The Australian challenge for the King of the Mountain title at this year’s Silverstone Race to the Sky is likely to come from three times competitor Steve Riley in his unique twin engine special.
In previous appearances in 2002 and 2003 he finished second and third respectively. He considers his entry this year has what it takes to put him back on the podium. While he is all too aware of what it will take to topple Japan’s Monster Tajima, he thinks he has as good a chance as anyone, to finish in the runner-up position.
“The Telecard/Cashcard sponsored 4WD twin engine, open wheeled car, aptly named the ‘billy cart’ is definitely good enough to take on everyone except Monster. There are about five guys who could take second place and who knows what’s going to happen on the day.”
Steve and his mechanic, Chris Stone, built the ‘billy cart’ in a farm shed in Leongatha, Victoria. Drawing on Riley’s past experience as a Honda works rider in the Australian Safari, the unusual machine is powered by two Hayabusa 1300cc motorbike engines, and is literally driven by chains and sprockets.
“It’s about as agricultural as you can get. What it lacks in engineering sophistication it makes up for in raw power which transforms the ‘billy cart’ into a missile that punches out about 250kw and weighs around 650kg,” says Steve.
He says the team has focused on improving the steering and suspension which sports Ohlins shock absorbers. The car has two gearboxes, and a specially fabricated shifting system has been developed to ensure that the gear changes occur simultaneously. All the modifications have been subjected to extensive testing.
“The vehicle is rather violent to drive and can have a mind of its own mid-corner, but fortunately the road in Race to the Sky is quite wide relative to its size, which means that those big drop offs aren't as close as they might look.”
Steve says they are expecting a much better performance than they had from the machine in 2003 when they clocked 8m 46 secs.
“We have sorted a lot of problems and done a lot of testing. We certainly should get a quicker time, it’s just whether we can pull it off. Everyone’s got cars now which are purpose built. These top guys are getting very serious.”
Steve Riley’s Australian racing colleague Brett Hayward, who is a regular competitor at the Race to the Sky, is likely to be another main contender for a placing.
“His Suzuki Special suffered problems last year and he has a point to prove this year. He has done heaps of testing and it’s going well,” says Steve.
The Australians are planning to make a big impact at the Race to the Sky and their high-profile Aussie tent which will fly their national flag will be very visible,
“You will certainly know we are there!”
The 2005 Silverstone Race to the Sky is scheduled for Easter Weekend, March 26 and 27 at The Snow Farm in Cardrona Valley, close to Queenstown and Wanaka.
