Three-time British Superbike Champion John Reynolds made his first visit to the Island Classic this year and competed in the International Challenge races under the Team New Zealand banner.
Consistent results throughout the weekend saw Reynolds finish equal sixth in the overall individual points scores taken from the four by six-lap International Challenge racs.
Phil: John Reynolds, three times BSB champion, first visit to Phillip Island for quite some time and probably first ride at this track on a classic motorcycle as well, sum up your thoughts of the weekend.
John Reynolds: “It’s been a fantastic week, it’s been hard work to be honest with you. The circuit I know, but it’s so hard to get every single apex right, and when you’re on a brand new bike that you’ve never ridden before, and it’s a classic bike as well, you don’t know how fast and how hard to push, and of course Phillip Island is one of the fastest circuits in the world. So there’s going to be crashes, there’s gonna be big ones, I’ve been cautious, as I didn’t want to damage anything, myself or the bike, but we chipped away and the bike honestly was absolutely brilliant. It got quicker and quicker as the week went on, and ended up doing half decent time so I’m really happy.”
John Reynolds – Image Russ Colvin
Phil: Alan Cathcart said this is one of the most prestigious and biggest classic events in the world, you’re thoughts?
John: “I’ll go with that, throughout the world the classic scene is massive, it’s massive in the UK and certainly in Australia. So many beautiful bikes and so many interesting stories of what we’ve got and how we became, it’s fascinating. It’s truly an eye opening insight into the Australian classic world.”
John Reynolds – Image Russ Colvin
Phil: You’re probably a household name with your BBS victories in England, were you surprised by how many people know about your exploits here in Australia
John: “Yes it’s been mind blowing, I obviously keep an eye on who’s doing well in the Australian Championships and in the USA and you know we’re all mates. We don’t know each other but we all know of each other, if you know what I mean. We keep an eye on each other, it’s great, Josh Hayes is a legend, and it’s been an absolutely brilliant week. I’ve made so many friends, and people I’ve known about but never spoken to, and now I can actually say I know them.”
John Reynolds – Image Russ Colvin
Phil: Are you surprised how hard the guys were prepared to push?
John: “Yea to be honest with you. I knew it was going to be pretty quick, but my god these guys were absolutely on the ragged edge. I’m not prepared to push that hard, but I slowly and gently got quicker and quicker, as the time went out, but I could do with two or three more days actually.”
Phil: Seems that there will be four more days, this time next year. Can we pen your name in for team UK or team New Zealand next year?
John: “You can certainly put my name down for that one, but obviously you need a ride, the bike, and the team around you. I’ve been working with the Carl Cox SGB – Suzuki Great Britain and without them helping this wouldn’t happen. So a massive thanks to Carl Cox and his team, for helping us achieve what we did. It’s just been a mind blowing week, there’s so many interesting people.”
Budget constraints mean that the Island Classic is missing an official Team UK this year for the International Challenge, but that doesn’t mean there will be no Brits present as Team New Zealand are again boosted by foreign interlopers…
The Kiwis have capitalised on their long-term relationship with young ASBK Superbike competitor, Alex Phillis, and the Taupo-based Carl Cox Motorsport – the motorsport arm of international DJ Carl Cox – to strengthen their ranks against defending champion, Australia, and Team USA.
Carl Cox’s Kiwi outfit brings with him three-time British superbike champion John Reynolds, ‘modern’ and classic racer Jay Lawrence, and Michael Neeves, the senior road tester at iconic UK publication MCN.
John Reynolds
Reynolds, 55, is a true champion, winning three British superbike titles (in 1992, 2001 and 2004) in a career which also saw him compete in 500 GP and world superbike competition. He now works with Suzuki Great Britain (GB) as an ambassador, competing in the European Classic Endurance Series, testing for Suzuki Japan and teaching at corporate track days.
“We’re coming to the Island Classic, because Suzuki GB and Team Classic Suzuki have a great relationship with Carl Cox Motorsport and we think the Aussies will love seeing these Suzukis in action,” said Reynolds from his Nottinghamshire base.
“Carl was running the Katanas at the Classic TT last August with Jay Lawrence, we started talking about coming down under to compete with Carl’s Kiwi team, and it kind of snowballed from there.
“We’re ready to race. The Australian and US teams are strong, but I will be trying my hardest to rattle their cages.”
John Reynolds – 2004
Reynolds won a world superbike race in 2000, finishing ahead of Aussie Troy Bayliss at a wet Brands Hatch. He also won a whopping 37 British superbike races, but called it quits from racing full-time after a big crash in the final stages of the 2005 season.
He’s competed at Phillip Island once: in 1996 when he finished with 11-10 finishes in the two world superbike races.
“I was with the Factory Suzuki team and it was a great weekend, but it ended with me punting Peter Goddard off the track on the last lap at Honda while he was 3rd and we were both desperate for a podium. My strategic manoeuvre did not work though. Peter as you can imagine was not very happy with me, and rightly so, but we soon made up.”
John Reynolds
The Kiwis have also sought dispensation for two 1985 Suzuki GSX-Rs for the Carl Cox camp to run, with approvals being given this week by team captains from arch rivals Australia and the USA.
One year outside the Island Classic eligibility, the two Suzukis will be subject to agreed performance restrictions – comprising of a reduction in RPM limit, an overall weight increase and a reduced rear tyre width to eliminate any possible traction advantage.
To be campaigned by Reynolds and Neeves, the duo’s performance will be counted in International Challenge points, but not in the tally for the Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy that’s awarded to the rider with the highest individual points.
Suzukis dominate the Kiwi machinery line-up. The team features seven riders who rode for New Zealand at the 2018 International Challenge: team captain Duncan Coutts, Brendan Wilson, Glenn Hindle, Roger Gunn, Simon Richards, Matt Ineson and Campbell Stevenson. Pete Byers, Peter Jones, Glenn Crutchley and Dean Castleton make up the 15-rider list.
Alex Phillis
Phillis, 24, has a solid relationship with the Kiwis. He won the 2017 New Zealand TT on an MV Agusta as part of the Wanaka-based Helicraft Racing team, which also took the young Australian to compete in America that same year.
Of late, Phillis was the leading privateer in the 2018 Australian Superbike Championship, and tasted victory at Phillip Island’s International Challenge when he defeated UK star Jeremy McWilliams in a straight shootout in 2017’s fourth and final race.
Phillis then missed the 2018 International Challenge, but he will return to action on January 25 aboard the Suzuki XR69 F1 bike which he did so much damage on in 2017 – but this time he will race for New Zealand instead of his native Australia.
“New Zealand has given me a lot of opportunities to further my road racing career, so this is a good way to pay them back,” said Phillis. “I have also had Kiwi mechanics over the journey, I rode for Rod Price with Helicraft and I’ve got to know team captain, Duncan Coutts well in recent years. We’ve a strong team and we’ll be in the mix.”.
2017 Island Classic International Challenge Race Three – Image by Andrew Gosling – Glen Richards, Alex Phillis, Derek Sheils
Island Classic 2019 Team New Zealand
John Reynolds – Carl Cox Motorsport / Team Classic Suzuki GSX-R 1985
Dean Castleton – T-Rex Racing Honda CB1100R 1981
Alex Phillis – Arnolds Fruit Market, Phillis Racing Suzuki XR69 1980
Matthew Ineson – Suzuki Katana 1982
Michael Neeves – Carl Cox Motorsport Suzuki GSX1100 1980
Jay Lawrence – Carl Cox Motorsport / Suzuki Katana GSX1100 1981
Glenn Hindle – Goulburn Power Centre / Old Gold Suzuki XR69 1982
Brendan Wilson – Moto Xtream NZ / Suzuki XR69 1980
Simon Richards – Motoxtreme Racing Suzuki GSX1100 1981
Pete Byers – Silkdene / Motoextreme Suzuki Katana 1982
Peter (PJ) Jones – Lindsay Pinker Racing / Techmoto Honda CB1100 1982
Glenn Hindle and Brendan Wilson at the 2018 Island Classic
The Competition
Australia’s team includes David Johnson, Shawn Giles, Steve Martin, Cameron Donald, Beau Beaton and Jed Metcher, while America has bolstered its stocks with four-time AMA superbike champion Josh Hayes, Steve Rapp, Mark Miller, Dale Quarterley and Larry Pegram, who will join 2018 fast man Jason Pridmore.
New Zealand, Australia and Team USA can field a maximum of 13 riders in the four six-lap International Challenge races. After federal legislation banned the use of AVGAS in Australia, MA has homologated two new fuels for use being Roo 99 and Elf LMS.
In a first for the International Challenge, the 2019 event will be filmed and made into a two-hour television program set to be broadcast around the globe. Screen agreements have been reached with networks in Europe, UK, America, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Locally, the event will be screened on Fox Sports and SBS in February.
The Island Classic, now in its 26th year, isn’t just about the three-nation battle, with the event a pilgrimage for so many riders and spectators as they celebrate a century of motorcycling. There will be 56 races held across the weekend, catering for pre-WW1 bikes through to Vintage (1920-1945), Classic and Post Classic (from 1946 to 1972) and the more recent Forgotten Era and New Era classes.
Close to 500 bikes will either be racing or on display.
Island Classic Tickets
Tickets for the 26th International Island Classic, presented by Visit Phillip Island, are available at islandclassic.com.au. A three-day adult ticket, purchased in advance, is just $82, and free for children 15 and under (accompanied by a full-paying adult). You can camp at the circuit for four nights for just over $20 per night (with kids once again free).
Tickets can also be purchased at the gate, but save by buying in advance.
*All prices quoted are advance tickets which end midday Wednesday, January 23, 2019. Buy advance and save. Gate ticket prices are additional.
