Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Fergusson . It was a tough class." After only a year o n the smaller machines, Vermeule n made what may have been a crucial early jump onto a Superbike, a home-brewed and very private Yamaha RI. And he had an early exposure to a bit of globetrotting, in an unusual and horizon-broadening fashion. "In 1999 I did the Aussie Super bike Championship class on an R I Yamaha and finished eighth, the first privateer." he recalled. "I also did the Asian 250cc championship. We did Malaysia, Thailand, China and Indones ia. China was pretty cool, close to where they run at Macau, at the Zuha i trac k." No t a bad experience for a I 7 -year-o ld with big amb itions. It was just a taste of things to come for Vermeu len, the latest in a long and seemi ngly neve r-end ing production line of talen t from Australia, a phenomenon Vermeu len is fully aware of. "Whe n I look aroun d, there are Aussies racing every where," he said. "To do nationals in Australia is a big commitment. There is no money in the country really, there are on ly four or flve riders who do it as a full -time profession, and the trave ling distances to get to races are huge. It's like doing a World Championship almost . From where I was, the closest trac k was two hours away, then the next -closest track was 14 hours ' drive and then just furt her and further. So when you went to the tracks to race , you were always going to put 100 percen t in. I think in Europe that people get it too easy. When Aussies come ove r to Europe , you get one chance, and you are there to be a mo torcycle racer. So you live, eat , drink, slee p it. In Europe riders can be a rider on the weekend and then during the week you go back to normal life. I think that's part of the reas on w hy the Aussies do so well." Pounding up a well-worn track across the worl d to the UK racing scene, Vermeulen landed a ride in the UK, and the biggest culture shock was the weather to start. "I still re membe r com ing to the UK in 2000, and shortly before the season started, I did a test in Spain," he recalled . "T he n it was Mallory Park for the 'Race of the Year.' I remember getting changed in the back of the Sanyo Honda truck , and it was absolutely freezing cold. It was snowing two days before , and I had neve r seen snow before . I had to ride a bike arou nd in that cold weather, and I couldn't believe what I was doing, to be honest!" His instant ability to go fast was only matched by his popu larity with the British fans for his obvious tale nts and winning kid-next-door pe rsonality. His entran ce to stage right, left and cente r of UK Supe rsport and Supe rstoc k was aided by one of the biggest stars ever to have trodd en the racing boards, the late Barry Sheene, w ho was a long-time reside nt in Australia. Vermeulen describes the main aids to his instant acce lerat ion to the next levels. "I had ridden big bikes in Australia, so when I rode the British Super bike and Superstock bike for Sanyo Honda, I was used to it a bit," he said. "I reckon a lot of my pop ularity in the UK was because of Barry Sheene. Barry organ ized the ride for me and promoted me to start with. Having someone like that really helps. I don't know why Barry took such an interest in my career early on , but I guess I was the youngest guy riding a Superbike in Australia, in my first full season. There were some factory riders and bikes in Australia then - Steve Martin, Craig Connell , Adam Fergusson , Andrew Pitt on the Kawasaki - and there were many 'names.' I was beating a lot of the m and finishing on the podium . Barry was TV co mmentator, and he knew me from doing some inter views and so on . He gave me his card and said to call him if I ever needed anything. He sorted out a leathers and helmet spons or, and at the end of that yea r I said to him w hat my op tions were, proba bly being a top Supe rb ike rider in Australia. "He said, 'Leave it with me ,' and he got onto the pho ne, trying to get me into racing abroad . It was either America or Britain, and in his opinion it was better to be in the UK, becau se it was in the European sce ne. He got me the ride in Britain, and I didn't even know I was doing it! He rang me up and said, 'This is what you're doing...' He was a rea lly nice guy, Barry - he wo uld do anything for anyone if you had the right attitude." After showing some major talent in UK Supers port and Superstock, the season had not eve n been co mpleted before Vermeu len was on his upward travels again. "At the end of 2000 I did three races for Castro I Honda in World Supers port,' he said. "What I found was that only the top co uple of riders we re much be tte r than the top couple in the UK, but the whole field was like that. It really was like you had the best two riders from each country put together. The level in the UK was very stro ng, but it d id not have the strength in dep th." O n relatively slow bikes and on tires that were not the best that year, in argua bly the most cutthroat championship there is, Vermeulen struggled to make headway for the first time in his career. Character building it may have been, but fruitful it was not, with a bes t of fifth at Misano. And being in such a high-profile team, there was no esca pe from public view. www.cy clenews .co m CYCLE NEWS • JULY 7 2 4 49

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