Bendigo team ready to race

THE Australian HPV Super Series returns this month and Bendigo team Wattle Racing will be looking to get back on top.

The sport involves human-powered vehicles called recumbent trikes, which can reach speeds up to 70 kilometres per hour, racing on a closed controlled circuit for eight to 24 hours – depending on the event.

Teams alternate competitors and the vehicle that completes the most laps in the time wins.

President and driver at Wattle Racing, Jordan Lucas, said the club is eager to get back on track after last year’s season was cut short.

“In 2019 we claimed the overall win for the series in South Australia and Victoria,” he said. “Last year with COVID we only got two races in, but we came a close second to a team from Maryborough called Aurora Racing.”

Lucas said a rivalry has brewed between Wattle Racing and Aurora Racing and last year at Tailem Bend in the open male event, both teams completed 95 laps of the track. The latter finished five seconds quicker.

This year’s season starts with an eight-hour race at McNamara Park at Mount Gambier in South Australia, and Lucas expects about 100 teams to compete.

Wattle Racing has 50 members, with 10 riders in its male, female and under 20 team, plus crew. The club hopes to feature in all six events this year across South Australia and Western Australia, with a gruelling 24-hour race at Murray Bridge to close out the season.

Preparation for the club involves a weekly session of laps at Tom Flood Sports Centre for fitness, however Lucas said nothing compares to the actual race day.

“Given Tom Flood is circular, we only use it for fitness pretty much,” he said.

“Handling wise, it’s pretty tough to find anywhere around Bendigo to train, we sometimes use the Bendigo Livestock Exchange to do some cornering.

“Generally, it’s only when we get to races that we get to test it out, the other teams also come into effect handling wise.

“If you can’t pick your way through traffic it’s a bit harder, but with our experience now doing it for eight years, we tend to go alright.”