A FAMILIAR name was on the top step of 2019 Master of Mac Park Sidecars podium, with the Limestone Coast pairing of Stephen and David Jones winning another crown on Sunday.
The father and son combination was a cut above the field to win their fifth Master of Mac Park title together by the handsome margin of 20 seconds.
Their incredible advantage was a reflection of their dominance during the six laps of the McNamara Park circuit, which they led from start to finish.
Stephen Jones chalked up his seventh victory as a rider and said the faultless performance was the result of a hard-working weekend.
“We had a good day and just went for it in the last race,” he said.
“We got a good start, built a solid gap and just kept out of mischief.
“We had a few issues (on Saturday) that we were able to sort out, but we have done thousands of laps here and know the track quite well.”
The Jones pair crushed the opposition to dominate the round.
But they saved their most complete performance for the feature race on the Suzuki 1133cc machine.
Every lap was an exhibition of the Jones’ speed, but none more so than the second, when the duo smashed the race lap record.
They knocked off their own two-year benchmark by a full second with a time of 1:20.980.
Stephen said it was just the by-product of a perfect lap, but there was no intention on eclipsing the number.
“We just pushed for a good lap and sometimes they come along and you get a smooth one,” he said.
“When you get all your braking marks and corners right, the lap just comes along.
“It definitely was not aimed for, but I just wanted to get ahead (of the pack).”
Passenger David said the success with his son is one of the proudest moments of his long career.
“The most special part was doing it with my son,” he said.
“I have been racing for about 30 years and we combined bikes a few years ago, but it was great doing it.”
Sidecar motorcycle racing can be one of the most spectacular sights in sport, with the passenger often seen hanging off the bike’s edge at high speed.
But David said Stephen’s riding style makes it much easier to deal with the challenge.
“It can be a little bit frightening on the odd occasion, but nine times out of 10, Stephen rides a smooth lap,” he said.
“When you get all your markers on the track, it all runs smoothly and goes a little bit like clockwork.
“It probably looks more scary on the side of the road than on the track.”
With seven of the last eight Master of Mac Park Sidecars titles won by Stephen, some might question his desire to keep coming back year after year.
But he said it was always a special trophy to have next to his name.
“Thanks to dad I have pretty much grown up here, I have done thousands of laps,” Stephen said.
“Being a local, the Master of Mac Park is a prestigious thing to try and win.”
