GRASSTRACK : RACING CREATIVE PEOPLE

Grasstrack, Racing Creative People

Hand Sutikno (50) covered in pink soap. He put the soap into the bottom of the tank that leaked motorcycle. About 30 minutes, the tank is okay and can be filled gasoline. Then he darted into the grass track racing.

That's the atmosphere at the track (paddock) at the regional championship last series sponsored Grasstrack Comet tire manufacturer in Taman Ria Gagarajy Circuit, District Jatitujuh, Majalengka,. At the edge of the track, about 5,000 spectators cheered as the champion to overtake other drivers.

Viewers should also be vigilant in case there is a motor that nyelonong off the track heading in their direction. Understandably, security boundary is marked only by a stretch of plastic tape. In fact, the motor speed can reach 55 kilometers per hour.

The length of the track on the circuit was about 1.5 kilometers. Beginner class rider bends and obstacles must be devoured as many as three rounds. The more experienced should spin as much as six times. Obstacles in the form of a high mound of soil with about 0.5 to 1 meter.

At first glance, the motor used in this Grasstrack same motor used in motokros. However, the engine in the race Grasstrack wearing motorcycle engine that was used on the highway, either duck or type of motor sport.

Besides the engine, main frame is still wearing a pristine bike frame. Mechanics team usually add lonjoran iron in the hollow of the main chassis as the barrier pressure when landing after bulldoze obstacles.

Sutikno, manager of The Flower Lembang, began racing Grasstrack since 1974. Because of his achievements, he was working at the Bank BTPN Subang branch. Now, racing ability bequeathed to his three children, Irwan, Irfan Tikno, and Irsan Tikno. Arts modification

Creativity racer and motor mechanic in shaping the team needed. Therefore, no special motorcycle factory that makes motors for Grasstrack. Unlike a bike motokros easily obtained, but the price is at least Rp 40 million per unit.

To change the default duck into the motor bike "trail" will cost at least USD 4 million, among others, to buy a particular tire track mud (USD 1 million), installation of additional iron in the main frame (USD 500,000), and fiddling with the engine block (USD 2.5 million). One motor is the motor duck Sutikno owned branded Yamaha Force 1 in 2004. He added engine capacity from 110 cc to 130 cc.

Creativity is what attracted racer Tommy "MJ" Amijaya (18) to pursue this race. He is a racer from Sumedang District who became the overall champion in the category of junior racers. "For me, modify the motor that's part of art," said third grader Damaraja SMA Negeri 1, Sumedang, this. Racing folk

A board of West Java Province Association of Motor Indonesia considers Grasstrack as racing people. Because the price of the motor is cheaper than the price of the motor to motokros (special engine). "The participants are young people around the circuit who want to be a racer but with mediocre capital," said Usep Garnita, Head of Public Relations Jabar IMI.

Creativity is a passion for people involved in the race of this type, namely the use of soap to patch the leaking gas tank, brown plakban to protect the engine air filter from blockage of mud, up to slender women invited from the city of Bandung for riders from the sun umbrella.