| Sports |
Team PNG ready for the desert
The Port Moresby Offroad Motorcycle
Club has announced the PNG team that will be tackling Australia's
Fastest Desert race in Alice Springs during the Queen's Birthday
weekend this year.
Know simply as Team PNG, the seven riders will be the country's
first offroad motorcycle team to participate in the gruelling
Finke Desert Race, now in its 32nd year.
The outback desert race starts in Alice Springs and finishes some
230klm away in the Aboriginal community of Finke Mission. The
competitors overnight at the mission only to face the desert again
the next day as they race back at high speeds toward the finish
line in Alice Springs.
The Finke Desert Race is known for its high speeds, with speeds
recorded last year of between 175km and 80 km an hour as the top
level riders on highly modified Enduro and Motorcross bikes set a
blistering pace through the outback
The race is physically demanding and has a long reputation of
destroying both man and machine as they charge through the desert.
Team PNG's goal in their first ever event is just to make sure all
seven riders complete the event.
They will be in good company because as many as 400 other offroad
motorcyclists from across Australia as well as around 150 cars and
desert buggies will compete for the K25,000 prizemoney this coming
June .
Support has come from The South Pacific Motor Sports Club who have
purchased the Team PNG jerseys while Boroko Motors also have come
to the party with the offer to arrange shipping and logistical
support for the seven bikes to make their way from Port Moresby to
Alice Springs in the heart of outback Australia.
"It's an expensive exercise and without support like these we
would have a hard time getting this exercise off the ground
"We are very proud to be the first to represent Papua New Guinea
in an event such as this so in turn we will do our best to make
the country proud of us," said event co ordinator Peter Jackson.
Training for this event has been presented some difficulties. "It
has been somewhat difficult to train for a desert event when you
live in pretty much a jungle environment," said Jackson.
Team PNG is Peter Jackson Yamaha WR400; John Windshuttel Yamaha
WR450; Andrew Edwards Honda CRFX450; Hans Pedersen Honda CRFX450;
Dan Hargraves Yamaha WR450; Max Beigri Honda CRFX450; Shane Boyce
Honda CRFX450; and Geoff Lang - Chef de Mission.
 
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