Posted on February 18, 2023 February 19, 2023

Sydney Dragway Bike Nights

Elliott Andrews does a burnout on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle at the quarter mile at Sydney Dragway on Bike Night

Sydney Dragway Bike Nights

Sydney Dragway Bike Nights have helped us have the perfect start to the year. The summer heat and bright golden sun is back here in Sydney. So we’re making the most of it, getting out for Sunday rides and getting back to the race track. I just can’t believe it had been so long since my last pass on the quarter mile. Mind you, we have had the wettest year since weather recording started in Sydney.

When I moved to Sydney over 10 years ago drag racing soon became a big hobby of mine. Sydney Dragway is a world-class drag strip and I was living down the road. So of course, there was no use in resisting the opportunity. I started competing in the Street Bike bracket of the NSW Drag Racing Championship Series and built a few drag bikes along the way. Then, with the help of a bunch of legends, I took it up a notch with Fraser Motorcycles getting behind my proposal to build a custom 10 second Harley‑Davidson® Dyna race bike back in 2017.

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but sometimes the break between Christmas and New Year is the circuit breaker you need to get back to good old habits. One thing we hope you’ll notice this year is that James and I will be getting to the track more. After all, it can’t be all work and no play.

The track has been calling.

That rush of a wide-open throttle in top gear, reaching a motorcycle’s ultimate straight-line speed. There’s nothing in the world like it. What I’m also looking forward to this year, is sharing that feeling with good friends.

James started sending our Hooligan Racer (a custom Harley‑Davidson® Street 750) down the quarter mile at the first of this year’s Sydney Dragway Bike Nights in January. Then I joined in with Dan Lesnock and Harley‑Davidson® Australia.

It’s good to be back on the race track having some fun at Sydney Dragway Bike Nights. If you’re in the area, bring your ride down to the next event. We’ll see you there!

Posted on June 15, 2021 August 14, 2021

Blind Speed Track Day 2021

Elliott Andrews and a Harley-Davidson Livewire at the Blind Speed Track Day at Wakefield Park Raceway in Goulburn, Australia, May 2021.

Blind Speed Track Day - May 2021

In Sight of Dreams in partnership with Blind Speed organised a track day for people with blindness and low vision at Wakefield Park Raceway on Tuesday 4 May 2021. Elliott Motorcycles is proud to have supported Ben Felten and the team behind this awesome event.

Participants would have an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a car, experience a hot lap as a race car passenger and/or a motorcycle pillion. Blind Sports NSW promoted the track day and received a large amount of interest. As a result, approximately 55 people over 16 years of age with blindness or low vision registered.

Dual control cars in the morning

In the morning participants were offered the opportunity to learn how to drive in dual controlled cars. Then in the afternoon they would have the opportunity to experience a hot lap on the Wakefield Park Raceway circuit.

Ben Felten explained before the event that for some people, this event may be the only time they get the chance to drive a vehicle or pillion on a motorcycle within their lifetime. He also let us know that it would be a highlight of the year for many members of the blind and vision impaired community. So it would create lasting memories which would be sure to leave people with big smiles. Needless to say, it was a honour to be part of something so great!

We brought our LSR1 MKII land speed race bike and Harley-Davidson Australia brought a Harley-Davidson® Livewire® for track demonstrations. Also, James organised for Bondi Films to be there capturing the event for a short video. The video will be used to promote community awareness as well as further support, sponsorship and participation. Ideally, helping enable more of these kinds of events to occur across Australia.

Ben Felten of Blind Speed is a keen advocate for electric and autonomous vehicles. So on the day Ben spoke about how technological advancement is important to enable greater inclusion. Advancements in electric and autonomous vehicles will enable greater mobility and independence for people with blindness or low vision. It was great to be able to showcase the H-D® Livewire® to support Ben’s message alongside Western Sydney University’s solar car.

Hot laps in the afternoon

Unfortunately, it was a cold, windy and rainy day in the Goulburn area. So the motorcycle pillion rides and some of the motorcycle demonstrations had to be scratched from the event schedule. But the wind and rain didn’t dampen spirits and didn’t stop participants from making the most of it. Everyone was enjoying the day and the Wakefield Park Raceway team were on point making sure everyone was looked after.

Elliott Motorcycles supported the event along with Vision Australia, Caring Approach, Motorcycling NSW, Australian Auto-Sport Alliance, Harley-Davidson Australia, Kawasaki Australia, Dunlop Australia and Wakefield Park Raceway.

Photographs by Lisa Musico.

Posted on May 9, 2021 July 5, 2021

Speed Week 2021

DLRA Speed Week 2021

On the 16th March our race team landed back in Sydney after traveling to Lake Gairdner for DLRA Speed Week 2021. It was a challenging journey this year with more aspects to coordinate, the uncertainty of travel and of course COVID-19. Then to whack a cherry on top there’s always the weather, which only just passed the bar needed for racing on the lake.

Event organisers were monitoring the lake conditions closely as DLRA Speed Week 2021 drew near. The La Niña this summer meant the lake surface was saturated from high rainfall. Days before we were due to race water was still sitting on the surface of the lake. The racetrack in the middle of the lake was dry. However, we wouldn’t be able to access the lake if the water by the shore didn’t drain or evaporate quickly. In which case, Speed Week would be cancelled again.

Fortunately, as the event approached wind gusts picked up. This helped dry out the lake just enough to allow access. Having missed out on racing in 2019 and 2020, we were very keen to make the journey if there was even half a chance of running. So, we loaded up and set off to the Lake.

Getting Set for DLRA Speed Week 2021

We arrived at Lake Gairdner on Saturday 6th March. This gave us plenty of time to prep for racing on the Monday. We setup camp and the boys cooked up a great meal which was followed by a few beers. Early the next morning, we setup our pits, got the bike scrutineered and prepared for racing. We checked over the bike and made sure it was running perfectly. I was really happy with how everyone was working as a team and felt quietly confident. However, it was clear from the moment we touched the lake surface that the salt was saturated. So I knew the track would be very different to what I had experienced in previous years.

Day 1

All of the teams were eager to race, so there was a solid queue of people accessing the lake that morning. We arrived at our pit bay and immediately went to work getting the bike ready.

It wasn’t long before we saw the first bike on track and it was Magoo riding Ben Felten’s Kawasaki ZX10RR. He dropped by after his pass and gave us an early heads up about the track conditions. The high moisture content in the salt meant that the track surface was pretty slippery, and the gusty conditions had also stuck around meaning there was a strong side wind as you reached the timed section of the racetrack.

Wind gusts kept up as the morning went on so we watched and waited to see if the conditions would improve.

I was weary that while the large fairing on my bike was designed to make my bike faster, it could also act as sail with a side wind.

Some riders were getting some decent passes in. If you were lucky, you could be at the start line when the wind gusts dropped temporarily. Others had to abort their runs early as the wind blew them sideways. So I decided to get a shakedown pass in and chance my luck regardless of the conditions.

I had missed the adrenalin you get as you reach the start line at Speed Week. Finally, I would get to ride the bike I have spent years working on. The marshal gave me the signal to go, I started the bike and took off.

The bike felt good as I accelerated through the gears. Then all of a sudden, I started getting pushed to the left. I did what I could to counteract the wind, but it was too strong. Before I knew it a gust had blown me over 20 metres sideways. I was off the graded portion of the track and in the rough natural lake surface. I rolled off the throttle and got control of the bike. Then I signalled to the medics that I was ok.

Day 2

The next day we repeated our preparations and kept a close eye on conditions. After my first pass I got thinking. Do I chance it and risk damaging the bike in the gusty conditions? Or, do I sit and wait it out? The forecast was meant to improve later in the week. But I was itching to race. So I decided to take the risk and lined up, hoping the conditions would improve. Unfortunately, I ended up getting pushed off the track once again. This time I nearly hit a mile marker on the edge of the track as the wind took me.

Day 3

It was frustrating having to abort my first two passes at DLRA Speed Week 2021. So I was determined to try and get two passes in on the Wednesday. We got up early and headed for the lake. However, as the sun rose, we could tell the weather wasn’t looking good. It was a bit black over Bills Mothers. Still, the team prepped the bike and we headed to the start line as fast as we could to try and miss what was coming for us.

I took off from the start line and this time I could straight away feel that I was getting buffeted by a cross wind. But I managed to stay on track and build speed until the 2^nd mile marker. Then bam! The cross wind got stronger and took me of the track again. I was just a passenger.

The thunderstorm

The wind was building, and the sky was filling up with dark clouds. Shortly after returning to the pits it started to rain. We found ourselves in the middle of the lake in the middle of a storm. The rain was so heavy that within an hour the entire lake had filled up with 2 inches of water. There was nothing we could do and nowhere to go so we just had to sit it out.

The storm had passed, the sun had come out and the wind had dropped to nothing by mid-afternoon. The water on the lake looked like glass, creating perfect reflections of the sky. It was a surreal place to find yourself and my team made the most of the conditions and downtime by posing and capturing some awesome pictures. There was no way that the lake could possibly dry out that day. It was anyone’s guess how long it would take.

Day 4 & 5

The lake was closed on Thursday with plenty of water still covering large portions of the track and pit area. We watched and waited once again as the sun gradually dried everything out. The race officials still held hope that it might be possible to get DLRA Speed Week 2021 back underway. So, we hung in there overnight. The sunsets and sunrises following the storm were particularly beautiful.

The standing water had drained away from the race track and pit area by the Friday morning. Initially, there was hope that we might get one more shot, but that hope quickly evaporated. The race officials had to concede that was still too damp to race safely. So yet again, we would end the year empty handed.

My team and I have been working on so hard this campaign. It has become quite the ordeal. Despite everything that has got in our way over the past few years, we won’t give up. We will continue until I finally see 200 MPH on the dash.

And then onto the next record…

Posted on March 1, 2021 June 30, 2021

LSR1 MKII Track Test at Sydney Dragway

Elliott Andrews testing the Elliott Motorcycles LSR1 MKII land speed race bike at Sydney Dragway

LSR1 MKII Track Test at Sydney Dragway

On Monday 8 February 2021 Elliott Motorcycles completed a track test at Sydney Dragway of our LSR1 MKII race bike. All going well, our LSR1 MKII race bike would become the first Harley-Davidson® motorcycle in the world to run an Emtron engine management system.

Our first aim was to complete a few controlled test passes so that I could get the feel for the new setup of the bike. Secondly, we needed to make sure our onboard sensors/systems were working as we expected. Then, we needed to check that data was being recorded properly and to make minor adjustments if required.

We had the sole use of the track for four hours. That might seem like a lot. However, it’s a very tight window when you’re testing a specially engineered machine for the first time. Good thing we did test the bike because we found a few gremlins we needed to sort before setting off for DLRA Speed Week 2021.

No time to mess around

I was keen to make the most of the opportunity. We arrived at the track early and quickly got to work preparing the bike in the staging area. At this point I had only tested the bike on the dyno. So we didn’t fit the new fairings at first. I wanted to make sure the upgrades and the new Emtron engine management system was working properly and safely. Anything could happen. If something did go wrong, I wanted to be able to quickly access all of the systems on the bike. I was as prepared as I could be. Dan Lesnock (Harley-Davidson ANZ Technical Lead) was there to help as well.

The First Pass

We started the bike as soon as our pit was setup and got it ready to go. I was excited. All going well, I’d be another step closer to achieve our goal of setting a new land speed record. I jumped on the bike and made my way through the tower to the start line. Then paused momentarily to get my bike lined up and to let my team get in position. As soon as I was set, I got on the throttle.

The power of the bike felt great, the bike just wanted to go. I used the opportunity to get a feel for the new riding position. It also gave me an opportunity to test the sensitivity of the new air shifter I had installed. The riding position was so different. It was more horizontal and more tucked in than the bike I had raced in 2018.

Sydney Dragway had just laid down a new track surface. A side benefit of this track test was being able to get a feel for it. It was so much better than the old surface and it got me excited about the upcoming drag racing season. But I needed to stay focused on the task in hand.

Enjoying the Moment

The first run was a success despite discovering a few minor things which needed adjustment. So, we fitted the fairings and I went for another pass. Tucked in behind the new fairing this time the sound of the wind was gone. I could hear the bike so much more clearly. It was sounding great!

A few more checks and adjustments and a few more passes later we had done all that could be done. Time permitting, I could have kept going there all day. Unfortunately, reality set in and we had to get back to work. All in all it was a successful day. So I was very happy that we did a track test at Sydney Dragway before heading to the salt.

Posted on January 4, 2021 June 29, 2021

Macarthur Flat Track 2020

Macarthur Flat Track 2020

2020 was a year where racing events were few and far between. However, I did manage to get some track time in during September at Macarthur Flat Track in Sydney’s southwest.

It has been a couple of years since I’ve thrown a leg over our hooligan race bike and opened her up on a flat track, even then it was on a completely different track both in terms of size and surface. At first I felt like Bambi on ice. But as I got more laps behind me I started to feel more comfortable.

It’s always great to catch up with Jamie Portelli and Ryan Vella and watch them cutting laps on their custom Harley-Davidson® Sportster® motorcycles. While I was still getting the hang of it, Jamie and Ryan were carving it up. It looked all too easy watching them make their way through a field of MX bikes.

These guys have definitely made the most of the new track at Appin and will be the ones to watch when racing starts up again this year.

Macarthur District Motorcycle Sportsmen club and Bankstown Wiley Park Motorcycle Club have created an awesome track with a great surface. The oval has two straightaways, one flat corner and one slightly banked corner, it’s a great for testing or getting out for a joyride for a on a Sunday morning.

It’s going to be a busy start to the year completing some epic customer projects and preparing for the salt, but I can’t wait to get some more laps in at Macarthur Flat Track during 2021.

Posted on June 2, 2020 June 30, 2021

World Record Attempt in the Balance

Elliott Motorcycles Land Speed Racing Start Line Australia

World Record Attempt

in the Balance

Greg Wapling (President of Dry Lakes Racers Australia) announced on 16 March 2020 that Speed Week 2020 and the World Speed Trials Australia would be postponed indefinitely. We were due to leave Sydney just 2 days later to participate in both events. Since then, the DLRA have confirmed we’ll have to wait for Speed Week 2021 for the next chance to break an Australian record. However, the World Speed Trials Australia remains in the balance. Without a sponsor for the event my world record attempt could be dead in the water.

Initial Impact

My team and I had spent soo many late nights getting final preparations in order in the last few months before DLRA Speed Week 2020 . We were dead tired and I was pretty much out of the loop with what was going on in the world. The DLRA was boasting perfect conditions for racing a few days prior (on the 12th). So at first I couldn’t believe the news. But as we caught up with how fast the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading around the world the realization quickly set in.

As COVID-19 spread international and state borders started to close. My parents were scheduled to fly from Birmingham UK to meet us in South Australia. But now, even if they did fly they wouldn’t be allowed to join us at the lake due to the new quarantine measures. For me personally that came as a big blow. I realized it would be a long time before being able to see them again.

Then within days medical and emergency services personnel were advised to forego any non-essential activities. So the DLRA could no longer guarantee adequate safety measures for racers and their teams. I fully supported the DLRA’s decision to postpone the events given the circumstances. They had no option really.

Still dreaming of salt

Racing on a salt lake is like nothing else. Especially here in Australia where the remoteness requires a lot of planning and preparation for racing teams. There is no electricity, no water supply and no phone signal at Lake Gairdner. What you bring with you is what you have to work with. You’re a very long way from a hospital if you get hurt or sick. Still, leaving the city behind to immerse yourself in the desert for a week is the dream for me. Living by sunrise and sunset, racing alongside likeminded people.

I must have dreamed of getting back to the salt a million times since my last visit in 2018. My team and I have been working on my next land speed campaign for well over a year now. I’ve been to Lake Gairdner three times, but this time is different. I am aiming to go far beyond anything I’ve done before. My goal is to break a world record and join the 200 mph club in the process.

A few months on, government-imposed restrictions are starting to lift in Australia. We’re starting to see professional sport resume. So my team and I have initiated a new plan for Speed Week 2021 taking advantage of the extra time. Meanwhile, James is working hard behind the scenes to try and help the DLRA find the sponsorship they need to make the World Speed Trials Australia possible at some point in the future. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Posted on May 17, 2020 June 29, 2021

Huge 400 Thunder Season Ahead

Corey Buttigieg at Santo's Summer Thunder 2020 (part of the 400 Thunder season)

Huge 400 Thunder Season Ahead

Corey Buttigieg's 400 Thunder Top Bike campaign remains on track despite all drag racing events having been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

With COVID-19 restrictions starting to lift around Australia, elite sports such as the Supercars, AFL and NRL are starting to restart their seasons and everyone seems to now be speculating about when drag racing will resume.

With such a long and unusual break in racing this year we’re all hoping that new event dates can be announced soon. The next round of the 400 Thunder Australian Professional Drag Racing Series is sure to be big and so fingers crossed motorsport fans will be able to come out and support their favourite race teams in a big way as well.

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Author: manager