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Team Air Force - Racing Ahead

By FLTLT Lee Bradford

Team Air Force Racing (L to R): PLTOFF Neil Chappell, SGT Aaron Carr, and FLTLT Lee Bradford. WN-10-0021-012.
Team Air Force Racing

Team Air Force Racing (AFR) was formed over a year ago and consists of motorcycle dynamic duo—Pilot Office Neil Chappell and Flight Lieutenant Lee Bradford—supported by team mechanic, Sergeant Aaron Carr. Intent on promoting the Royal New Zealand Air Force, they finished last year’s season with some impressive results—winning two separate championships, and achieving a first in the Wellington Motorcycle Racing club’s 35 year history, to name a few. This is their winning story.

Victoria Motorcycle Club (VMCC) Winter Series

The VMCC winter series is widely regarded as the highest standard of road racing in New Zealand, after the nationals, and runs from May–October.

PLTOFF Chappell taking the bend at Taupo. WN-10-0002-033.
Taking the bend

Last year PLTOFF Chappell competed in Formula 3 and Post Classic Junior. He had an awesome session, becoming the Formula 3 and Post Classic Junior Champion—doing this on one bike, which was a first in VMCC’s 35-year history. He won 17 races and is also the lap record holder for Manfield Long Track in Formula 3. His best Manfield short track time was 1:15.9.

I competed in Formula 2, missing the first round of the series due to work commitments. However, I managed to finish 10th in my class with a best race result of 6th—against some pretty stiff competition—and managed a Manfield short track time of 1:13.8.

Boxing Day Cemetery Circuit, Wanganui

Christmas Leave is the busiest time for the team. Starting on Christmas Day, we headed to one of the most famous street races in New Zealand—racing against international competitors around the old cemetery on the streets of Wanganui.

Street racing is an art in itself—you don’t want to make a mistake and end up wrapped around a lamp post or hitting a wall/barrier.

Out in front, FLTLT Lee Bradford racing at Manfield. WN-10-0021-015.
Out in front

In Post Classics, the top eight finishers were all on machines above 900cc—apart from PLTOFF Chappell, who finished an impressive 3rd on his much smaller 400cc bike.

Formula 3 was hotly contested, with PLTOFF Chappell finishing 6th overall. I finished 11th in Formula 2, and both of us significantly reduced our lap times, completing the circuit in a shade over 55 seconds.

Bikers Against Drunk Drivers—Endurance Race

As soon as we’d packed up our kit at Wanganui, we drove to Taupo for the three hour charity endurance race, being held the next day.

Endurance racing isn’t just about riding fast, it’s a complete team effort and your strategy comes into play as well. We knew our pit crew—SGT Carr, some friends and our ‘better halves’—were pretty quick on the refuel stops and we both rode well, scoring consistent 1:39 laps. Unfortunately we lost valuable time with strategy errors, too many pit stops, and untimely mechanical failures. We finished the race 11th out of 33 entrants, completing 99 laps—a mere six laps behind the winner. We were left imagining what could have been.

Bike Rider Magazine Summer Series

This series is still going on with two rounds remaining. The next round is being held on 14 March and the final round will be on 11 April, both in Taupo.

PLTOFF Chappell representing the RNZAF on the line at Wanganui. WN-10-0021-013.
On the line at Wanganui

I started the series against top New Zealand contenders preparing for the Nationals, placing 11th and 9th in Round 1. Round 2 went much better, I won the first race and placed 4th in the second in Formula 2. I’m now 2nd overall in the championship and hope to continue with the good form for the remaining rounds.

Despite a good start to the series PLTOFF Chappell has unfortunately had to pull out of the series due to a blown head gasket.

We would like to thank all those who have supported us within the RNZAF, particularly the Ohakea Motorsports Club and the various workshops and resident experts at Base Ohakea, who have put in extra effort to keep our machines competitive and looking great.

2009 Achievements

PLTOFF Neil ‘Chappy’ Chappell (Riding a 450cc bike)

  • VMCC Formula 3 Champion
  • VMCC Post classics JNR Champion
  • 2 Championship wins in one season—the first person to have done that since the club’s 35 year history
  • Lap record for the club for Long track on a Formula 3 bike
  • 17 race wins for the season
  • Placed top 3 overall in all 23 races.

FLTLT Lee Bradford (Riding a 600cc bike)

  • 10th VMCC Formula 2 Championship
  • 1st race win in Jan 2010
  • Currently 2nd in the BRM Summer Series.

Image Gallery - Issue 112