OLD TIMERS!?

We all know someone who’s been doing something for so long, they can virtually do it with their eyes shut. Y’know, the sort of person who’s been around the block and seen it all before, and seems impossible to fluster; who remains impeccably cool, calm and collected, even when the shit’s hitting the fan. Well, the amusing characters who handle the timing services for Transmoto’s events – “Count” Steve Squires and “Lord” Danny Graham – are two perfect examples.
But don’t think for a minute this odd clock-watching couple are flippant about what they do. No, these blokes are two of Australia’s most highly credentialed motorcycle event officials, whose abilities and experience ensure that one of any race event’s most important services – timing and results – is handled with abject professionalism. Okay, quirky abject professionalism!

Here’s what Steve Squires had to say over a few beers after plying his feet-up trade at the inaugural Transmoto 8-Hour in Dargo, Victoria, last year…

“Danny Graham and I have been involved with countless races and events around the country, but we’ve become regulars at Transmoto Enduro Events because we always enjoy ourselves at them. They’re well run by a great bunch of blokes and they seem to attract good-natured punters. We enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, and doing the timing is not as intense as the national-level events we also officiate at. People are there to enjoy themselves with their friends, rather than being super-competitive and single-minded about winning. Having said that, all the equipment we use is the same as what we’ll use at an Australian Championship event.
“Danny and I are both qualified as a Steward, Clerk of Course and Venue Inspector, so we’ll often swap roles from one event to the next. At the events, if one of us in up to the eyeballs handling some issue, the other makes sure he doesn’t go hungry. As long as Danny has his smokes and a couple of cups of coffee, he’s content [laughs]. “When you run what I call ‘premier events’, you’ll always have people who’ll have them on their bucket list and travel a long way to tick them off that list. And it’s pretty clear these days that that’s exactly what Transmoto’s events have become.”

This content was originally published in the July-August 2016 issue (#57) of Transmoto’s digital flipmag.