NEW TT IN SOUTHERN AMERICA ?
On Sunday December 7th Cordoba's mountains became crowded again to presence the spectacle of jet-speed, high-cylinder capacity motorcycles.
For many the words "Road Race" are not known, so we started this project with the dissemination of images, photos, results of the World Road Race, Argentina's performance in the TT on the Isle of Man, in the North West 200 Ireland, and so little by little in these 8 years we have worked to begin a stage of motorcycling in Argentina.
Until not long ago, a man from Cordoba representing Argentina in England every year, had as a goal to popularize a natural circuit, which is in the high peaks of the province of Cordoba, on the road that links two tourist cities such as Villa Carlos Paz and Mina Clavero. Hence the circuit of Copina was born: a 31 km route that forms a triangle, has a winding stretch, extending from the Copina Inn until the junction of Route 34, and from there until the bridge of the observatory, with a continual path that leads us higher speed back to the hostel, thus forming this circuit entirely natural.
Since the beginning of the week foreign invited pilots have began to arrive to this test. David Paredes has benn promoting the event in Europe for years and with it the possibility of this dream of bringing a World Road Race circuit to this natural place.
From Tuesday began to arrive representatives, pilots and members of teams: Mr. Bill Smith, with 50 years of motorcycling, and 5 titles of the TT in its possession; the English James Powell, Irish, Ryan Mc Cay, both runners RR of the world championship, the prestigious Spanish pilot Sergio Romero. Joined this Mr. Carlos Gomez, Spain prominent journalist, editor of Road Race for Spanish television, and Supermotard racer, and Mr. Helmut Wes, from Italy, president of the club that joins all motorcycles' clubs in this country, a member of the IFM, and EUM (European Union of motorcycle) which came to give their support and audit this event. Closes this group Paul Rennie, England, Suzuki British team leader.
During days 4, 5 and 6 of December were carried out practices related to the recognition, memory and application of techniques in the circuit Copina. It is noteworthy that more than 70 motorcycles were given, was quoted as also the clinical development of driving and road safety, along with the European pilots, and this is the main event hotbed of new pilots.
The day Saturday afternoon, after practice, jet pilots gathered in the city of Cordoba, invited by the government of the province, on the promenade Buen Pastor. There were some demonstrations by Ramiro "Gamuza" Benaglia and the teams were presented, giving them a welcome for the first time in the city.
On Sunday, with a radiant sun, the activities were developed with a framework of public which surpassed all expectations. Practices were conducted, then the rankings launched by categories every 15 seconds. These were divided into: Super Sport 600 - Superbike 1000 - and Internation Formula FI (250).
After a day of high temperatures, with some delays in schedule due to the organization of the amount of people that moved along the circuit, seeking the best location to view; raced off in first place the 600cc category with 16 bikes on the grid heading.
The main protagonist was Pedro Otta aboard a Yamaha R6 from ATM team, with more than 15,000 RPM did shake the mountains in its path, and gained a lot of fans in his favor, affirming its future participation in a global day of Road Race in Ireland next year.
The battle for second place came in between the pilots Marcos Tolosa aboard a KTM 690 of the KTM official team and the pilot Ariel Paredes aboard a Yamaha R6 LA BUSHI team, the pilot Delfín Ontiveros with a Yamaha R6, and Fernando Reynoso from Cordoba with a Honda CBR 600, ending this dispute a few meters from the arrival, leaving the podium this way: 1st place Pedro Otta, 2nd Marcos Tolosa and 3rd Delfín Ontiveros.
The English James Powell left with a bitter taste, as it suffered a fall whcich relegated him from the culmination of competition, but promised to return the next day to fight the Argentine pilots.
The best ocurred in the top category, the 1000cc Superbikes, where the public that invaded the rocks and mountains, was delighted with the roar of the engines.
In the first set the duel was between the Spanish Sergio Romero with a Yamaha R1, the Irishman Ryan Mc Cay with Yamaha R1, Ramiro Mendilarzu, David Paredes, Jose Figueroa as revelation in this type of competition, and Alexis Matteoda, dominating its class of GT (grand tourism) KTM 990.
The images captured by the helicopter that covered the event made all the adrenaline revive whcih is a tradition at any Road Race in the world, where unlike a Autodromo closed, you can feel close the pilots and their machines.
THE GRAND FINAL: The first place was reached by the pilot David Paredes, with Suzuki 1000 SUZUKI team in a big fight with the promising pilot Laguna Larga, Nicholas Pound, with R1, and in third place, Jose Figueroa, with its showy yellow Suzuki 1000.
The balance of this first test surpassed the expectations of organizers, pilots, and suppliers from abroad who came specially to oversee the event, thereby taking Cordoba real prospect of achieving the much-advertised date worldwide.
Notably in Tokyo, Japan, it was held last month a date, the RR similar to ours, looking for a place in the global calendar. However Argentina is widely achieving a favorable decision by its geography, hospitality and the passion of its people.
Our next goal is to organize and gain the necessary support so that this event can be repeated in 2009, and bearing the promise of 10 Italian teams, and a number of English, Irish, and Spanish pilots.
We want to thank especially the Argentine sponsors who supported from the beginning this project. Thanks to ATM motorcycle insurance, LABUSHI clothing, SUZUKI Argentina, Official KTM, SOLCO boots for motorcyclists, and especially those agencies that believed in giving us the tools necessary to succeed: Municipality of Villa Carlos Paz and its Secretary of Tourism, Government of Cordoba, the Cordoba Federation of motocyclism, which is always on the side of our province initiatives, the Departmental Punilla who along with the Police from ICHO Cruz, took charge of security.
And to all those who worked from the anonymity, so that this dream could be fulfilled. Thanks to the Copina Inn team, flagholders, Raul Salva who organized the mobility of foreigners every day, a full time excellent translator, and all those who came to offer their services.