The 97-year-old man competed with his son and his granddaughter to win the title. He looks forward to participate in more races.
A man from New Zealand has set the world record for being the oldest competitive motorcycle racer. Earlier this year, at the age of 97, Leslie Harris created this record by competing alongside his 64-year-old son, Rod, and 21-year-old granddaughter, Olivia. They all participated in the Regularity race, in which the aim is to perform the most consistent lap times.
Harris had previously won this event in 2019, aged 93, but he was unable to participate in the event again due to hip replacement surgery.
He then joined the 2020 Classic Festival to defend his title, but he was injured during the event and was unable to compete. Harris fell off his motorcycle and broke six ribs after the bike slipped from the roller starters while he was mounting it for a qualification race. He luckily recovered without suffering any permanent damage, reported Guinness World Records.
As a result, the 2023 festival at Pukekohe Park Raceway was extremely special for Harris, as it had been a long time since he’d been able to race, let alone compete with his family members for the first time.
“It was very important to Les to be able to ride the track and compete for a trophy he had won at a previous event,” Tim, Harris’ younger son, told Guinness World Records.
He further said, “Les is still competing and will continue to do so as long as he can swing a leg over his bike.”
Harris intends to compete in more events this year, and he is also looking forward to the 44th Classic Festival, which will be held in February 2024 at the new Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding.