Thunder only happens when it's raining... weather turns on MotoGP

IT WAS still 30 degrees when the race crowd started rolling into the new-look Thompson Avenue Mall in Cowes around 5pm on Friday night.

Re-runs of past MotoGP races were playing on the big screen as everyone found their place for a few drinks, a meal or just a casual wander up and down the car-free zone which the northern-end of the main street has been since Thursday.

By 6pm, a big crowd had assembled down at the foreshore end of the street, and with a beer or an ice cream in hand, they were enjoying the favours and the ambience of an early summer night.

Local singer songwriter, Imogen Price, was up on stage belting our a welcome mix of rock, country, blues and folk, and as the camera swung around for glimpses of the crowd, all the evidence was there of locals, visitors and hard-core racegoers having a good time.

"I've been brought up on the Island and I just can't believe this is going to be the last race," said Imogen.

"I was in love with Valentino Rossi when I was at school. He was always the one on the bike when we made our posters every year.

"It's just been so much a part of the Island. We're really going to miss it," she said.

But just as Imogen turned it up for her rendition of Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, with its lyrics, “Oh, thunder only happens when it’s raining… when the rain washes you clean you’ll know” the clouds started to gather on the Balnarring side of the bay as a sure sign the much-talked-about weather was on its way.

A few dots of rain turned into showers and with a crack of lightning or two the crowd scattered well before the night’s main act, the Laing Brothers could get on stage.

Phillip Island just can’t catch a break at MotoGP time.

Within minutes the temperature had dropped 13 degrees and the new normal for the weekend had arrived.