YOUR local
YOUR GOOD-NEWS PAPER
www.yourlocalwaggaweekly.com.au
ISSUE 006 FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018
Flying high to Aspen X-Games
Jackson Strong from Lockhart, pictured at the Aspen X-Games in 2017.
F
penny scott
OR motorcyclists, the most terrifying experience is being airborne upsidedown or sliding sideways in loose gravel. But, for two Riverina residents these experiences are just part of riding a motorbike. Jackson Strong, from near Lockhart, travels the world as an extreme Motocross rider, while Bob Sunderland from Wagga spent 47 years competing in speedway and short circuit dirt track events around Australia. Although the respective sports are widely differing disciplines, the pair has one fundamental in common – they both developed their skills on the family farm. At the tender age of eight, Bob began his riding on an 800cc Indian at the family
property, Temora Station. “We had to push start it and jump on the pedal clutch straight away to prevent it from taking off,” Bob said. “With a 1000acre property we had a lot of fun and it got even better when a full-size dirt track was built. “My father, Lindsay, raced bikes so the family used to travel to all the meets he competed at. I was 22 when I had my first competitive race in 1959 in Wagga and my last ride 47 years later also was in Wagga,” Bob said. During his long career Bob accumulated 21 speedway and short circuit Australia championship titles which included seven first, seven second and seven third championship placings. “At my last event in 2014, the world’s
best from the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom, including world champion Kelvin Tatum from England, came to Wagga at my invitation,” Bob said. Although a privateer throughout his career, Bob used his motorcycle repair shop, B & S Motors in Edwards Street, to sponsor aspiring speedway riders from Wagga, including international speedway and grass track champion, Michael Stormonth, and short circuit champion, Lloyd Richards. Although accidents are the last thing riders think about when approaching the start-line, they are omnipresent. While racing at Bathurst in the late 1980’s Bob ‘died twice’ as the result of an horrendous accident caused by another rider hitting him from behind at full speed. “I remember being catapulted over the
handlebars breaking my ribs and piercing a lung but eventually the bike and I came to a stop. I stood up and talked for a while before being taken to hospital.” “Due to a lack of oxygen, my body started shutting down but I was revived, twice.” Bob and friend, Eugene Heffernan, attended the last Bathurst motor cycle races in 2001 where another spectator recognised Bob from that terrible accident. “I was standing next to the fence when that happened and I thought I was watching someone about to die,” the spectator recalled. Bob continued competitive racing until 2014 and still has his precious bikes, the later racing models sporting the number 53 which was the age he began racing the Classics in 1991. continued on page 2...
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