THE inaugural Australian three-day Vintage Enduro was held in Blackwood, Victoria last weekend, with 100 riders covering over 600km of treacherous terrain.
Mount Gambier’s Todd Nicholson and Paul Morish, together with Port Fairy’s Michael Pickert, teamed up to tackle the event, which tested both mental and physical endurance over the weekend of competition.
The trio took out the club teams victory for the best combined score in the field, which saw representation from all over Australia.
It was an impressive achievement, as there were no age groups and each of the riders are aged over 50.
To add to their success, they all finished with individual silver medals.
To classify for a “Vinduro” event, bikes must be 1988 models or older, with the field split into several classes.
Nicholson rode a 1985 Yamaha IT200 and Morish competed on a 1986 Honda XR250, both in the V4 category for bikes built between 1983-87, while Pickert was in the V3 class for 1980-83 models on his 1980 Yamaha IT175.
The idea was cooked up over the Christmas period, while Nicholson was crayfishing with his two childhood mates.
“We have been motor racing together since we were in our teens and are still friends to this day,” he said.
“The whole plan was devised while cooking some crayfish in the Woolwash Caravan Park.
“We called ourselves the Southern Lobsterers.”
The enduro competition consisted of a series of trials, where riders must stick within a minute of the given time limit.
“We all went really well,” Nicholson said.
“I got a three-minute penalty on Saturday which took me out of gold medal contention and Mick got a two-minute penalty which took him out of it too, so we all ended up with silver medals.
“To win a gold you have to be within 10pc of your class winner’s time.
“Mick ran 10.8pc, I ran 14.2pc and Paul ran 13.8pc, so we were very close to the gold medal.”
Due to the scoring system, several gold, silver and bronze medals were given out, as times were close in all classes.
Nicholson’s overall class position was 11th in V4, while Morish finished ninth in the same class and Pickert was the first of the silver medal winners in V3 with an overall sixth place.
However, Nicholson said their aim heading into the weekend was simply to be competitive in the team event, with the individual performances a bonus.
“Our mission for the whole thing was to win the team event,” he said.
“We were very happy with that.
“We had some major moments – Mick had mechanical issues on the first day and dropped two minutes which probably cost him a gold medal and I had a reasonably good accident on Saturday afternoon.
“I drowned the bike in a fairly big hole and I could not get it out.
“I very nearly gave up, but luckily Mick came along behind me and helped me restart the bike.
“I dropped three minutes.”
That could have been more, but because of a wet terrain allowance of 10 minutes, Nicholson did not drop too far behind.
However, valuable time was lost which could have seen him claim gold.
In addition to the trials, special tests were held in the morning and afternoon of each day, which allowed for bonus points to be added to overall scores.
“Our special test times were pretty good each day,” Nicholson said.
“It is a track you have not seen – you line up and are only racing the time.
“Extra points are awarded for who can go the fastest.
“My best special test time was a third on Saturday morning.”
The final event for the weekend was a motocross race, which saw five laps on a grass track.
Riders were sent out 10 at a time based off special test times, with Nicholson starting in the first group and finishing third.
He was pleased with his result as he faced some tough competition.
“I started in the 0-10 group and ran third,” he said.
“I was beaten by the first and second overall winners, so I was very happy with that.
“Geoff Ballard and Scott Noble ran first and second.
“I would probably be right in saying Geoff Ballard is the most decorated rider in the history of Australian enduro racing – he is regarded as the legend of the sport.
“To run third to him – although quite comprehensively beaten – was nice.”
Pickert also did well to run second in the 20-30 group, while Morish started in the 10-20 group and finished third.
When asked if the trio would team up again for next year’s event, Nicholson said it remains to be seen.
“Once the pain wears off we might think about it again,” he joked.
“It was very trying and very difficult.”
He said some of the terrain the riders were faced with was “absolutely outrageous”.
“There were some places you would not even consider walking, let alone riding,” Nicholson said.
“I cannot understand how the organisers managed to set the course out.
“Some of the rock crossings, creeks and down hill drops or riding off cliffs and stuff, you just simply could not walk up or down.”
Regardless of the conditions, there were no serious injuries and despite “almost drowning” on Saturday, Nicholson came out relatively unscathed.
The aim is for the Vinduro to be held annually and eventually become a nationally sanctioned event., with Nicholson honoured to compete in its first running.
“We were very privileged to be in the inaugural one and to have a win in the team event – we did not imagine we would,” he said.
