Speedway. No, not within the Daytona or Bristol sense. It’s a type of motorbike racing which takes place on filth ovals, and it’s vastly well-liked in Europe. It’s additionally considered the nationwide sport in Poland, which this week performed host to a Speedway competitors with a distinction.
Like all types of motorsport it’s vastly specialist, with custom-made bikes the likes of which you gained’t discover anyplace else being the instruments of the commerce. However when Maciej “Magic” Janowski threw down the gauntlet to the world of motorsport and stated, “Come and have a go for those who assume you may beat me,’ it led to an intriguing competitors.
Happening at Wrocław’s Stadion Olimpijski, the distinctive Purple Bull Speedways contest noticed athletes from the worlds of rallying, drifting, and — being a Purple Bull occasion — System 1 take to the filth in a bid to dethrone Magic. With a 500cc engine and a high pace of round 80mph, if it was a sport of stats, the bike may as properly have stayed at dwelling, however the true world tells a really completely different story. This was Magic and his Stuha’s dwelling turf.
The four-wheeled machines might have been up towards it, however Magic noticed issues in a different way and was impressed by what he confronted.
“On the check day I used to be shocked how good they went and and began to be slightly extra confused,” he instructed RACER. “However no query, this can be a speedway bike made for a speedway observe so it will have been a disgrace to lose, however I’m grateful to have all these automobiles on this observe.”
Naturally, gentle work was made from the rally automobile — a Volkswagen Polo GTI, the cream of the Rally2 crop, pushed by Adam Małysz — and the drift machine — a extremely modified Toyota GR86 pedaled by Jakub “Kuba” Przygonski — however what concerning the F1 automobile? We hear each day that it’s the head of motorsport, and the automobile in query, the 2011 championship-winning RB7 within the arms of 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard, should have simply had the bike lined — anyplace else, at the very least.
Kuba Przygonski entertained the group along with his drifting Toyota, though he couldn’t fairly match the F1 automobile. Damian Kramski/Purple Bull Content material Pool
The automobile was largely unchanged from its Showrun kind — primarily because it was raced in interval, albeit it with sure parts of beneath ground aero eliminated, a raised experience peak, traction management programmed into the automobile’s electronics, and followers fitted onboard to assist cooling — however Pirelli developed particular tires for the occasion. Initially anticipated to resemble the Italian model’s World Rally rubber, tires nearer to System 1’s moist climate tires have been delivered, however made up of a a lot bigger compound.
“I’ve received no comparability, so I’m going to should say they did their job,” Coulthard instructed RACER of the distinctive boots on his ex-Mark Webber machine. “Usually while you do tire growth, you do back-to-backs, and also you then really feel and also you see all that kind of factor. (However) properly finished Pirelli, the tires are nonetheless on the automobile in order that’s a very good signal.”
The competitors adopted an Olympic cycling-style pursuit format with rivals beginning at reverse ends of the observe. It was a slim affair, however Magic wasn’t to be overwhelmed at his personal sport, even when within the numbers sport he was simply backside of the pile.
He had Coulthard and the RB7 licked till Coulthard turned the tables — and the observe — and known as for a rematch going clockwise.
So what, simply flip proper as a substitute of left, huh? Effectively, very like in oval racing on 4 wheels, the Speedway bike is designed to go just one means. The exhaust placement and steering setup makes it a a lot larger problem for the rider to beat, and with the dearth of brakes, there’s little or no in the best way of a get out of jail free card ought to issues go fallacious. We gained’t say that’s what occurred, nevertheless it was sufficient of a gamechanger to lastly see Magic defeated.
“I used to be fearful as a result of we by no means really try this a lot — possibly I attempted twice, thrice earlier than nevertheless it’s arduous to show proper due to the exhaust,” Magic stated. “It was arduous.”
Maciej Janowski whooped Coulthard when going the suitable means spherical…however then issues received extra sophisticated. Damian Kramski/Purple Bull Content material Pool
Coulthard’s name for a rematch resulted within the day ending with a 1-1 draw, and Magic pondering what the decider might be. Coulthard, nonetheless, dominated out a experience swap for spherical three.
“I feel it’s safer for everybody that I don’t race the speedway bike,” he stated. “But it surely’s nice to see the competitors, the speeds, to only perceive the challenges they’ve as a result of in my thoughts, I knew it was filth however I assumed under the filth there was tarmac or concrete or one thing, in order that they actually should be reactive, like rally drivers, so I actually loved experiencing that and coming right here.”
“I loved the expertise. Everybody’s going dwelling protected, no champagne and trophy, nevertheless it was nonetheless nice to be a part of the competitors.”
“The problem while you’ve received very restricted working is you solely discover out the place the restrict is while you’re sliding in direction of an air barrier, and we don’t have the spares!” – DAVID COULTHARD
However was all of it in useless? Was the F1 automobile overwhelmed earlier than it even took to the observe? Coulthard had just a few concepts of how he may higher himself if the competition was redone.
“If I had a a lot wider course to know — as a result of mainly while you drive a rally automobile, you’ve received to maintain it floored to tug your self by way of the automobile, and a system automobile, you don’t try this since you simply burn your tires out,” he stated. “However I feel if I had a bit more room to play with, then a barely extra aggressive driving type would’ve been faster.
“However the problem while you’ve received very restricted working is you solely discover out the place the restrict is while you’re sliding in direction of an air barrier, and we don’t have the spares!
“So all issues thought-about, I’m fairly pleased with how we confirmed up. It was the competitors nobody knew we would have liked, however this feels prefer it won’t be the final time we see one thing like this.”
So there you have got it. Can a System 1 automobile race on a dust oval? Sure. However whereas Coulthard joked that it was a “match made in heaven,” it’s in all probability not one thing that groups will need to be making a behavior of.
