News

2012 July to December Phillip Island dates are live!

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:03:57 +1000

The Phillip Island Ride Days Team is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 event dates between July and December. Bookings are now open online, so you can start salivating. What could be better than cutting laps at the best circuit in the world?

For those members who have provided a current postal address you should be receiving your hard copy of the July to December 2012 calendar next week at your allocated postal address. In addition to the latest dates on offer you’ll also see details on the new Ride Rewards (RR) Program – formerly the Member Rewards Program (MRP) – which will be launched on July 1, 2012.

The thinking behind the Rider Rewards (RR) Program is simple; we want you to come back! As part of (Motorcycling Events Group Australia) M.E.G.A.'s RR Program, every time you complete a ride day with either Phillip Island Ride Days or Eastern Creek Ride Days you take one step closer to receiving greater rewards. Rider Rewards is a program that has significant benefits from your very first ride. In fact if you complete 20 ride days in one financial year your rewards could tally up to an impressive $2,200.00 in discounts and freebies.

There are no fees or ongoing obligations, just become a Rider Rewards Member by tapping the JOIN NOW button and keep doing what it is you love to do – ride! If you’re already a member of Phillip Island Ride Days you’re already a member of the Ride Rewards Program, we’ve done it all for you. So what are the rewards?

After completing your:

1st ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
10% California Superbike School Level 1 Discount
4th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
5th ride day you receive a Unlimited Free MADAZ tyre fitting service on tyres purchased through MADAZ
6th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
9th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
10th ride day you receive a Free Suspension evaluation and tuning
11th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
14th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
15th ride day you receive a Free Ride Day
16th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
19th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
20th ride day you receive a Free Full Face Helmet

In addition, as of July 1, 2012, you will be able to see how your Rider Rewards are tracking after each event by simply visiting your own personal Rider Rewards status page. More details to follow, but in short on your personal status page you will find all your available rewards which you can use there and then to make you next booking online.

To celebrate the relaunch of the rewards program any member rewards accumulated from January 1 to June 30, 2012 as part of former Member Rewards Program will automatically transfer over the new Rider Rewards Program. When you factor in that the new Rider Rewards Program runs between July 1 to June 30 period, rather than the calendar year, you’ll have a whopping 18 months to accumulate more rides and as a result more rewards!

You can use your full Rider Reward discounts as you receive them or tally them up and use them in one hit up to the value of 100% off your next ride day. You just need to ensure you use your reward points by the end of each financial year. To start the benefits just get to the track and do exactly what it is you love to do… Ride!

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a date click here to download PIRD dates to your outlook calendar and set those reminders!

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.

Take advantage of PIRD pre-season rates

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:36:07 +1000

If you’re keen to get in some riding at the Island before winter kicks in, and you would like to be the first to take advantage of the Phillip Island Ride Days reduced pre-season rate, then there are two dates in May which may just put a smile on your dial.

Place are still available in both the Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th of May event dates for just $229 – down from $259.

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.

Just remember to book yourself in the correct riding group so that you get the most from your day at the track. While there are no speed limits as such, Phillip Island Ride Days runs graded groups in an attempt to have riders of a similar ability and/or speed share the track.

Grouping guidelines are as follows:
C – Slow Group (white)
First time track riders and/or
Slow-speed track riders and/or
Slow-medium speed road riders

B – Medium Group (yellow)
Riders who have participated in at least one PIRD and are at the faster end of Slow Group and/or
Riders who have participated in several ride days at another track and/or
Riders who have some formal advanced rider training and/or
Medium-fast speed road riders

B1 – Medium-fast Group (green)
Riders who have participated in several PIRD and are at the faster end of Medium Group and/or
Riders who have participated in several ride days at another track and/or
Riders who have a high level of formal advanced rider training

A - Fast Group (red)
Very experienced and fast track riders (PI or other) and/or
Racers

Download 2012 PIRD dates to Outlook!

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:20:05 +1000

Add 2012 PIRD dates to your Outlook calendar!

> Right click on the file and select "Save Link As..."
> Save the file
> Open the file, check the box and click "OK"

And voila!

PIRD Office Xmas holiday dates

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:53:28 +1000

With the weather improving and the festive season just around the corner the Phillip Island Ride Days (PIRD) team is looking forward to a short break over Christmas and New Year’s. As a result the office will be closed from the 22nd of December until the 3rd of January.

Any bookings with this period can be completed online.

The PIRD team wishes you a very Merry Xmas and a wonderful New Year. We thank you for sharing your passion for motorcycling with us and we'll see you at the track in 2012!

Team Suzuki Australia powers to Phillip Island 8 Hour success

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:14:25 +1000

The Suzuki Australia factory-backed outfit of Josh Waters, Troy Herfoss and Robert Bugen didn’t put a foot wrong on the Suzuki GSX-R1000, starting from pole position before seizing control from the outset – a Le Mans start – thanks to the in-form Waters.

With an impressive back-up service from Herfoss and Bugden, the trio already had a vice-like grip on the race by the halfway mark, and the final stanza was all about maintaining a consistent pace, staying clear of any potential trouble, and making sure their fuel and tyre management strategies were spot on.

And they made every post a winner, with the GSX-R1000 completing 279 laps – 1241km – of the 4.448km circuit to finish five laps ahead of the GSX-R600 piloted by Brodie Waters, Ben Attard and Mitchell Carr.

Josh Waters also set the fastest lap of the race (1:34.805) to make it a clean sweep of accolades for the winning machine.

“It was a pretty cool day, and the team didn’t miss a beat all day,” said Josh Waters. “It’s also been great working with two great riders and it’s a credit to Suzuki and our whole team for the way the bikes have been prepared.

“I’m also stoked that my brothers have joined me on the podium, and it will certainly make for a great photo.”

Waters finished third in last year’s Phillip Island 6 Hour alongside former Suzuki teammate Shawn Giles.

Meanwhile, the Cube Racing GSX-R1000 of Ben Henry, Bryan Staring and Nicholas Waters began the race in impressive fashion, swapping second position with Waters, Attard and Carr for a fair amount of time until the Cude Racing machine became firmly ensconced in third spot by the four-hour mark.

Suzuki’s domination of the top placings didn’t end at the top three, with the Superstock 1000-spec, Bridgestone-backed GSX-R1000 of Trent Gibson, Greg Epis and Jay Layman finishing an excellent fourth, ahead of the WNR Kawasaki ZX-6R Supersport machine of Scott, Jed Metcher and Alex Cudlin.

The WNR Team was expected to push Waters/Carr/Attard all the way in the Supersport class, but some early woes saw them drop well outside the top 10 – and with it any chance of a top three finish.

In the Superstock 600 category WET4U Racing (Paul Grant-Mitchell/Colin Lewis/Murray Clark/Michael Thomas, ZX-6R) took the win ahead of the coaching trio of the California Superbike School (Suzuki GSX-R600) Kris Parnell, Josh Galster and Adam Raffe, who teamed up with their 16-year-old CSS student Luke Martin.

Former AFL great Jason Akermanis’ Honda-backed team with Aron Burgess, Andrew Kendrick and Dean Oughtred finished in 16th spot, and third in the Superstock 600 class, despite being troubled by a warped disc in the last 90 minutes.

Miltronics Corporation (Steve Cutting/Dean Holmes/Phillip Gray, Triumph Daytona 675) took the win in the Bears.

No less than 22 of the 25 teams completed the distance.

TOP 10 RESULTS

1. Team Suzuki (Josh Waters/ Herfoss/Robbie Bugden), GSX-R1000, 279 laps
2. Team Suzuki (Brodie Waters/Mitchell Carr/Ben Attard), GSX-R600 +5 laps
3. Cube Racing (Ben Henry, Bryan Staring/Nicholas Waters), GSX-R1000, +9 laps
4. Bridgestone (Trent Gibson/Greg Epis/Jay Layman), GSX-R1000, +15 laps
5. WNR Kawasaki (Glenn Scott/Jed Metcher/Alex Cudlin), ZX-6R, +17 laps
6. Lovetts Earthmoving (Phil Lovett, Simon Galloway/Dustin Goldsmith, Kawasaki ZX-10R, +19 laps
7. WET4U Racing (Paul Grant-Mitchell/Colin Lewis/Murray Clark/Michael Thomas), ZX-6R, +24 laps
8. California Superbike School (Kris Parnell/Luke Martin/Josh Galster/Adam Raffe), GSX-R600, +25 laps
9. Mick Muldoon Kawasaki (Sam Muldoon/Steve Wood/Jim Burke), ZX-10R, +27 laps
10. Dirty Bits Racing (Rob Vikuckis/Jamie Videon/Brian Clow), ZX-6R, +27 laps

Official Phillip Island Circuit release

Perfect Ride Day Bikes for sale

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:10:33 +1000

Are you looking for the perfect ride day bike or a great road bike? Well look no further, MADAZ has just what you’ve been searching for with a limited selection of well-maintained ‘08 Suzuki GSX-R600s to choose from. Formerly hire bikes for the ride day program, this is what you get:

• 2008 GSX-R600 liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder DOHC four-stroke
• Odometer reading: between 12,000km and 15,000km
• Serviced and/or inspected after every ride day
• Racers Edge Race fairings fitted
• Standard running gear: Engine, exhaust, suspension, gearing etc.
• Not registered

Prices start from $8000.00 for the abovementioned track setup, however if you’re interested in taking it to the streets MADAZ also has the original road gear, never been used and still boxed up, for $1000.00 per set with every bike sale.

If you already have a GSX-R600 and are in need of a set of original road fairings, these are available from $1500.00 per set.

2012 Phillip Island Ride Day dates released!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:13:02 +1000

Phillip Island Ride Days is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 calendar dates between January and June. Bookings are now being taken for upcoming ride days within the first six months of the 2012 season.

For those members who have provided a current postal address you should be receiving your hard copy of the 2012 calendar this November in your letterbox.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a date click here to download PIRD dates to your outlook calendar.

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.

Grouping guidelines are as follows:
C – Slow Group (white)
First time track riders and/or
Slow-speed track riders and/or
Slow-medium speed road riders

A - Fast Group (red)
Very experienced and fast track riders (PI or other) and/or
Racers

New Marketing Manager

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:01:34 +1000

The Phillip Island Ride Day (PIRD) team is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Marketing Manager, Martin Port. A long time motorcycle enthusiast, Martin brings a wealth of experience to the team in both motorcycle marketing and event management.

The name may sound familiar for those who used to read Australian Motorcycle News between 1995 and 2000, at which point Martin was the chief sports bike test rider and Sports Editor.

Martin has since spent the past 10 years in Europe, initially in the MotoGP World Championship as Marketing and Communications Manager at Yamaha Motor Corporation, before moving into the field of event productions – executing international product launches for key manufacturers in the motorcycle industry.

The PIRD team would like to welcome Martin to the team and look forward to seeing what his contribution will bring.

Q&A
A quick interview with Motorcycling Events Group Australia’s (California Superbike School, Phillip Island Ride Days, Eastern Creek Ride Days) new Marketing Manager…

So you’re a bike enthusiast, give us a little background on your riding experience?
Yeah, well where to begin. I started riding bikes back when I was 12-years-old, for fun with my mates out the back paddock. I think mum thought it would keep me out of trouble… ah if she only knew. I fooled around on dirt bikes in that way up until I was 18, when I went and passed my motorcycle licence.

One of my first big bike trips was down to the 1990 Grand Prix at Phillip Island to see Wayne Gardner take the win ahead of Mick Doohan, Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson. It was from that moment I fell in love with motorcycle racing and knew I had to give it a go.

Within a year I had a race bike, a 250cc Proddie and managed that for a few years before moving into the Australian Supersport Championship. Racing opened up so many doors for me on a professional level, more than I could have ever imagined.

It led to me working as a motorcycle instructor for around 4 years, before starting at Australian motorcycle News as their Sports Editor and sport bike test rider.

Martin on his way to winning the 2008 Barcelona 24Hour Endurance Race

It wasn’t long after that you moved to Europe and began working in the MotoGP World Championship, what were you doing there and what was it like?
It was 2000 when the family and I moved over to Europe and I began working as the Marketing and Events Manager in the MotoGP World Championship. It was an amazing experience, to rub shoulders every weekend with the best riders in the world, to work closely with them on a day to day basis. It was like a childhood dream come true. But it’s also a very intense environment to work in, the workload and the travel. I think in my first year I’d been on the road for nearly 200 days in one season.

Did you work with Valentino Rossi?
Yes, Vale was one of the riders I worked with on a number of promotional projects and at the track each weekend. He’s an amazing talent, and very focussed when he’s at the track. But once he’s away from the media he’s just a guy who wants to have a little fun, relax with friends. But as you can imagine this isn’t easy for him to do as the media and public interest is unbelievable.

After working in the MotoGP World Championship you moved on to producing world launches for the motorcycle industry. Tell us a little about that.
It seemed like to logical next step, at least to me. Managing large scale international motorcycle launches required all the skills that I had learnt over the years and encapsulated it in this one role. Most importantly it revolved around what I loved… motorcycles. And I have to admit there were quite a few perks. It was great to be able to see and test the latest products well before they ever hit the market place. I must admit I was very lucky to have found such an opportunity and to have gained the experiences I did.

So why have you joined MEGA and what do you hope to accomplish?
I was looking for a company with a good product and a great team where I could bring my experience in both marketing and events to the table, and see if I can make a difference to help that company take that next step in its development. Finding a business that is also as passionate about motorcycles as I am is a massive bonus.

After spending time chatting with Steve Brouggy (MEGA’s Managing Director) I could see that we shared the same vision for the business. The first step is to understand how Steve operates and why, and then we can consider the next steps. I’m open to all feedback, so if you have anything to share on your experiences with either the California Superbike School, Phillip Island Ride Days or Eastern Creek ride Days please drop me a line at info@motorcyclingeventsgroupaustralia.com.au

Ride the Island days after Stoner claimed the title!

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:44:47 +1000

Would you like to be the first to ride the Phillip Island circuit only one week after Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) claimed his second MotoGP World Championship title? Would you like to share in the exhilaration as you tip into turn one, with Bass Strait laid out before you? Well you can!

On Monday, October 24th Phillip Island Ride Days has the perfect opportunity for you to experience the thrill as Casey rode the Island to another dominating 2011 win and what can only be described as a faultless championship title.

You’ll be allocated 6 x 20 minute sessions for the day with four groups graded from slow – for those who wish to take it at their own pace – to fast – for those who are a little Casey at heart. And you get all this for just $249.00.

Places are filling fast so either click here to make a booking or call 1300 793 423 and speak to one of the Phillip Island Ride Day team.

From Phillip Island Ride Day team, congratulations Casey, you’ve done Australia proud.

Phillip Island set to be resurfaced in 2012

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:53:47 +1000

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will undergo a major upgrade to maintain its position as one of the premier venues for world championship motorcycle racing.

Circuit owners Linfox Property Group have confirmed that the 4.4 km circuit will be resurfaced in advance of the 2013 season.

Phillip Island has multi-year contracts to host both the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as part of the MotoGP World Championship and the Australian round of the Superbike World Championship.

Andrew Fox, Managing Director of the Linfox Property Group, has confirmed that the upgrade work will be completed in December 2012 and January 2013.

"Linfox is committed to a continuing program of investment and upgrades to maintain Phillip Island
Circuit as a venue that meets the highest international standards," Fox said. "This upgrade has been in the planning process for six months and is part of a program to ensure Phillip Island is rated as a premier world championship circuit, both for racing and safety.

"Apart from our own plans we will assess the latest paving technology that was recently used to upgrade the Mugello circuit which hosts the Italian Motorcycle Grand Prix."I'm confident that the outcome will be the smoothest and fastest race track on the MotoGP calendar."

In 2010 Australian rider Casey Stoner averaged 175 kph to win the Australian GP at Phillip Island, the highest average speed of the 18 venues that are currently hosting the MotoGP World Championship.

The resurfacing plan was approved on October 14 at a MotoGP Safety Commission meeting attended by leading MotoGP riders at Phillip Island for the Australian GP, Race Direction and Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of Dorna Sports.

"The plan to resurface Phillip Island in the summer of 2012 will produce the optimum outcome for the new surface and the Safety Commission has agreed with this plan," Ezpeleta said.

Dorna and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation support the efforts of the Linfox Group to maintain the high standard of the Phillip Island Circuit. As part of this upgrade consideration is also being given to the addition of some tarmac run-off areas.

The Phillip Island Circuit will be closed for all track activity for almost two months from the beginning of December 2012 to facilitate the resurfacing upgrade. For further information please contact Fergus Cameron at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 03 5952 2710.

Official Phillip Island Circuit press release