LOCAL rider Mark Hatch and his team of Jason Kain and Rodney Taplin have paid farewell to the famous Oran Park Raceway in the best possible way after winning the production class at the 2009 Six Hour Race.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On a scorching hot Sunday, fans had the privilege of viewing racing at the venue one last time and Hatch and co. gave them a real show.
Riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, the team qualified fastest in their production class, placing fifth outright, and clocking the fastest lap in the process.
As their opponents struggled to come to grips with the oppressive racing conditions, Team Green had no such troubles, quickly finding their rhythm and settling into a super-quick pace.
After six hours of intense racing, they had managed 261 laps to seal a memorable win for the dedicated team.
The win comes as a valuable boost to Kawasaki too, with the Ninja model’s success fittingly coming in its 25th year.
Hatch was delighted with the win.
“It was a great victory and a fantastic way to farewell Oran Park,” he said.
Hatch was even more thrilled considering he built the bike just six weeks ahead of the race.
“That was a proud achievement to build the bike in such a short time and have it perform so well,” he said.
“And best of all, all the work was done right here in the Shoalhaven.
“The bike was fantastic, it performed well in horrendous heat – it was 42 degrees and about 87 degrees on track, but it didn’t miss a beat.
“Each rider did a two hour stint and we reached 275 km/h down the main straight.”
He also thanked a number of local businesses who have backed the bike and the team in its efforts.
“The support we have received locally, especially from Bomaderry businesses is fantastic,” he said.
“We must thank Bomaderry Smash repairs, John Hills Signs, Access Storage, Wade Lumsden at Castrol Oils and Turfco.
“The support has been great and we are looking to make a big splash on the Australian TT Series next year.
“It would be great to have a Shoalhaven based team take part in that series.
“We would also like to established a junior development team as well.
The Team Green Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R and trophy are on display at Nowra City Motorcycles, Princes Highway, Nowra.
