This Sunday, the 29th October, a day after the Australian FIM Speedway Grand Prix, SSRAV will play host to the Victorian U21 (500cc) Speedway Championships at the State Motorcycle Sports Complex, Broadford.
SSRAV Committee Member Gary Timmerman is looking forward to a great day to follow up the international event.
“We are looking forward to showcasing the best under 21 talent in the country, giving the riders the opportunity to shine in front of a crowd that is likely to include both interstate and overseas visitors who are in town for the GP at Etihad the night before, and to provide an entertaining meeting with great racing for the fans that come along to Broadford on Sunday,” Gary said.
People attending the event should expect a warm Victorian welcome, the perfect surroundings of the track nestled in the hills of the Victorian countryside and some great racing on an excellent track.
“It also looks like Mother Nature is going to cooperate with the forecast being a few showers and relatively cool in the days leading up to the meeting but a fine, dry day on the big day itself,” Gary added.
The club has been busy behind-the-scenes in preparation for the Championship event and Gary can’t wait for the work to pay off and the racing to get underway.
“The club has been busy doing most of the ‘hidden’ work; all the extra things that need to be taken care of like security, parking, people to man the entrance gate, fencing, catering, medical, tidying up the track surrounds, the list seems like its endless.”
“At the U21 level you can’t go past the enthusiasm of the riders. These are all extremely keen young men with many of them having set their sights on an overseas speedway career in the Northern Hemisphere and who are eager to ride any where, any time, and on any size track to gain as much speedway experience as they can. At the same time they are still at an early stage of their careers and the odd mistake will inevitably creep in from time to time. That just about guarantees there won’t be many dull moments!”
Motorcycling Victoria asked Gary for a bit of a preview into the action, asking about who he was looking forward to watching during the day:
“It’s hard to know where to start, the list of talent that will be on display will be awesome. It includes a two time world champion at junior level Matthew Gilmore from NSW. He is small in stature but big on talent and certainly one to watch out for.
Also likely to be not too far away when the prizes are handed out is Josh Pickering who is also from NSW. Josh has just returned from his first season in the UK riding for the Edinburgh Monarchs and he will certainly be race hardened and probably have a slight edge on the rest of the field in that regard.
It would be no surprise if one of the three leading Mildura riders in the field walks away with the major prize, namely Jaimon Lidsey, Jordan Stewart, and Cooper Riordan. All three are the same age and have been pushing each other first at junior level and then later at senior level over the last few years and all three are very quick round a speedway track. Mildura continues to be an automated production line for young speedway riders and ignore any one of the three at your peril.
Zaine Kennedy from QLD is another rider who has been putting together some fine performances over the past season highlighted by a win at one of the winter series rounds at Albury. He may not be well known to Victorian speedway fans now, but he may well be come Sunday afternoon.
Last but by no means least is local Craigieburn rider James Davies. James continues to make steady improvement and has done more laps on a speedway bike around his local track at Broadford than anyone and knows the place like the back of his hand. He has a massive appetite for speedway and could very easily be a surprise packet and feature more prominently than many might think.”
Gary would also like to thank the riders because “if not for them we can’t put on a show, and to have such a wonderful nomination list is all we could have wished for.” He would also like to thank the officials and club members who help out both in planning, on the day and are to be congratulated for their efforts.
The Victorian U21 (500cc) Speedway Championship is taking place this Sunday 29th October at the State Motorcycle Sports Complex, Broadford.