Deakin Uni,
Tru-Blu, Trisled, Ex-Pats.
Despite a timing malfunction during the first
30 minutes of the event, it was plain to all at the event that
the pace from all of the teams – community through to schools -
was fast. A replacement timing system was installed in the track
by some quick thinking officials.
BYR pushed out a lead steadily and held the
Grudge two laps behind them until night fall. As the sun went
down the rate of vehicle issues went up, as flat tyres and roll
overs caused a major reshuffle of the top ten. The race was
particularly hard on front wheels, with teams up and down pit
lane breaking numerous spokes and buckling rims on the demanding
course.
Late in the evening, when some of the local
young folk had over-celebrated the presence of the Wonthaggi
HPGP in their town, bricks, tyres and even a guitar were throw
at racers near the oval section. The police and security were
called to the scene, but not before a number of vehicles were
hit with objects that could have seriously injured the
occupants.
BYR’s lead fluctuated throughout the night
and were out to over 10 laps at one stage, but were reeled down
to under 3 laps before surging home to mark another victory for
the boys in yellow and blue. For the first time, BYR also ran an
all girls crew, who completed 487 laps and circulated
consistently throughout the race. Later at Presentations, BYR
were also awarded with the fastest lap of the race – a 1:58.456.
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In the Open
Secondary
category, Berwick’s “Wildfire” (above right corner),
Golden Square SC’s “Jacknife 2” and Flora Hill’s “Buff
Duck” were quick and all in the hunt for the win. But
Berwick’s crew was never headed. They were simply too
consistent and kept circulating.
Trisled (top right), as always, we
steady throughout the event and always in the hunt. The
team was running fifth through the early phases, but
steadily crept through the field overnight. The crew
from Dromana were sporting a resplendent tiger print
canopy – which apparently required “Five guys with
rollers going crazy to get the material flat in the
mould”.
Read
Trisled's full race report
Tru-Blu Racing (bottom right)– who
tied with Trisled in the Design & Construction award in
the Community class – were as smooth as ever. Their new
vehicle and some strong riding saw the team pip
Tenacious Trikes’ “The Grudge” by one lap. This
marks the second time Tru-Blu have reached the podium in
as many races. The crew also managed to avoid serious
injury when a tyre flew extremely close to one of their
riders' heads. |
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 Ziptar
from Maiden Gully PS continued their dominance of
the Junior Class. They were eagerly pursued all weekend
by the “Leongatha Parrots” and Spring Gully
PS’ “High Voltage”. Leongatha and Spring Gully had a
fantastic tussle throughout their 16 hours of racing and
finished just 2 laps apart at the chequered flag.
SMS continued their peak form in the
Open Girls category, leaving Berwick SC and Toorak
College in their wake as they destroyed the distance
record. The team had been training, testing and
improving since the RACV Energy Breakthrough last year
and all that work paid off. They were ‘disappointed’
with how they went in Maryborough, but had ‘found the
problems’ with the vehicle and it ran very, very well.
 The
school also entered a team in the growing legion of
parents and teachers having a race. Their
Formula
Trisled vehicle – the “Galactic Fossil’ – was put
through it’s paces by parents and teachers associated
with the school. This was a common sight in Wonthaggi
with many of the 23 community teams filled by those who
are typically on the sidelines, but can now have a go!
Team Bluebird travelled the longest
distance to get to the event – driving 1000km from South
Australia. They raced well throughout the event,
appeared to keep out of trouble and finished 6th
across the line
 Ex-Pats
Community Racing team (left) unveiled a magnificent
green gel-coat with a hybrid carbon-kevlar weave.
Unfortunately, a series of early smashes put the team
from Castlemaine behind and struggling for pace. Their
team line-up had also been split in half with another
team and this had unsettled and reduced the firepower of
their riders.
Fusion Youth Racing
– who are based at the
Fusion Community
House – were deserved winners of the
Greenspeed
Encouragment Award. The Community House supports
homeless and at-risk young people and they enjoy getting
to the track and having a go. The team did note
afterwards that they had now won the encouragement award
in both of the two events they had entered – so the felt
very encouraged!
Chris Barrett and yours truly added to the atmosphere of
the weekend setting up shop across the track from the
pits in the boot of a blue Nissan. Music, race updates
and interviews with the riders and pit crew resulted.
(We hope it was a welcome addition?) |
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Lew
Arthur was given a heart-warming shield of appreciation
as the founding father of the Wonthaggi HPGP. After
presenting Notre Dame College’s Shaft driven vehicle
with an Innovation Award under his name, Allan Harris of
the event organising committee spoke warmly of a man who
drew the community together for this great event. A well
deserved award for a legend of HPVs. |
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About the event
The Wonthaggi event typically
sees teams battling the elements and the technical 1.4 km circuit in the first
event of the year.
This 24-hour
event was first held in 1999 and is open to Primary, Secondary and Community teams.
Specifications are typically similar to the Energy
Breakthrough specifications from the year before.
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Photos and
article written by Nigel Preston, RACV Energy Breakthrough Planning Committee.
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