By Stuart Teather
HE may have been an underdog, but Pakenham’s Scott Webster proved he could still match it with the best of them on the track.
The 46-year-old auto-electrician raced some of Australia’s motorcycle greats at the International Island Classic at Phillip Island on the weekend and finished third overall.
The race meeting is for historic motorcycles and Webster, aboard his 1980 Moto Martin Kawasaki, finished on the podium behind motorbike legends Wayne Gardner and Malcolm ‘Wally’ Campbell.
It was Webster’s second podium finish in as many years, as he finished second in 2008 behind Gardner.
His conquerors carry some impressive credentials – Gardner was the 1987 500cc Motorcycle World Champion and Campbell was a two-time Australian Superbike Champion.
With competitors on a range of historic bikes, Webster agreed that some bikes were quicker than others, but was quick to dismiss that as a reason for the two riders placing in front of him.
“They’re better riders,” he said with a laugh.
“You look at it all different ways, but it comes back to the same thing – they’re real good riders.”
With three thirds and a second placing, Webster was consistent right across the weekend.
“I qualified sixth which put me on the second row and I finished third – so I was going in the right direction,” he said.
He also set a personal best time around the track, a blistering 1 minute 42.785 seconds.
And in further good news, the Australian contingent won the points summary ahead of the United Kingdom in second and New Zealand in third.