Drag racing in the jungle

One of the goals I had going to Bali was to explore their racing culture. After test riding a South Asian racing bike, I was eager to see them in action.

There were rumours about youngsters organising illegal races in the middle of the night, but I had no idea where to find them. I kept trying to spot racing bikes in the traffic.
I was riding home from the local food marked one morning in Ubud, when I spotted a kid on a striped down and tuned scooter. Talking to him was not easy because of language barrier, but his uncle’s English turned out to be more than fine. The guys told me there is a race happening next week and that the kid could take me there.
Just like that, I suddenly had an opportunity to make my wish come true.

The day before the race the kid cancels because of his work, but shared the location.

An actual dragstrip in the middle of the jungle

After one hour of riding North on the main road we turned to a narrow but smooth path in the jungle. It did feel like a proper adventure. Riding through the Balinese forest, looking for a race, not knowing what to expect. The level of excitement was high.

Because of all the illegal races in Bali, government build this strip for two years ago.

I must admit I was a bit shy and uncomfortable when we arrived. We were the only foreigners there, and somehow it felt weird.
Very soon we found out the atmosphere was friendly. People were curious about how we found out about this place and why we were here. A shared passion do connect people. Some of the guys wanted a picture with us or of us. A good sign we were far from tourist attractions.

I spotted a rare Kawasaki Ninja 150cc 2 stroke

The preparations for the next race seems to take forever so I took some time to walk around and check the teams.

A team from Java came to do the preparations before a main event later that month

Crowds moved slowly between the start line and the teams preparing their bikes

It was finally time for the race. One of the racers could not handle the tension and false started several times, before a final duel.

Fascinating to see the builds and the amount of preparations made before the race

The level of tension is really high on a start line. The team members has wiped the back tire and clutch handle. The racers is super focused and the crowd is silent. Motors are ready to be revved up when the arms of the racing judge is about to drop. Than the roar, smell of the burned fuel and the crowd starts cheering. The whole vibe was 10/10.

Unfortunately the weather was against us that day. This is just how it is during this time of the year. We only got to see one race and a couple of test runs.

Thinking back to this experience I am think this is the right way to travel for me. When I am driven my my passion and I use my abilities to connect with people, rather than paying for some organised activity for tourists.

The little taste of the local motorsport culture became one of the best memories from this trip.