International (formerly Barry Sheene) Festival Of Speed - 23 to 26 March 2017

First topic message reminder :

Hammy tossed up the idea a while back in the National Meet thread, at the time I was keen to go back to the WSBK's after last years great meet. It looks like that's not going to happen now, anyone else  interested in going to this?
Anyone from Tas/Vic/SA/Southern or Western NSW could meet up and ride together for a day or 2 on the way there, I'd get to Hay or Echuca comfortably the 1st night.

https://www.barrysheene.com.au/

Ticket purchased, bought one for the MV Augusta raffle as well

 ..................enjoy 

How do you buy tickets for that MV... I'd make place in my shed for it.

reddog wrote:How do you buy tickets for that MV... I'd make place in my shed for it.

Scroll down the menu until you come across the raffle entry purchase, don't waste your time though, I've got the winning ticket already

https://www.internationalfestivalofspeed.com/tickets/

A week tomorrow 'till I leave,

Day 1: having a lazy day that Sunday and getting away mid afternoon to stay with a mate in Coonalpyn on the Dukes Hwy (SA end of Vic's Western Hwy), that'll take about 2 hours off the day 2 ride to Benalla. (I've just got to make sure a catch up in my old home town's pub that night doesn't cost me more than the saved 2 hours sleeping off a hangover )

Day 2, Coonalpyn to Benalla, after a bit over 7hrs on the road I'm staying at the Glider City Motel for the night, the Motel belongs to a friend of a friend and they've sponsored me 3 years straight now in my annual October charity ride, the Great Cycle Challenge, time to actually meet them and thank them in person.

Day 3 will be a short one for me, meet up with madmax enroute and then head up to Wagga for the night, staying at the William Farrer Hotel, depending on which way we travel, probably only 280-350km for me, Bryan will have been in the saddle a lot longer coming from home

Day 4 Will be a minimum 6hr day, depending how much we stop, look around on the way as we head for our Digs at Oxley Park via Bathurst and meet up with Baz

It sounds like we'll see Recycled at the track one day and Cameron has said he'll make it to the track as well. Numbers are disappointing but we will still have 3 states represented at the house.

BTW, thanks to Hammy for the original idea, pity you can't make it along

Hope you have a safe trip Chook, sorry I can't join you this year, I'm sure you will have a great time albeit a little quieter than previous get togethers.

Safe trip everyone & enjoy ............

barry_mcki wrote:Hope you have a safe trip Chook, sorry I can't join you this year, I'm sure you will have a great time albeit a little quieter than previous get togethers.

Thanks Barry, hope you and the family (wife/furkids) are doing well, pity you can't make the trip and yes, this one will be a lot quieter I think, just the 3 of us compared to 9 in our house last year plus the others in the other house and a lot more than that the year before.

I'm catching up with Kiwi Steve on the way to Brisvegas after, hopefully I'll get to catch up with Hammy while I'm up there as well.

paul wrote:Safe trip everyone & enjoy ............

Thanks paul, we'll have to do a weekender when I'm back

Spoke to Spanna today, might have talked him into coming with me on the Monday to Mansfield via the Jamieson Rd of course . Then for me it'll be just Mansfield to Wagga, approx 320ks.

madmax wrote:Spoke to Spanna today, might have talked him into coming with me on the Monday to Mansfield via the Jamieson Rd of course   . Then for me it'll be just Mansfield to Wagga, approx 320ks.

It's only about 60km from Benalla to Mansfield, I could meet you there and catch up with spanna if it happens, let me know the night before (and your ETA in Mansfield if it happens)

Chook wrote:

madmax wrote:Spoke to Spanna today, might have talked him into coming with me on the Monday to Mansfield via the Jamieson Rd of course   . Then for me it'll be just Mansfield to Wagga, approx 320ks.

It's only about 60km from Benalla to Mansfield, I could meet you there and catch up with spanna if it happens, let me know the night before (and your ETA in Mansfield if it happens)

From Mansfield I'll be heading up through Whitfield the next morning

I just realised I didn't read that right, you're leaving a day early now? After Whitfield which way, Wangaratta?

After Wangaratta (if we're still going that way) which way are you planning, I was thinking skip the Hume and go Rutherglen, Howlong the join the Olympic Hwy just South of Henty, that'd make it about 310km for you and no Freeway to bore you with

Chook wrote:I just realised I didn't read that right, you're leaving a day early now? After Whitfield which way, Wangaratta?

After Wangaratta (if we're still going that way) which way are you planning, I was thinking skip the Hume and go Rutherglen, Howlong the join the Olympic Hwy just South of Henty, that'd make it about 310km for you and no Freeway to bore you with

Yeah leaving on the Monday so not as long ride on the first day. Stop at Mansfield for the night, then head up through Whitfield and across to Wangaratta.
Last time I took the Hume to Albury and then took Olympic Hwy to Culcairn, turned off towards Morven and took the back road into Wagga.

How about this?

That's exactly what I was looking at earlier today. (one of the 2 anyway )

Chook wrote:Ticket purchased, bought one for the MV Augusta raffle as well

Done

The other one was this, I reckon yours looks a bit more interesting towards the end though

Chook wrote:The other one was this, I reckon yours looks a bit more interesting towards the end though

That road was recommended by Jimmy

Chook wrote:

paul wrote:Safe trip everyone & enjoy ............

Thanks paul, we'll have to do a weekender when I'm back

Or at the very least , a bakery for a coffee....................

Packed and ready (I think?) to go this afternoon about 2ish

Today will be a leisurely 2hr ride to stay with a mate in Coonalpyn, forecast, 34 and sunny

Tomorrow, a 650 km ride, hopefully lunch in Bendigo and a mid arvo finish in Benalla, forecast, 30, humid, showers/showers increasing Benalla, possible storms

Tuesday, what "should" be a relatively easy 200 ish km to Wagga with madmax, forecast, high 20's-low 30's, , possible storms

Wednesday, Wagga to Oxley Park where we meet up with Baz, 480 km in the similar weather as the day before, just a bit cooler instead

At least the weather is clearing Thursday morning and we should get 4 nice days for the Festival of Speed

Looks like you'd better take your " Brolly " mate

I might have to reassess the trip up to Brissy next week if the weather keeps up, not sure I want to do some of the rides across the ranges in the wet if it's real heavy

Chook wrote:I might have to reassess the trip up to Brissy next week if the weather keeps up, not sure I want to do some of the rides across the ranges in the wet if it's real heavy

Fingers crossed eh ...................

We're sending you one of these to help with the trip home....

Madmax and I arrived in Oxley Park Wednesday afternoon about 1 HR before a massive thunder/hail storm rolled through, Baz turned up a few hours later

Monday I rode in rain most of the morning, got caught without wet weather gear on, dried out and when it looked threatening again I layered up only to see the clouds piss off and I baked in the 30+ degrees
Finally stripped it off to have the clouds roll back in and dump rain on me

Tuesday we both put all our gear on, 1/2 hr into a 6 hr  day copped a thunderstorm and were both soaked through, pushed on further than originally planned and spent the night at the Cowra meet venue

Wednesday did the obligatory laps of Bathurst and the then the Museum before heading for our digs

Thursday went shopping, got a new storm jacket and some over boots before heading to the track for practice, yesterday we saw a morning of qualifying and afternoon of racing, the last 2 races were delayed until this morning after a few pretty nasty incidents, the chopper left 3 times for the day and there were countless ambulances leaving by road, heard this morning most occurred at a spot in the track with continuous water seepage, the worst was on our straight just after the start, front rider put his arm up with issues, another hit him under full acceleration