Although the famous line trivialises his achievement, the Wingham High School industrial arts teacher believes simply being there played a large part in him winning the National BEARS Challenge for the fifth time in his motorcycle racing career.

This is the second consecutive year the Rainbow Flat resident has taken out the formula three category, following formula five victories in 2005, 2002 and 2000.

The BEARS Challenge – which is restricted to non-Japanese bikes – is open to riders of any age and skill level and is decided by an annual pointscore competition.

Brown has maintained his edge over his rivals by racing in as many meets as he can.

“I entered every event and finished every race I could,” he said.

“I was there and I was consistent. I know that when I can’t win, which is regularly, I will finish and gain the points.”

The year-long competition meant he raced his Ducati 900R in all types of weather conditions – from exhausting heat to biting cold – on tracks such as Eastern Creek, Broadford, MacNamara Park, Winton Raceway and Wakefield Park. This commitment to the sport means more when you consider that he competes without backing. He rides for the love of it.

“I love the competition, I love riding motorbikes fast, I love the thrill, the rush, the fear, the challenge . . . I’m always looking to improve my performance,” he said.

Brown started racing at the relatively late age of 33. Now at 49, he feels he is at the top of his game and getting better each year.

He promises to be back in contention next year in what he expects will be an even fiercer comp.

He thanked Wingham High School for giving him time off when necessary and his occasional pit crew for their assistance.

BEARS stands for British-European-American Race Series.

Brown has been racing for 16 years though he did retire from the sport briefly in 1998 due to the associated high costs and hectic schedule. This didn’t last long though because he missed the sport too much and returned in 2000, finishing the year by winning his first National BEARS Challenge title.