EVEN a close shave with death has not deterred Mike Paul and Paul Blinkhorne from returning to the speedway track this season.
With more than 25 years' experience in sidecars apiece, the Wanganui combination were going about their racing business in Gisborne four years ago when they crashed heavily.
Blinkhorne,the swinger, broke several bones, but rider Paul sustained serious head injuries and medics feared for his life.
"They reckoned I should have died," Paul said yesterday.
"I've had no trouble since and I'm feeling fit. We've had a new machine built using an Australian frame and we plan to return to racing in Palmerston North on October 10, to gear up for opening night in Wanganui on October 26."
The new machine is a methanol-powered Honda CDR 1000 put together by well-known motorcycle racer Brian Bernard and finished by Andrew and Philipa Buchanan. It is expected to be one of the fastest units competing this year.
And even aged 45 (Paul) and 50 (Blinkhorne), returning to the track holds no fears.
"We haven't even had a play on it yet but it's going to pump around 200 horsepower out of the back wheel, so it's going to be one of the quickest out there. We are really looking forward to getting out on the track again," Paul said.
While the combination has competed at the highest level for the past 20 or more years, they have yet to win a national title - something they hope to rectify this season.
"We'll be chasing all the championship rounds this season. We've done everything but win a national title, although we have been right up there."
Their traditional race number 35 appears boldly on the sleek looking machine along with the Wanganui coat of arms and a host of sponsors' names.
"When we first started racing we combined our birth months and came up with 35. It also happens to be Burt Munro's race number. We included the coat of arms because we want everyone to know not to mess with Wanganui racers," Paul said.
Major sponsors include his own businesses Totalspan Steel Buildings, his latest acquisition MP Inspections, and Roger Crowley Barrister and Solicitor.
