Maltese rider Simon Giordmaina and his team recently travelled to Germany for the NitrOlympix, one of the biggest drag racing series in Europe which is held at the mythical Hockenheim circuit.
With the NitrOlympix organisers this year marking the 25th anniversary, the entry field for the Super Street bikes alone was 44, hailing from 10 different countries.
Giordmaina had seriously tested his Suzuki Hayabusa Turbo before leaving for Germany.
In fact, he also got the go-ahead from the Malta Drag Racing Association to conduct fine-tuning sessions at the Ħal Far Raceway during which he established a new record for the category – an excellent time of 7.82secs at 194 mph.
Despite having all cards in place before actual racing got underway, Giordmaina had to deal with a serious problem before making the grid when his ECU (engine control unit) system failed.
“That was the worst feeling I could get,” he said.
“One cannot imagine where my confidence levels had dropped at that time. This all happened when we were being introduced to the spectators. There were 55,000 on the day and we ended up pushing the bike back to the pits.”
In the garage, the team had a spare engine, clutches, tyres, chains and other parts ready but they never thought of having a second ECU available.
Apart from everything, this electronic device is the most expensive thing on the bike.
However, by the next morning, the team had three ECUs in hand, also thanks to the assistance of various other individuals outside the team.
The first opponent for Giordmaina was a rider from the Czech Republic. The Maltese driver passed the test with flying colours to qualify with the 13th best time in the class and reach the next round where an Austrian rider on top a GSXR Turbo was waiting.
Giordmaina was quick to react at the light and won the race with an 8.02 ET at 298kph.
The next opponent was David Smith, the only racer in Europe to have exceeded past the 200mph mark in super street bikes.
But Giordmaina was up to the task.
“I reacted at 0.03 sec. to the light and I knew I was in front all the way. At fourth gear and with speeds reaching almost 170 mph, my front wheel started to lift but I managed to keep it down and won the race with a 7.94 ET,” he said.
“The team was cheering and I cannot explain how happy I was. We worked hard to reach our goal and make the country proud.”
Unfortunately, all racing was cancelled the next day due to bad weather and the team had to return home without completing the final runs.
“It was slightly disappointing to end that way but the NitrOlympix was such a great occasion for us. The crowd was incredible and the track facilities so exceptional.
“In all, there were 380 teams competing at the highest level and we were there among them,” Giordmaina said.
“It was a dream come true. Winning all our races was more than fulfilling as an experience.
“I have a host of people to thank for their assistance, not least my wife Graziella and my brother George.
“There’s also Richard Demicoli, my father Charles, Stanley Agius, Tonio Darmanin, Albert Muscat and George Xuereb as well as the Malta Drag Racing Association and Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Clyde Puli. This was an all-round success. Without their help I would not have made it in Hockenheim.”