The 6 Hour – A little insight

Warwick Nowland: I wanted to give a little insight into the event and what it really will amount to. (I’ve seen Endurances races all over the world and the bottom line is, they are fun.)

Endurance races can be as serious as motorsport gets and they can be like a weekend away with your mates! And not just a boys weekend... French Endurance Team Octopussy (nice name!) is made up of female riders and staff. They are not a front running team but on occasion have scared the established teams simply because they don’t falter whilst the leaders are stumbling over themselves. The great thing about the girls is they absolutely love being involved and in the race. They have a great time no matter what the result.

The Bel-Ray 6 Hour is the final race at Oran Park so there is a sentimental aspect to start with. But Endurance racing is loaded with other great factors. It is without doubt the most involved team sport in motor racing. If your re-fueler makes a mistake, or your mechanic takes too long to get the chain back on at a rear wheel change, it’s as bad as the rider making mistake out on the racetrack. So everyone is vital. Depending on how serious you are, who ever makes the mistakes could be paying for drinks on Sunday night! It really does bring it back to being ‘all in it together’.

The reward for finishing an Endurance race is a great feeling. In comparison to a sprint race, which is over in less than an hour, it takes everyone in the team to complete the longer distance. If the race is 6 hours or 24 hours, it’s not easy so to finish is a great achievement.

Having said that, 6 hours can go very quickly! If you are at the front or trying to claw your way back to the front, or just doing your best circulating and staying out of trouble, after 2 pit stops you’ll be almost half way there! It’s a funny thing, sometimes around the 4 hour mark, you will wish the race was a bit longer and other times you may find yourself out in front after 3 hours and start praying for it to finish now whilst you are leading!

Oran Park is a very physical circuit. Racing a 1000cc bike around there for 6 hours will be hard work, but you should be able to pass the 600’s coming out of the corners! The 600cc bikes will be less tiring and easier to ride. If I had a choice, I may choose the 600cc bike. The 600 will use less fuel and be easier on the tyres, which may mean less tyre changes which means less time in the pits. Maybe a 600 is a good option... However if you are feeling fit then a 1000cc bike set up properly to look after the tyres, and in turn the rider, could prove there’s no substitute for horsepower!

Of course the cost is something everyone has to consider. I’ve just had a report back from Dunlop where they tested tyres for the Bol d’Or 24 hour race. The front tyres are lasting for more than 100 laps at race pace and the rear tyre is lasting around 60 laps before the lap time started slowing. And that is at the Magny Cours circuit where the tyre is on the edge in some corners for a long time, like Phillip Island. Oran Park has very different corners where you are not leant over for so long. On average, I would estimate the race at Oran Park to cover around 270 laps. For the race, I would think that 2 front tyres and 3 rear tyres would be enough to win. Some teams may get through with less.

I mentioned tyres first as that is usually the main cost in racing. But of course there is the motorcycle. The great thing about the Bel-Ray 6 Hour is that all bikes must be superstock and production based. You could ride your road bike to Oran Park, wire up the necessary plugs, take the lights off and put number plates on and you are away! That’s getting back to how motorcycle racing began in Australia. It should be accessible to anyone with a motorcycle. Just because you don’t have the latest aftermarket exhaust system, doesn’t mean you can’t win!

I think fuel will cost around $250 for the weekend. Don’t use hi-octane, standard engines don’t get any benefit from that, no matter who tells you different!

So there you have the main costs involved in racing at The Bel-Ray 6 Hour Endurance Race. No matter what you do on the weekend... going to the football or going out for lunch and drinks... everything will have some cost associated to it but competing in the ‘grand final event’ at Sydney’s most historic raceway means you are not in the grandstands, you are not in the lounge room, you are not watching on the big screen at the pub... you are the action and you will be a part of Australian Motorsport History.

My role at this event is not a paid one. I get nothing from supporting this race other than to show Australian’s how great the sport of Endurance motorcycle racing is. As I mentioned, it can be the most fun you have all year with your mates and it can also be the most intense, dramatic and exhilarating race of your life. Even if a rider from the Australian Superbike Championship competes, there are no certainties. There is no guarantee the fastest rider will win. The race has no favourites, anyone can win!

Throughout the weekend I will be there to help and if you need any information or advice leading up to the event feel free to email me at: info@warwicknowland.com

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