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Andy gives us a Quick Summary of the Trial
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15th July 2008
2008 YAMAHA 24 HOUR TRIAL – ONE FOR THE AGES!
The 2008 Yamaha 24 Hour Reliability Trial turned out to be one for the ages, with a new page of history being made in the Open Solo class and a fairytale finish in the Open Sidecars, with plenty of heart ache and heart break taking place through the night, as happens every year.
After a fantastic battle that lasted right up to the last competitive section the mercurial Shane Diener entered the Kapunda Trotting Complex at about 12.50pm on Sunday afternoon and rode into the pages of 24 Hour Trial history as the first man to win the event 10 times outright, in the process equalling the last record that was yet to have his name alongside, Peter Millsteed’s 5 wins in a row from 1963 – 1967. After not having ridden for 8 weeks due to a shoulder injury there was a slight cloud over Shane’s fitness going into the event, but after a cautious first lap Shane, as he has done so often, turned up the heat through the night laps to put all the pressure back on his competition. With the SA Dirt Bikes Kawasaki KLX450 working perfectly Shane was able to chase fellow Gawler MCC member, Tom Oye, all night without the worry of bike problems.
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Shane finishes at Kapunda
Having Shane behind him must have inspired Tom, as although he was a dark horse and was thought of as a probable top 10 finisher, he wasn’t expected to challenge for the win. But challenge for the win he did, and in a career finish in the 24 Hour Tom came home in a brilliant 2nd place. After riding a postie scooter in 2007, riding his WRF250 Yamaha this year must have felt like riding a lounge chair, and, Tom almost gave major sponsor, Yamaha, their first win in the 3 years they have been major sponsor. Right behind Tom, and in his maiden ride in the 24 Hour, and first ever event riding at night, the 24 Hour’s first ever international, New Zealand’s Chris Power gave Yamaha 3rd place, as well as second. Speaking to Chris early on lap 2 he was being cautious as night fell, getting used to night riding, but by lap 3 he was back in the groove and having a ball and thoroughly enjoying the experience, as his result shows. The Open Sidecars turned into a race of attrition, and the result was one for the ages, as 2008 rookie sidecar rider, Chris Schultz, with passenger Stu Gerhardy (who had his first ride in the 24 Hour in 1983, 25 years ago), rode a brilliantly thought out, consistent and trouble free ride to come home in front of perennial runners up, Mark Launer & Matt Neldner.
The Gawler MCC team of Schultz & Gerhardy have both had varying success in the ‘All Nighter’ before as passengers and have long been a team in moto trials, but 2008 is their first year in reliability trials together. For Stuey, who at 40 years young and in his 25th year as a passenger, this caps, what has been a long and successful career of keeping the third wheel down.
For the Keyneton team of Launer and Neldner it turned out to be another year of ‘if only’! Leading the event through most of lap 3 the team had a big off near the end of the lap with Mark damaging his shoulder and collar bone. Most teams would have pulled out at this stage, but the desire to win after 3 2nd places as a team (Mark also as one other 2nd place) kept them going to try and break through for the win. It was perhaps the effort of the event for Mark to ride lap 4, in pain and struggling to hang on.
Leading the field on the road can be a disadvantage, marking the track for everyone but it didn’t stop Glenn Bowles and Matt Lee from rounding out the podium and taking out 3rd place. This was the second year running the team rode with number 1 on their bike, and a trouble free run through out the night was rewarded with a career finish for Glenn and another podium for 2004 winning passenger, Matt.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS SOLO & OUTRIGHT T – SHANE DIENER
2ND – TOM OYE
3RD – CHRIS POWER (NZ)
SIDECAR
1ST – CHRIS SCHULTZ / STU GERHARDY
2ND – MARK LAUNER / MATT NELDNER
3RD – GLENN BOWLES / MATT LEE
A FULL RUNDOWN ON THE EVENT, ALONG WITH FULL RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED NEXT WEEK.
Andrew Warnest