The Bears Ducati F1 Racing Team went into the final round for the year, with one rider recovering from surgery and another too ill to ride his Ducati. Peter Hinton #3 Ducati 998S, was still recovering from a broken distal radius and ulna, with internal fixation (plate). David Butler #93 Ducati 955 had been hospitalised during the lead up, with severe food poisoning and was suffering complications in his neck, the result of his horrific crash at the previous round. John Lyons #88 Ducati 996 SPS was fit, but would have liked a faster bike, (as usual).

 

Bloodied but unbowed Hinton and Lyons took to the racing like men on a mission. As high as second, during the year, Peter Hinton stood a fair chance of gaining third, with John Lyons in support. Another Ducati 998S, ridden by Queenslander Dave Dave Fuller #30 being the main threat. In the first heat Lyons managed to garner 3rd place, after a thrilling race long dice against the newer Queensland bike. A similar result was on the cards for race two when Lyons fell whilst leading Fuller at turn 12. "That broke my heart, I shouldn't have fallen, I'd dropped him off, then whamo!" he mused.

 

A number of riders were blown around by wind gusts of 50 knots and more, on the Saturday. Mike Soderland #2 Aprilia RSVR, (second in the Championship), also suffering the same fate. Meanwhile the valiant Peter Hinton was doing his best with an uncooperative broken arm and a field that was fast despite the conditions. Two times Pro-Twins Champion Craig Mc Martin #1 Ducati 998S, winning all four races, qualifying on pole 2 and setting a new lap record twice during the weekend, a 1:35.16 would have been a .34 something, but for the headwind.

 

Lyons recovered from his last place start in race 3, to stage an amazing feat in the final that had race fans cheering. From the second row he stalked two Aprilias and his old friend and rival Dave Fuller on the 998S, and pounced in the last corner of the year, riding 'round them all, at the same spot where he had fallen, to take a fighting third to the Champion, Mc Martin, and the factory supported Aprilia ridden by two times Australian 250 GP title holder Sean Geronomi. "At last!" exclaimed Lyons, "That was hard work but I enjoyed it." he panted. Lyons has consistently been the fastest non Testastretta, and often the second or third fastest Ducati. For a short while he had been the lap record holder at Oran Park, before that too, had been smashed, first by Soderland (Aprilia) and then Mc Martin.

 

The team finished 4th and 5th for the year with young David Butler 10th, making it 3 riders in the top ten and 2 in the top five. "We're lucky that Peter (Hinton) was able to ride this weekend, as we would not have got this result without him, the whole team deserves congratulations, I don't think we could have done any better with the resources we had on hand." smiled Aunty Mal. "We've done our best, but the standard has been raised by a very worthy champion in Craig Mc Martin." he said.

 

The Bears F1 Ducati Racing Team thanks all its supporters and sponsors without whom none of this is possible

NF Importers, Warren Lee, Steve Reeves, Shaun Sutcliffe & Cameron Norman;Bray Properties, Paul Bray; Desmo HQ, Arthur Davis;

DaVanti Developments- Mal Cherlin;Mototech 91, John Allman; Piaggio Vespa Gilera - Michael Lusher; Castrol; MCA;

PRP Racing Projects - Graham McMillan; Bay Timbers – Phil Bear; RB Tyre Warmers;J&T Electrical Contractors - Dave Mifsud;

Lithoteam- Peter Slaminen; GM Edwards; AGV; Diadora Boots; DOCNSW; Moto Concepts, Dave Stone FIM Ulti-Map, Duane Mitchell.

 

Malcolm Cherlin Manager, Bears F1 racing Team.