Registration for the entire Asia Pacific tour is now open. So what can you expect from this part of the world? We asked Max Heaton and Jaime de Lange to break down the two race tracks in their respective nations.
Newtons 2019 (World Cup)
It’s that time of year again, the time to hurtle yourself down one of the world’s most iconic race tracks; Mount Panorama in Bathurst. Upon arrival at the start line you will peer over the crest and shock yourself with how steep the descent is - it is the best rush barrelling into Forest Elbow at speeds of ~80km/h. The track itself is short and sweet, on average a little over a minute with speeds of up to 115km/h down Conrod Straight. This is not for the faint hearted! Please before you decide to register, ask yourself, are you ready? Registrations open here
Tame The Taipan (World Qualifying Series)
Tame The Taipan, Australia’s second instalment on this years World Tour, and first appearance on the IDF Calendar, will probably scare you silly! A huge success in its opening year of 2018, Tame The Taipan saw legends struggle, monsters of the sport become dazed and confused, and young guns come to the table and KILL it. Last year it crowned the Australian Champion and rumours have it the event will crown once again! Down Under it’s fairly clear that we like it short and sweet. This stretch of pavement winds through a private estate and reaches impressive gradients, not to mention the BUTTER pavement, except for in the most crucial part of the hill. Come prepared to get sideways, wobble and bounce around a whole lot and face your fears! Registrations open here.
Seaside (World Qualifying Series)
Seaside, a legendary spot of the Philippines, is one fast track. The race course is 1.7 kms, all on perfectly baked asphalt. The first section has a top speed of 97 kph (set by Abdil Mahdzan in 2018) and the bottom sweeper section has an average of about 75 kph. It is both very fast and very technical, but above all, super fun to race on. Racers from all around the world claim it to be an instant favorite. Last year, Emily Pross made history here, becoming the first woman to place 1st in an IDF WQS, beating world Champion's Thiago Lessa, Carlos Paixao, and Josh Evans. Always legendary times at Seaside. Registrations open here.
Moon Rock (World Qualifying Series)
Moon Rock is a much fresher track in the Philippines scene, paved a little over a year ago. This track may not be as fast as its big brother Seaside, but it makes up for it with technicality and super fun race features. Two popular spots are K9 Right and Moon Rock Left, both of which require a bit of drifting/slowing down. In between there are wide sweepers, perfect for catching a draft. All this makes for some really wild and tight racing. On its first year, Thiago Lessa set the track record but Carlos Paixao was the first ever winner at Moon Rock. Registrations open here.
Hype up: Max Heaton (Australia races) and Jaime de Lange (Philippines races)
Photos: Linus Marsh, Yuji Fujiyama, Sebi Dangerseeker and Owen Licop
