Jim Budd Motorcycle Racer

Oran Park, August 1978 (source REVS magazine, race report)

A standout performance in the sidecar races, six or seven close tussles and a touch of innovation with the improved touring event combined to lift a low-key (read low prizemoney) meeting at Oran Park, last Sunday, out of the ordinary.

The regulars turned up, expecting a meeting as exciting as a bike workshop or motor traders picnic day, but the innovative use of the Grand Prix circuit layout at Oran Park (that extension even the intended users, big banger car drivers consider a joke) for the big banger four-strokes was a winner.  Put Jim Budd on the Phase 4 Kawasaki 1070 from Brisbane, and Roy Dennison (Yoshimura-Kawasaki 1000) out of the GP circuit and things begin to happen.

Denison was the best away in the 20-lap race (about 70km) with Budd blasting past before the first corner of the extension, the fast left-hand kink beyond the usual foot-of-the-straight CC Corner.  Being the acknowledged king of the “north circuit” , as the extension is known when used for club days, Denison passed Budd at the first of the pedestrian paced corners and still led at the completion of the first lap, from Graham Keyes (GMD Kawasaki), Lindsay McKay (Eade-Laverda 1000) and Rogers Heyes (Avon Yamaha XS1100), Budd went by in the straight, but Denison came back at the super-tight right hander, onto the flyover bridge.  But then Budd blasted past on the straight and started holding on through the tight stuff, just!

Denison and Budd kept at each other until lap nine, when Dennison pulled out another ace in the tight stuff and had a 60m lead past the tower.  But that was the last we saw of him! The kill switch wire shorted out on the brake lever in the section of track where had the advantage.  That left Budd more than 30 seconds in front of Keyes, with another 15 seconds back to the dice of Cork, Heyes and Chivas, with Payne trying to join in!

On lap 12, Chivas grabbed third in the tight stuff, had a few seconds of fresh breeze on his chest, then slid-off on the corner onto the bridge.  He remounted, gassed up on the grass and tipped over again! In the middle of his antics (which Neil was pleased occurred furtherest from a reasonable crowd) Heyes ran over one of his legs as it protruded onto the track.  (Talk about tyre wars, but both laughed afterwards.)

Budd continued on his way, until another problem began to surface.  On lap 15, the Phase 4 Kawasaki had a drinking problem.  It had been topped up with alcohol on the grid and since Denison’s departure, Budd was using higher gears in corners, but it still was running out of fuel.  Keyes was not aware of this and was cruising in a safe second place while Heyes and Cork were still at it with Heyes taking the advantage more often.

With three laps to go Budd’s mount was sounding decidedly ill, but he still had 55 seconds lead on Keyes – enough in the wonderful light of hindsight, for a few quick litres at the pits.  Keyes had 11 seconds (down a little) on Heyes with Payne right on Cork.  Budd took the last lap flag, and got halfway around the circuit.  He was then spotted being towed by another competitor along the short straight up to the Shell Dogleg.  Out of the last corner, Budd started pushing, but Keyes came home in a canter and took the flag, unaware that he was the winner.  Heyes finished second, only four seconds down, with Cork third and Payne fourth.  Budd pushed in ahead of Emanuel Blanco (Massaki-Kawasaki 1000), David Burley (Suzuki 1000), Alan Blanco (Suzuki 1000), Ian Dick and Greg Pearson (both on Kawasaki 900s), but he was excluded for having outside assistance.

A consolation for Denison was a nice lap record and winning a point by being allowed both a lap in Bob Levy’s super 454 GMC truck and a chance to speak on the circuit PA (Roy needs a sponsor).  Budd decided to go skiing.