KIWI RIDER 11 2018 VOL.2 | Page 71

Or get a job servicing brakes... I dunno. I watched it several times and each time I simply shook my head. The crazy thing is that had he overdone the squeeze he could have locked Manzi’s bike up and caused a tipping slide which would likely have taken him out as well. Which I suppose to a degree would be justice, but then Manzi’s bike would have been left damaged, as would he. For no reason at all. There was talk about the pair exchanging close glances and that there was some bad blood brewing but hey, limits are limits and you just don’t do that. I’m fearful some kid pedalling to school on his bike might be curious to see what happens if he tries it on the quiet little kid he is approaching. Simply because he saw that bloke on TV do it in that Motor GT race (he’ll have no idea) and it looked amazing. Made the other bike really wobble and would have given the rider a real fright. I sincerely hope I’m wrong and that any kid who saw the incident isn’t brain gene-lacking SERIE S enough to give it a shot on some unsuspecting schoolmate. But you never know. Because if a professional Moto2 GP rider can be so brain-fade prone then it has to be assumed some impressionable and slightly edgy 11-year old has the potential to be capable of giving it a go. Now it has to be said that what happened has not (sort of) happened before. Way back, I think it would have been the 70s, I recall one very competitive and well-known chap creating a bit of a stir by reaching over and hitting the kill button on a race-mate’s bike as they tore down a straight. It was not however a world championship race and they knew each other pretty well I think, and while the stewards were unimpressed it sort of passed by. I guess the bottom line is, don’t interfere with a competitor’s racing iron. Let him or her work the controls and you work yours. And if there’s an issue to be sorted you do it in pitlane... and just make sure there are no cameras around. NEW ZEALAND 2018 New Zealand’s largest Motorcycle Series with Top International & NZ Riders 1st Round 9th December 2nd Round 16th December 3rd Round 26 December Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park Taupo Manfeild Park Manawatu Cemetery Circuit Wanganui Get Your Early Bird Tickets for the Suzuki Series + Go in the See IOMTT Winners Draw to Win & World Champions!!! a Suzuki GIXXER150 Buy Now at cemeterycircuit.co.nz KIWI RIDER 71