WHILE the Master of Mac Park is a time-honoured motorcycle racing event, last weekend’s racing did not end ideally for Portland rider Travis Baas.
Baas competed in the superbike class aboard a 1000cc Suzuki, but his weekend was over early in the second qualifying period on Saturday.
He became a victim of the sport, which is not uncommon in motorcycle racing.
Baas has been a regular competitor at the McNamara Park circuit and knows the track well.
But Saturday it all went pear shaped when turning his bike into the “water tower” corner.
“I had just put a new tyre in for the second qualifying session, so I had a bit more grip and was pushing a bit harder,” Baas said.
“I arrived at the water tower corner, tipped the bike in, lost the front end and went down hard early in the corner.
“I probably went in a bit quicker than I normally do.
“One minute I was turning in and the next minute I was picking myself up off the ground.”
Losing the front end in a corner is often one of the softest ways to crash a motorcycle, but Baas’s injuries appeared worse than he would have expected.
“I have broken a few ribs, broken my shoulder blade, ground down the knuckle on one finger and the edge of another finger and I also punctured my lung,” he said.
“Maybe as I had my hand on the brake and tipped in I may have hit a bump – the brakes are pretty sensitive.
“When you get to that first apex you are hanging off the bike, so if you tuck the bike in there you are normally off.
“The bike goes one way and you go the other way.
“I sort of got pole-driven into the asphalt still on the bike I reckon.”
Motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport, which Baas recognises.
He has been riding for many years and clearly enjoys the sport.
With a 14-year hiatus at one stage, Baas returned to racing on the 1000cc machine.
At 45 years of age he accepts the risks.
“It was just another day at the office racing motorcycles,” Baas said of his crash.
“It is part of the business – it is not the object, but a by-product of trying to go fast.
“Back in May I was racing at Phillip Island and coming into the hay shed corner I tucked the front end in on the first lap with a cold tyre.
“I went down and was a bit sore, but I walked back, loaded the bike up and drove back to Portland.
“Here it was not a reflection of the track, but the luck of the draw.”
Baas said while the track is known to be bumpy, it has been resurfaced and widened, with extra run-off at corners and some trees removed.
“The track can catch you out, but the club puts on an extra club day to run guys through it,” he said.
“They have a Friday practice, but when you get into the race the rush of blood comes.
“At the end of the day we have a rider’s briefing and they say the sport is dangerous.
“It is our choice to race.”
Baas said his treatment after the crash was “fantastic.”
“Within not even a minute medical people were there helping me,” he said.
“They had an ambulance pick me up and take me to the Mount Gambier hospital.
“All of that was fantastic and all the staff at the hospital have been fantastic as well.”
Despite the crash it appears Baas is in no hurry to slow down just yet.
“I have raced motorbikes for years so it is hard to give it up,” he said.
“After every crash you lose a little bit of speed, then you build up and get back to somewhere where you were.
“I will probably try to get back on the bike and see how I feel.”
