2018 12-Hour: The ‘Category’ Winners

4 months ago | Words: Andy Wigan | Photos: Donat O'Kelly, Jarrad Duffy

The Transmoto 12-Hour has never been solely about the podium place-getters, which is why we recognise the other standout performances in the 600-strong field by dishing out gongs (and trophies) to the winners of various Team ‘Categories’. Here are your winners of the ‘Mixed Team’ (at least one female rider), ‘Young Guns’ (all riders under 23) and ‘Wise Wizards’ (collective age of at least 200), and Media & Promoter categories at the 2018 12-Hour:

MIXED TEAM

Shortly before the 12-Hour, NSW Southern Highlands resident Mitchell Brennan was contacted and asked if he wanted to race on an existing 12-Hour team. Despite only knowing one of the quartets, and the fact the team’s name (‘Honeybear Racing’) paid derisive homage to his own nickname (based on his tendency to have his hand in the honeypot a fair bit, apparent), Brennan said yes and hurriedly organised his 12-Hour bike and travel plans. By Sunday night, Brennan stood side by side with Heath Pung and the Newcastle husband/wife combination of Kristie-Lee Stephens and Lee Stephens as the winners of the 12-Hour’s Mixed Team category. “Who cares that there were only a couple teams in the category,” Brennan told Transmoto after the event. “We did a total of 26 laps and ran 93^rd Outright out of the 160-odd teams, which we all thought was pretty respectable. Me, Heath, Lee and Kristie-Lee all had a great time. Most of us have been to a few of Transmoto’s events, and this one was the best yet. Loved it!”

WISE WIZARDS

There were a total of six teams on the Wise Wizards category at this year’s 12-Hour – teams with a collective age of at least 200 years – but the ‘Moto Outlet Arthriders’ line-up of Jason Cater, Scott Campbell, John Moore and James Crump were a class above. The aptly named Arthriders were consistently hovering around 25^th Outright throughout the event, slipping to 27^th by the chequers, but putting in a very respectable 30 laps. In second place, some 10 minutes behind the Arthriders, came the ‘3 Men & a Goat’ foursome (Bretty Kenny, Rick Braico, Chris Watkins and Michael “The Goatman” Turner), with Powersport Central Team #3 (Rod Carter, Paul Adams, David Collins, Matthew Small) punching out 26 laps for third in the category.

YOUNG GUNS

The Morisset-based Husqvarna and Yamaha dealership, Powersport Central, sure had their bases covered at the 2018 12-Hour, with teams entered in the Open, Wise Wizards and Young Guns (all riders under 23) categories. But it was PSC’s young pups who stood tallest after 12 gruelling hours of racing at Batemans. After a day-long battle with the under-23 teams from ‘Sutto’s Powersports’ and ‘Fire Trail Bandits’, the ‘Powersport Central Young Guns’ team of Michael Driscoll, Jackson Flaherty, Brendon Walther and Jaiden Corrigan took the category win. They completed 34 laps and ran a very impressive fifth Outright.

MEDIA & PROMOTERS

This ‘Media & Promoters’ category might sound like a bit of a self-serving, trophy-hunting exercise, but it was actually introduced to get other media outlets and event/series promoters engaged with Transmoto Enduro Events. And as an incentive, we offer them a free team entry and VIP treatment. For the 2018 12-Hour, the category had four entries, and it was won by the ‘Transmoto Spreadsheets’ line-up of John Reeks, Wayne Duffy, Darren “Lamb Shank” Lamb, and young KTM-backed AORC racer, Will Price, who was parachuted in at the eleventh hour to make sure the other three old blokes didn’t have to bust a gut all day. The Transmoto Spreadsheets nailed 30 laps and finished a super-solid 24^th Outright. They were followed by the ‘Trailbikerallys’ team (the lads who run the Watagan Trail Bike Rally – Chris Flaherty, David Gidzala, Byers Litchfield and Michael Lienau), and ‘Transmoto Start Ya Bastards’ (Gareth Cooper, Christian Barrett, Andrew Hamilton and the AWOL Rob Mather).