Treacherous weather fails to dampen Nifty50 spirit!

The now annual Nifty 50 endurance race ran successfully in Mondello Park last weekend in dreadful conditions. 

The 9^th running of the event shows how popular it has become over the years with again another huge entry of the maximum 50 teams of 4 riders entered.

Sign on and scrutiny of these aged machines went suspiciously well with the MCUI Technical team finding little or no flaws in the standard and modified machines ensuring a potential on time start of 11.

The marshals and medics (both groups having agreed to volunteer free of charge for the day) gazed skyward and must have wondered what they’d done to deserve the deluge that began to fall just before the start.

The well marshaled Le Mans start provided the typical grins and sneers from the scores of spectators that had braced the elements. The deep breaths as turn 1 beckoned turned to sighs of “How did they manage that!” as road racer James Kelly from Ed Manly’s team took off and headed off in the hunt for glory. The UK teams that traveled didn’t do so in vain as they soon built up a commanding 1,2,3 in the modified 90cc category.

The field began to spread out between the 90cc stock, modified and 50\80cc classes as the 4 hour race began. Even with the inclement rain, all of the teams continued to circulate and apart from the top corner claiming a few slides, most were able to continue or re-join.

1 hour drifted into 2 as rider changes and fuel stops were combined in an attempt to save time. 1 complete team gave the weather the “V-sign” as they decided to all stop for a burger at the same time, which provided for much laughter at the time. The timing TV on pit lane steadily drew attention as the race progressed, where strategies and dastardly deeds to the competition were discussed (and possibly acted on!).

Finally, at 2.30 a decision was made that the ambulance had to cross the track, and rather than risk further injury the chequered flag was deployed. Battle over, the procession of tired bikes and damp riders filtered back into the paddock to see who had won what.

The warm bar at Mondello called for a well-earned toast to the now hardened veterans of the legendary 2-wheeled race that is the “Nifty-50” and 9 more teams entered the history books of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in their respective class. 

Another successful event over, more bets settled, bragging rights secured for another year, time for home...

Winners:

90cc mod
1st Driving Miss Daisy
2nd Dad’s Army
3rd ABR Moto 

All UK teams

90cc std
1st Manly Racing - Ed Manly\Cody Nally\James Kelly and Eoghan Delaney
2nd Slutty Clowns\Knee Down racing 
3rd Ye lad racing

50-80cc
1st Team Cider Brian Coomey, Stephen Tobin, Teddy Murphy and Aine O’Donoghue
2nd Epic failure
3rd Townmates

The Race will continue in 2018 and notifications on how to enter will be posted shortly.

Cheers

Andy Quinn\Ed Byrne

Words: Andy Quinn
Images courtesy: Big Joe\James McCann and John Burke