Supersport 300 – YMF R3 Cúp Trophy
Technical and compliance testing
After a very successful weekend for Liam Waters at Morgan Park in the Supersport 300 and YMF R3 Cup categories, the YZF-R3 then driven by Liam failed the post-race technical tests.
As a result, Liam lost all points for the round in both classes, and since the engine was sealed back in March at Phillip Island, and the seals were deemed intact, Liam was also charged. points from all rounds since the inaugural season.
This is not the first time this has happened recently. as we mentioned in March, when two riders were found to have boarded non-compliant machines and also forfeited points. In that case, they were found to be running larger-than-standard throttling bodies, something that took very little investigation to detect. We have also detailed how easy it is to get larger throttle bodies, large barrel attachments, ceramic gearbox bearings, etc. for the YZF-R3. With such well-established supply chains, it is easy to see that this has been going on for a while. But cheating the rules has been going on since racing began more than 100 years ago, in some eras it was largely considered part of the game.
In this latest case, it’s not something so obvious on the outside like a larger throttle body, but instead a slotted camshaft sprocket to change timing and potentially boost efficiency. capacity.
In low-power grades like these, any small increase made in mid-range torque can be much more beneficial than a slight increase in final horsepower, which is the turn off point. where any marginal gain can be highly beneficial. So just looking at top speed through traps is not a great indication of the equivalent eligibility of machines, it’s just an indicator and an indicator will give more indication at some road sections compared to others.
In the case of the Waters family, we have the case of a young racer’s parents who bought a previous racing machine from an earlier competitor in the class. It then claimed that it knew nothing of the modifications and said it had been assured by the seller that the machine was fully compliant and within the specifications.
If it’s harsh, people will say, ‘well they will say it‘, and while that may be the case, we choose to take their word for it. But, it doesn’t change the result…
There could be many other competitors who could be in the same boat by accident, and most have had their engines shut down at some point this season, even though they weren’t tested for compliance. Therefore, they are caught between a rock and a hard place, because in order to test the machine themselves or have a qualified third party do it, the engine must be checked in the presence and supervision of an official. Motorcycling Australia’s designated technology authority, and if found to be non-compliant, they will be subject to penalties.
If some amnesty is introduced to allow people to present their machines to check eligibility, without penalty, it is not only unfair to those who have already been fined. , but more importantly, very unfair to those already competing on fully compliant machines.
The lesson here from the unfortunate experience of others is that if you buy a motorcycle that has been raced before, no matter how many guarantees the seller offers, you still have to check the whole machine for compliance by yourself. or if you don’t have the necessary skills to do it yourself, pay a reputable third-party engine manufacturer to thoroughly inspect the machine for compliance.
MCNews.com.au applauds all of Motorcycling Australia’s efforts to help maintain the integrity of sport across all motorsport categories and disciplines. Some in the organization are certainly against policing the classes, given the anger it can bring to the sport and the hardship it causes for the governing body, along with the increased costs. more, not only for MA but also for the riders and the team, but we hope they continue and continue to police these issues.
Below is a public statement from the Waters family. We hope to see them back on the ASBK pitch soon.
The following is a statement by Damian Waters
I just wanted to address the circumstances surrounding Liam’s bike being disqualified recently for violating the MA technical rules. This involved a modified input cam disc fitted to the engine capable of increasing horsepower.
First, I would like to thank all my friends, supporters and wise men as well as MA for their understanding in this situation. It is understandable that Liam is devastated by what happened. We do not tolerate any fraud and we support the MA’s ruling and will not object to the penalties being imposed as it is evident.
Personally, I am very disappointed and angry about the chain of events that led to us being in this position. Liam and his team have never advocated any cheating or attempted to make any modifications to that end. Compared to previous seasons, the closeness of the results and the races on the track at Morgan Park and other laps have shown an improved parity of the bikes in 2022. No bike Which bike wins with big profit margin. Anyone watching the race at Morgan Park will know that Liam rode with other riders, who took their place on the podium in very exciting and intense battles. Calculation records reflect that Liam’s bike isn’t the fastest out there and as one of the lightest riders in the paddock plus this alleged extra horsepower he should have strutted. from every other rider and that simply didn’t happen.
To give some background information for those who don’t know Liam or our team, we’ve only been in racing for a few years and are new to racing. However, I believe in that time we have shown ourselves to be fair and enthusiastic ambassadors for the sport. We are a simple father and son team like everyone else.
This is an expensive sport and we don’t have enough money to build and develop a bike. The most cost effective solution for us to give Liam a racing opportunity to show off his burgeoning skills is to buy a competition bike from last season and basically run what we do. I gained. We have seen one such bike available in December 2021 and have been assured by the seller that the bike is completely within the regulations and has been built to pass any test.
In retrospect, maybe it was naive that they talked about it but that’s what we did and I have no reason to doubt it. I have very similar warranties in writing. I forward them under any circumstances, I never wanted a situation where Liam would be put in a position where he would be publicly humiliated for being branded a cheater and had to give it back. trophies and points.
However, here we are. Basically, our worst nightmare and it happens because we trust people at their word. As a father, I am devastated by what happened and can only apologize to Liam for turning what was one of the best days of his life into one of his worst. best. I also apologize to anyone else who may feel we have let them down.
We collected the bike that was now disqualified at PI at the start of the 2022 season and it was sealed by MA at the time as well as still carrying the seal from last season. It went straight on the track and the engine hasn’t been opened or touched once during the race season other than an oil and filter change. So any modifications have been made prior to our ownership. The only change we made to the bike other than crash repairs to the suspension, re-installing etc was changing the rear shock absorbers.
At this stage, we don’t have the funds to build another engine to compete in the last 2 rounds. So if we end up not attending then rest assured that it won’t happen because we are embarrassed and are running away with our tails between our legs. Whatever people want to believe we know ourselves that we acted with the best of intentions and are simply caught in the loop from the actions of others.
No matter what happens from here on, we will never be able to cover the costs and repair the damage done to our reputation. So we had no choice but to suck it up and move on. If Liam decides he wants to keep racing then I will support him as much as I can but after this episode my heart is definitely not there anymore. If he decides otherwise I’d be happy to keep all that money in the bank. Once again, thank you to all the wonderful people who sent messages of support. I also understand why some people want to leave us after what just happened. It is through hardships like these that true friends are revealed. Liam is an innocent party to all of this and if someone still feels the need to get it off our team please guide me completely on my own.
Damian Waters
