In light of a new race series for 2013, the inaugural Australian Trophy Cart race was held at Loveday 4x4 Adventure Park in the Riverland area of SA. A Trophy Cart is basically a 450 Quad stuffed into a single seater baby monster truck shell.

They also opened a demonstration support class for Quads. No-one really knew what we were in for... but hey it was a chance for Bullet to enter the Renegade against all the other Sport and MX Quads in their type of battlefield. It was a brand new track, so it was always going to be fun.

The track was super wide at up to 18 metres, around 1.5km long and basically a big flat track with 4 big jumps and a full watering system. The jumps were set up for the Trophy Carts which did not bother the Quads one bit. They were huge gentle ramp type jumps, dead even across the face and little to no kick to them. Taken at speed, you were in the air for a long way.

Spectators were quoted “I can’t wait to see those jumps 4 Quads wide in the air”. There was a lot of orchestrated racing and the quads did not disappoint the crowd. The Renegade loved powering down the long straights, and managed the ‘big’ air as well as the sport bikes. The one area it did excel was the long stutter section. Where the G2 IRS allowed Bullet to overtake Sport bikes over the rougher line under full acceleration with one hand on the bars!

Around an MX style Trophy Cart track, maybe big Can-Am 4x4 is the fastest way to go ? Thanks to Troy Ellis for the photos. Cheers Bullet.

The last round of the QRASA Enduro series was held at Renmark on the 23rd September 2012. Nice weather up here means... lost of dust. The track has been altered from last year but essentially it’s the same tight twisted and whooped out dust bowl, but Bullet was keen to give the more nimble sports bikes a run for their money on the super strong Renegade 800R.

Bullet elected not to do a sighting lap to conserve energy for the race. The peg draw saw Bullet starting 1 minute behind Milligans Yamaha 450. Bullet chose a slightly conservative starting pace while carrying a full 20 litre tank of fuel. From there the strategy was to naturally find track speed with familiarity and try to settle into a consistent race pace. Refuelling stress was reduced because Bullet could simply monitor the standard in dash fuel gauge every 15-20 minute lap. Milligan was quick, but for the first 3 or 4 laps Bullet and Milligan could see each other across the same track section, so bullet was on the lead pace early. The tight whooped out track was taking it’s toll on all racers and Bullet was not immune. Carrying the heavy fuel disadvantage early had its positives though, it soon became evident that the Renegade was going to finish the 3 hour Enduro without refuelling! By Lap 7 Bullet was slowing down, and dropping back from the leader but still nearly a lap up on 3rd place.

Never clinching a first place at Renmark, Bullets Renegade cruised home for another strong 2nd place.

“I was not in my best physical condition for this race and Renmark is not really an ideal big 4x4 track, so I’m pretty happy with 2nd and amazed that I finished a 3 hour Enduro on 18.5 litres of fuel. The Renegade uses less fuel than the sports bikes! A big thank you to Can-Am and my sponsors for their continued support. Thanks.” Bullet.

VICTORIA’S Jake Van Vliet was victorious at Maffra-Sale on Sunday, September 16, winning the 2012 Yamaha Victorian Quad MX Championship Pro Class by a thrilling five points. 

Jake, one of the Can-am X-Team riders from Narre Warren, clinched the title on 114 points, just edging out Colac’s Cameron Wade on 109 points and his older brother Mitch Van Vliet in third on 88 points.

It was the 18-year-old’s second state title for the year, having just recently won the 2012 South Australian Quad MX Championship’s Pro Class earlier in September. 

“Consistency was the main game this weekend,” Jake reflected. “I had some awesome competition with Cameron Wade, my brother Mitch and Daniel Middleton. It was pretty full-on for the whole weekend.

“It’s been really good to get a couple of titles under my belt this year.

“It’s vindicating to win in your own state, in front of your home crowd. It shows you that if you put in the effort it all pays off,” Jake continued. 

On racing against his older brother, Jake added: “The competition between me and my brother definitely stepped up another notch this weekend, especially in the last couple of races.” 

Jake won two out of five motos over the weekend, earning two second-placings and a third, which was enough to win the title. 

On Sunday the 9th of Semtember 2012 the ATV WA Social and Racing Club held a 4hr Pony Express, round 2 at Woodbridge.
The club put a lot of thought and work into the track this year with a couple of kms added on to the original 18km track, reversing the race direction and incorporating a mud pit at the end of the loop. The complete track had been graded looking great on the prologe lap but we all knew after the first lap the mainly sandy track would turn into rough unforgiving whoops.
Teaming up with a good mate Steve Versteegen we entered into A Grade.
The start of the first leg, the Ironman and A grade quads were combined with a running start it was bound to be good.
With me doing the start, the flag dropped we all reached our bikes together but my Canam DS450 didn't disappoint, cranking up instantly pulling the holeshot.
About halfway around I could hear a bike right behind me knowing that it was Glenn Ashworth the battle was to be hard all day.
We were going toe to toe until just before lunch when Steve struck a problem with his bike. Going to work at the break we thought we found the fault, so with Steve on the start for the second leg he pulled a great second place start and was going hard until the fault rose again.
Being over halfway through the race it was a quick decision to continue on one bike the Canam.
For the rest of the day my Canam DS450xmx took a thrashing not from just me but from both of us it was an absolute testament to how strong these bikes really are, the Fox Shox set up for my weight were able to do the job for us both, and Adam from Quad Squad had the engine hauling hard.
Pushing ourselves to the limit, we climbed back to a 2nd place podium at the finish.
The Atv WA club put on a great event.

Thanks to Mick@47industries, Canam, Adam from Quad Squad, Fox Shox, CRC products, Hardiman Atv
Rando Constructions, Sidchrome Tools, Quadparts, and Clive Scannell for some great shots.

Thanks,

Craig Rando

This is the event that I have been training for over the past 6 months; this was the race that was going to see if all those hard sessions in the gym were going to pay off. My aim for this year was to get both ways in less than 3 ½ hours each way (whole race in 7 hours), and make top 20 in my class.

We left for Alice Sprigs on Wednesday, stopping over night at Coober Pedy before arriving on Thursday afternoon for ‘Sign in’ at the race Start/Finish line. By the time we arrived the majority of competitors had already been and gone, once this was done we headed to the “Desert Palms Resort” which is where we would be spending our nights in Alice Springs.

FRIDAY - SCRUTINEERING

Friday night was scrutineering and was usually a big night but things this year seemed pretty quiet, we headed out early and my bike and gear was checked through early so I could enjoy a bit of the festivities while spectators alike checked out the vehicles that would attempt Finke this year. We packed up the gear and headed home around 9:30pm, and went home to try and catch some sleep before Prologue on Saturday.

SATURDAY - PROLOGUE

Saturday was Prologue and I was feeling a little bit nervous, this year was the first year that I was running with a steering dampener which I picked up just before we left to come to the event therefore I had no time to try out the setup I just had to cross my fingers and hope for the best.

We started with sign in and then riders brief, quickly followed by sighting lap of the track. It was a great track (what little we could see) but he dust was horrendous, with over 500 bikes all doing a sight lap together there was no wind to blow it away so it just stuck in the air. Once sight lap was over, we all lined up for Prologue, which would determine where we would be lined up on the first leg tomorrow.

I got a great start but was quickly passed by my competitor at the first corner and had to ride in his dust the whole way around. I hoped for a good time but that didn’t go to plan, a quick chat with my life coach (Donna Newman) who was still back in Adelaide after the birth of her first child I quickly composed myself and was able to concentrate on the bigger picture, the actual Finke Desert Race.

After Prologue we returned to our home away from home, Trent (my husband) and Darrell (Bullet) set to work on tweaking a few things on my bike for the big race. They tightened my steering dampener and adjusted the toe in and Camber on the front wheels. They changed a lot, and I just hoped that it only changed things for the better, as it was a big day tomorrow and there was not going to be any testing.

SUNDAY – RACE DAY 1

We arrived at the track at 9am and unloaded the bikes; Trent was driving the car from Alice to Finke with our swags and gear for the night. Sign in was at 9:30am and at this stage we were given our race start times, mine was 12:11pm. I was on the start line with 8 two wheelers which made me a bit nervous. The start was delayed by 30 minutes due to the cars having not finished yet, so we were waiting around at the track in anticipation.

Sitting on the line watching my team mates ride off into the distance is when I was feeling most nervous, but I knew this would subside when it my race began. It was my time to start and as the lights flashed I readied myself for a big day of riding, the green light went and all 9 of us went screaming off the line together. I didn’t get the best start but managed a 4th off the line and out of the prologue track on my way to Finke. I managed to settle myself into a good rhythm early and was enjoying the ride, I was riding along really well when I reached my first fuel stop at 80Km’s and was keen to get back out and keep riding. The track was dusty and rough but I kept my head down and plowed into it, passing riders all the way. My next fuel stop was at 145Km and I was on track to reach my time goal on day 1.

I came in to Finke end in 3:29:58, achieving my goal by 2 seconds.

MONDAY – RACE DAY 2

Our pit crew left early and heading back to see us cross the line at the end of the race. There were still plenty of riders left in the race, and each eager to better their times home. I lined up with 8 two-wheelers again and started at 12:18pm. The track was obviously just as dusty but seemed a lot rougher on the way home. I was able to keep the bike on the track and ride clean with my goal firmly in mind. Fuel stops were again at 145Kms and 80Km and were a great place to get to, they not only re-fuelled the bike they kept you going with encouragement, a drink and a sugar fix. The fuel stops were quick and I was making good time home, before I knew it I saw the 10Km marker bonnet and knew that I only had the Prologue track to complete before the race would be over for another year.

When I saw the Start/Finish line banner and rounded the last corner I was elated, I had finished another Finke race and was excited to see my pit crew and find out if I had managed to make my goal.

I came in to Alice to complete day 2 in 3:25:29, knocking nearly 5 minutes off my day 1 time. I was wrapped, but was even more excited when Trent told me I had not only made top 20 but was 9th in my class with an overall time of 6:55:27 (the fastest women to complete Finke on a quad)… what a feeling.

A huge thank you to my husband Trent and kids Jake & Kirrily for supporting me throughout my crazy dreams I could definitely not reach my goals without their love, support and encouragement also my life coach and very best friends Donna and Dave Newman (congratulations on the birth of Isla Mae xxx). My sponsors Ringworks Industries, Willunga Hotel, Can-Am, BRP Australia, 47 Industries, CRC, Sidchrome, QuadSquad, esticky & EFM.