The first round of the KF1 Bike Race Series kicked off with roaring engines and screeching rubber. From the start of the event till its conclusion, it was jam packed with nonstop action and just a respectable bit of drama to keep the spectators and indeed, riders on their toes.
Two of our riders, Jackson and Wei Jhin (we'll henceforth refer to him as WJ) suited up and headed to the races.
 |
| Ready to take on KF1's tight corners. (Photo: Zen Panda Lee) |
Having tried out other racetracks overseas such as Tangkak and Sepang Go-Kart tracks, our riders appreciated the chance to race locally in the comfort of their own backyard, metaphorically speaking of course.
KF1 was anything but easy. with its many hairpin corners, narrow turns and mini-chicanes, it is actually Singapore's largest racing track at 960 metres long. Designed by renowned F1 track designer Hermann Tilke, the track is best suited for go-kart racing, but can be used for bikes with smaller capacities.
The first round of this bike racing series consisted of two rounds of practice, followed by one qualifying lap and then finally moving on with two rounds of actual racing for the riders. If you'd think that it would only take half a day or less to complete the event series, think again. There are a total of
five classes of races taking place back-to-back. That's at least a total of 100 riders on aggregate. Think about that for a minute.
The breakdown of the race classes:
- Supermotard Open
- Supermotard Intermediate
- Supermotard Novice
- Up to 400cc Open
- Underbone Open
 |
| Sliding into corners is an art form. More so with a supermotard. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
 |
| Smaller bikes like cubs shine in this mini F1-inspired circuit. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
With the feisty, two-stroke Honda NSR 150 SPs, Jackson and WJ were stacked up in the 400cc and Under open category against other larger, more powerful bikes like the KTM RC390 and even smaller, more maneuverable supermoto bikes that fell within the same category. Not one to be daunted by the challenges facing them, both our riders faced the practice and qualifying rounds and came out on the grid in second and seventh positions respectively (that's Jackson in second and WJ on seventh placing grid-wise).
 |
| Moving off during Q2. Look at the level of concentration in Jack's eyes. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
And then it came down to the races one and two.
 |
That moment before the light goes off must be one of the most nerve-racking experiences for any rider.
(Photo: Torquee Productions) |
As the saying goes, anything can happen in a race, and even the most experienced or quote unquote 'fast' rider won't necessarily be the first to cross that sought-after finish line. Especially so for this track, which was unforgiving in its own way as the tiniest of mistakes was met with devastating results. One too many collisions were had during qualifying and even in the actual race. And let's not get into the lowsides should one take this track lightly.
To the initiated, a lowside crash is at its most basic, a (usually) low-speed fall by which the rear tyre loses traction and throws the bike-and rider on their sides, thus the name. Although the damage to bike and rider is minimal, the psychological effects it can have after or during a race may be the deciding factor between finishing in front of the last man, or not even finishing at all.
 |
Underbone rider trying to get his bike back in the race after a low-speed fall. (Photo: Torquee Productions)
|
 |
| A picture speaks a thousand words. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
Our riders were not spared from this fate as well. Jackson, in a good showing took the second position in the first race. Unfortunately he suffered a lowside fall on Turn 5 of the track, and under instructions from Race Direction had to DNF (Did Not Finish) the first race and sit it out while the race continued.
 |
| Calm before the storm. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
WJ, ever the consistent rider managed to pull one off and finish fifth in the first race without any hiccups. Well, except for the fact that he didn't even know it was his last lap, and went for an extra eleventh one. (We thank Race Direction for being understanding and not penalising him :D)
All fired up from the first race, Jackson and WJ were both determined to make up for lost points in the second race.
Both riders found their rhythm in the second race as Jackson took second position early on, with WJ holding down fifth. The highlight would have to be Jackson and another racer in the pile, Angelo who after an exhilarating nine laps managed to pip Jackson at the second last turn, snatching second place from his grasp.
But the renewed fervour from our riders was indeed a sight to behold, and against the cacophony of engine revs and cheers from the crowd they crossed the finish line with their heads held high.
A few highlights from the last round:
 |
| A very clear racing line. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
 |
| (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
 |
| Riders always have each others back, no matter what. (Photo: Torquee Productions) |
The prize presentation ceremony at the end of the night signalled the closing of a day's rather successful race. Both of our racers wore their hearts on their leather sleeves and we could not be any more prouder of them. WJ even managed to snag fifth position and had the opportunity to take to the podium. Congratulations, young blood. Our veteran Jackson also had an excellent showing, overcoming his first setback earlier to clinch third position in the second race.
 |
| All smiles with his trophy. (Photo: Jackson Chan) |
Iron Horse Racing would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our participating riders, supporters and main sponsor Liqui Moly Singapore for steadfastly supplying us with top-grade motorcycle lubricants and oils.
Watch this space as more of our homegrown racers take to the streets (legally of course) and racetracks in and around the region.
Comments
Post a Comment