Lee Munro to ride Indian at Burt Munro Challenge

Lee Munro to ride Indian at Burt Munro Challenge

The 10th Anniversary of the Burt Munro Challenge in Invercargill is a fitting place for Lee Munro to be re-launching his racing career after a short hiatus. His 'warm up' at the Greymouth Street Race last weekend was a success, placing 1st in the BEAR's class (British, Europe, American Racing) and 2nd in the Formula 1 class.

Lee's Burt Munro Challenge highlight will be riding a 1941 Indian Sport Scout motorcycle in the Invercargill Street Races, which has been generously loaned by Paddy Snowdon from The Pumphouse Racing Team in Christchurch. Lee will be competing against Chris Frisken on the team's second Indian race bike.

"It's a great thing having a Munro racing an Indian motorcycle again, especially at the Burt Munro Challenge. I think Burt would be pretty happy about that," says Lee.

If you have never heard of Lee Munro, it would not be surprising. The quietly spoken and humble motorcycle racer and engine rebuilder likes to do things on his own merit - despite being a direct relative of land speed record holder and New Zealand icon, Burt Munro.

That is, unless you are into motorcycle racing. During his racing career Lee has achieved some remarkable results on his Ducati 999 - a bike that's now ten years old, which is nearly outdated in racing terms. But, just like Burt, Lee is fascinated with getting as much out of his older bike as he can, and developing techniques to achieve winning results.

Lee's initial inspiration came from a local boy, who often rode his motorcycle on the track across from Lee's kindergarten, with his t-shirt flapping in the wind. "That's when I decided I wanted to ride motorcycles. I used to jump on my bike and pedal as fast as I could, looking behind me to see if my t-shirt was flapping."

Their love of motorcycles isn't the only similarity between Burt and Lee. Burt's daughters told Lee he reminded them so much of Burt - in his mannerisms and phrases. Lee noticed this himself while watching 'Gifts To The Gods of Speed', Roger Donaldson's documentary filmed in 1971 that followed Burt from Invercargill to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.

Burt had always been a bit of a black sheep in the family, defying convention and stepping away from their farming background to work on his motorcycles. "I never really knew what Burt had achieved until 'The World's Fastest Indian' movie came out. He was always just our eccentric 'Great Uncle Burt' who was into motorcycles."

His mother was against Lee getting a motorcycle when he was young, as his uncle was killed in a motorcycle accident. However, this never deterred Lee. His father bought them a three-wheeler motorbike when Lee was nine, and at age twelve Lee saved up and bought his first motorbike - a 1982 Honda XR80. Lee later lived in a storage unit for two years to save up enough money to buy the Ducatti 999 - his third race bike and seventh motorbike.

Lee's love of Ducati's came from a near miss with a ute that jack-knifed it's trailer right in front of him on the open road. Lee had a passenger on the back of his bike at the time.

"The ute just jack-knifed right in front of us. We had nowhere to go. I aimed for the cross bar to give us the most room possible, and was squeezing on the brakes. At the last moment I just had to jam them on full. The bike lifted its rear end up over the front wheel, and then dropped back down onto both wheels. I couldn't believe it. That bike saved my life."

Lee is currently looking for sponsors to help him race at the Burt Munro Challenge and other upcoming events. For details visit his website at www.leemunroracing.wordpress.com or you can donate at www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/leemunro.

ENDS

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