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THE GOLDEN ORB
Photos by Gary Trounson - Story by Jon Crooke |
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2008 Australian Championship
5th November 2008 |
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THE GOLDEN ORB
Who will be the first to put their name on the magnificient 'GOLDEN ORB' trophy. The final round of the Hyper Racer 2008 Australian 'Manufacturers' Championship is to be held at Malalla on the 7th Dec. This will be the culmination of 9 rounds and 32 heats of racing, in 3 states, in what has been arguably the most prestigious Superkart championship in memory. Insured by Lloyds of London for an undisclosed sum, the GOLDEN ORB has been designed and hand-crafted from 24 carat gold, by the famed artist Giuseppe De Costa from the House of Georgia in Venice and is the largest gold encrusted orb in the world. Using negative magnetic fields, the orb appears to float between the four protective carbonfibre shards which in turn sprout upwards from the carbonfibre base. The carbon used in this trophy is rumoured to have come from the chassis of Ayrton Senna's '94 F1 Williams. The champions names will be etched each year on the solid gold plaque that is incorporated into the base. This magnificent perpetual trophy will be on permanent display in the Hyper Racer Hall of Fame. THE CONTENDERS
The 2008 season has been marked by the stellar performances of Dean Crooke and Chris Jewell. Crooke has been dominant this season, winning all but one round in the light division so far. With a 32 point lead going into the final, he is odds-on favorite for the title. The only driver who could steal the Golden Orb from Crooke, is Chris Jewell. Jewell, in his Rookie year has been outstanding, winning 5 rounds in the heavy division this year. Patrick Atherton is looking fairly safe for third in the title fight, although Shaun Trounson is in with a chance if Atherton has a shocker. What a year its been. The "it's anybodys" races between Crooke and Occapintti and the nose to tail duels between Atherton and Jewell. But the stand out race of the season so far has to be the Wicks and Crooke showdown at Wakefield in June. Someone likened it to the 1938 War Admiral vs Seabiscuit showdown. The old war horse and World Champion, Mark Wicks, against the young gun, Dean Crooke. Crooke weighed up for the occasion and in an enthralling best of 3 shoot-out, Crooke eventually took the gold while Wicks took fastest lap. |
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| Horse Race of the Century Sea Biscuit was undersized, knobby-kneed, and not much to look at, and was given to sleeping and eating for long periods. War Admiral, the great three-year-old was seemingly invincible and had won the Triple Crown that season. He was voted the most prestigious honor, the 'Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year.' On November 1, 1938, Seabiscuit met War Admiral in what was dubbed the "Match of the Century". The event itself, run over 1 and 3/16 miles (1.91 km), was one of the most anticipated sporting events in U.S. history. The Pimlico Race Course, from the grandstands to the infield, was jammed solid with fans. Trains were run from all over the country to bring fans to the race, and the estimated 40,000 at the track were joined by some 40 million listening on the radio. War Admiral was the prohibitive favorite (1-4 with most bookmakers) and a near unanimous selection of the writers and tipsters, excluding the California faithful. Head-to-head races favor fast starters, and War Admiral's speed from the gate was the stuff of legend. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, was a pace stalker, skilled at holding with the pack before destroying the field with late acceleration. From the scheduled walk up start, few gave him a chance to head War Admiral into the first turn. Smith knew these things, and had been secretly training the Biscuit to run against type, using a starting bell and a whip to give the horse a Pavlovian burst of speed from the start. When the bell rang, Seabiscuit ran away from the Triple Crown champion. Despite being drawn on outside, Woolf led by over a length after just 20 seconds. Halfway down the backstretch, War Admiral started to cut into the lead, gradually pulling level with Seabiscuit, and then slightly ahead. Following advice he had received from Pollard, Woolf had eased up on Seabiscuit, allowing his horse to see his rival, and then asked for more effort. Two hundred yards from the wire, Seabiscuit pulled away again and continued to extend his lead over the closing stretch, finally winning by four clear lengths. When he was retired, Seabiscuit, the horse nobody wanted, was horse racing's all-time leading money winner. Over 50,000 visitors made the trek to Ridgewood Ranch to see Seabiscuit in the seven years he spent there before his death. His burial site is to this day a secret. |
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