Motorcycling greats Wes Cooley and Graeme Crosby are in Timaru for a motorbike event 40 years after first riding there in 1977.
Back in the seventies Kiwi Graeme Crosby and American Wes Cooley started as rivals, became team-mates and were finally friends.
The motorcycling legends reunited at the Southern Classic at Levels on Friday, among an all-star line-up of Australian and New Zealand greats who are set to entertain this weekend.
Los Angeles-born Cooley, 61, a two-time United States superbike champion, is no stranger to Timaru.
He raced at Levels during the Marlboro Series in the 1970s, when one of his rivals was an equally young Crosby.
“It was actually my best race of the series,” Cooley said referring to his 1977 effort.
They later teamed up to win the prestigious Suzuka 8-Hour race in 1980 aboard a Yoshimura Suzuki and are now much in demand as celebrity guests in Japan.
The machine Cooley will ride at Timaru is a replica of that Suzuki – recently completed by Crosby in his Matakana workshop.
“It’s known as a Wes Cooley replica not because of the manufacturers themselves but it’s what the fans call the white and baby blue bike.”
Two other big names, multi New Zealand champion Andrew Stroud and multi Canadian champion Gary Goodfellow, will be putting in some parade laps on rare Christchurch-built Brittens.
Others taking part in the ‘Parade of Champions’ and later providing part of the clubhouse evening entertainment on Saturday evening are Kiwis Aaron Slight, Hugh Anderson, John Boote, Paul McLachlan, Dennis Charlett, John Hepburn and Jock Woodley, plus Australians Robbie Phillis and Scott Stephens.
But it’s not all about the stars of yesteryear.
The Southern Classic has attracted more than 300 motorcycle entries,and nearly as many riders, keen to chase podium places over a action-packed two days of racing.
“It’s great being back here in Timaru so many years after first racing here,” Cooley said.
He is not competing in any of the races due to a bad accident in 1985 which saw him break numerous bones in his body and walk away from the sport but will be doing a few parade rides throughout the tree-day event to show off his 1981 Suzuki American Superbike.
“I struggle to hold the handle bars for long periods now and back when I was badly injured I was into medicine so I went and got into nursing and did that for nearly 30 years.”
The chance to came back here to Timaru popped up last year and Cooley and Crosby jumped at the chance.
“We’ve both tried to stay away from the sport but events like this just keep bringing us back, it’s hard to stay away,” Crosby said.
Cooley and Crosby agreed that events like this were awesome as you get as close as possible to the action but also help out the other teams.
“They’ve alienated Moto GP and those events now.
“I went to one and I was 300 yards away from the track, here you’re much closer and I can go into the pits and offer some advice to other drivers, that’s what it’s about.”
Source :Stuff.co.nz
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