2017 International Festival of Speed

Last weekend we went out to Sydney Motorsport Park for the International Festival of Speed. Formally known as the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed. The event has undergone a name change and is going from strength to strength. This years event was bigger than last years with quite a number of merchandise stands as well as all of those fabulous race bikes.

Our two good friends that we spent racing riding around New Zealand with Stu and Rick were out racing today so we dropped by to see how they were doing.

Stu's GSXR AMA Special

The Festival of Speed is a fantastic event put on by the NSW Post classic racing association. They have a group of international ex road racers riding and talking to the public. This year they had legends such as Giacomo Agostini, Cameron Donald, Troy Bayliss, Kevin Magee, Pierfrancesco Chili, Steve Parish, Graeme Crosby, Maria Costello as well as a host of GP bikes.



Right: Cameron Donald - Aussie Isle of Man TT racer

Troy Bayliss 2 Seater

Above & Below: Pierfrancesco Chili's GSXR 750 World Superbike

Agostini took to the track on the 500cc GP bike. The crowd parted like moses parting the sea. Everyone had gathered around to see and hear the legend and the bike. The bike was so loud.

Troy Bayliss poses with the Road to Nowhere crew

We got to meet Troy Bayliss one of my all time favourite racing hero's. What a top bloke he is and still giving back to the racing community.


Below: Agostini chats whilst showing off all those lovely 350 & 500cc MV Augusta race bikes.

Ricks Z1000 Race bike

Pierfrancesco Chili

Steve Parrish

Dr Kwok

We were watching the top 25 race from the pit roof when it suddenly got read flagged. Looking around I noticed Stu didn't come past. Looking over to turn 9 we saw a bike down and some ambulances. It seems that Stu thought the racing was a bit boring and decided on doing a triple somersault with half twist and pike through the front screen of his bike whilst doing 80kmh, which resulted in him meeting some nice ambulance officers. Mate Tinder sounds like an easier way to meet women.

Stu's little off

After waiting for about 20 minutes outside the Medical centre he emerged. The end result some badly scuffed leathers with and S and a X missing from his name, and a broken collarbone. Besides this bit of bad luck we still had a good day out at the races.

Barry Sheene Festival of Speed

Today I'd been a good boy and the missus let me out to the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed and what a fantastic day it was for it too, not to hot and not cold. There was a great spread of GP & TT legends in attendance. Yeah like who I hear you say. Well how's this sound

• Fast Freddie Spencer - 1985 250cc & 500cc GP World Champion
• Kevin Schwantz - 1993 500cc GP World Champion
• Graeme Crosby - 1982 500cc GP 2nd Place in championship
• Steve Parish - 1977 500cc GP 5th in Championship
• Jeremy McWilliams - 2001 250cc GP 6th in Championship
• Kevin Magee - 1988-89 500cc GP 5th Both Years
• Chris Vermeulan - 2003 World Supersport World Champion
• Maria Costello - Fastest Women at the Isle of man until 2009

Yes sirree it was a good day of classic bike racing with some mega stars. For those that don't know what the Barry Sheene FoS is about here's a quick run down. It is run by the Post Classic Racing association of NSW and the racing consists of the following classic race classes.

Period 1 - VETERAN (up to 31st December 1919)
Period 2 - VINTAGE (1st January 1920 – 31st December 1945)
Period 3 - CLASSIC (1st January 1946 – 31st December 1962)
Period 4 - POST CLASSIC (1st January 1963 – 31st December 1972)
Period 5 - FORGOTTEN ERA (1st January 1973 – 31st December 1982)
Period 6 - NEW ERA (1st January 1983 – 31st December 1990)
Legends - Where the legends on Grand Prix cut a few laps.

Some of our good friends here at the Road to Nowhere were racing at today's event and some went better than others, some engines were still running at the end of the event and others were not, bad luck Dr Kwok
 you missed out on that trophy.

Anyway here are some photo's I took at today's event. I will be back next year as I had a blast. I even got to do some pit crewing for Stu on his AMA spec GSXR 750. Both Stu and Rick got their bikes signed by Kevin Schwantz on the Saturday. and I got to meet him on Sunday and get him to sign my t shirt and poster, yeah total fan boy moment.

Stu's signed bike by Kevin Schwantz

RC30

Wayne Rainey Replica

Dr Kwok

Ricks's bike signed by Kevin Schwantz

Gentlemen, who am I kidding Start your engines

They have a race where just the legends get out on the bikes. Schwantz was riding the RGV500 around looked like classic schwantz with his lanky legs sticking out.

500cc Goodness

Chris Vermuelan

Kevin Schwantz - Racing Legend

Slomax in action

Stu's tyre after the last race

K is for kewl

Maria Costello's bike

Sidecar lunatics

All in all a great day out at the race, yes they might not be the fastest machine on the planet but it is all heart and just classic racing. The crowds were much bigger than the Formula Xtreme racing which is the modern super bikes which says a lot. You can wander in and out of every pit garage practically nothing is off limits to the spectator, as I said I even did some pit crewing for Stu. Barry Sheen Festival of Speed - I'll be back!