Motorsport: History to repeat at Manfeild for team Merkel

When Honda No27 races out onto the track at Manfeild and the rider is listed in the programme as a man named Merkel, you could be forgiven for thinking you'd been swept back in time.

American "Flying" Fred Merkel raced his No27 Honda to clinch the inaugural Superbike World Championships title when the series wrapped up at Manfeild in October 1988.

These days the Californian motorcycling superstar calls Taupo his home and it's his young son, Travis, racing on his own Honda No27 and taking it to the front of the pack in the formula two class at the Victoria Motorcycle Club's popular Winter Series meetings.

Fred Merkel fell in love with New Zealand and why not? This was the venue for the greatest triumphs of his incredible racing career.

He won the 1988 world superbike title and backed that up by coming Downunder again as Manfeild again hosted the final round of the championships in 1989, Merkel successfully defending his world crown.

Fred Merkel and his wife Carla chose New Zealand to bring up their children and their eldest son, Travis, is now making a name for himself in the same game that Fred so vigorously pursued in the 1980s.

The 19-year-old Travis Merkel has only been racing a short time, but already he is featuring on the podium. Just a week ago he placed 2-2-3 in his three outings to finish third overall in the F2 class at round two of the winter series at Manfeild.

Oddly enough, it wasn't his pedigree or even his results that drew most attention, it was the strange item attached to the front of his helmet.

"Oh that's just a baby's rattle," laughed Travis, as if this was the most normal of things to stick on a helmet.

"It's a bumblebee wrist rattle ... it actually belongs to my 1-year-old brother, Jhett, but I've claimed it for myself. He can't stop me having it ... he's too small to fight me.

"It's just a joke really and I guess he'll look back in later years, when he sees the photos of me racing, and he'll probably laugh about it too.

"I suppose we must be spoiled for entertainment at our house. I just think everyone takes the racing just a little bit too serious sometimes," said Travis, an ironic comment considering how serious his dad was about his racing.

"I call the toy 'Bungle'. It's just a mascot but I imagine him giving me pep talks when he rattles."

As for Fred, he's still making regular pilgrimages to Manfeild, only now as the mentor, coach and mechanic for Travis, and he's still a popular figure in the pits.