CHAMPIONSHIP victories will not come easy this weekend, December 10-11, when the Pope Building Services 2016 Victorian Junior and Senior Dirt Track Championships are staged at the track at Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sports Complex. Nor should they!
One person expecting two days of hard-fought racing is long-time journalist and announcer Peter Baker who is travelling to Broadford to do the PA commentary of the title meeting.
“The Harley Club of Victoria is rightly delighted with the entry list for both juniors and seniors,” Baker said.
“Such is the quality of the fields it is very hard to pick a standout contender in many of the 12 junior classes and eight senior classes,” he added.
This championship meeting was originally washed out back in September and while there are a handful of riders who are missing from the original list of entries the extra time and now rescheduled staging date has attracted even more riders than originally entered.
Riders from as far afield as Brisbane, Adelaide, Mildura, Broken Hill and the Riverina are heading to Broadford so the leading Victorian riders will need to repel some strong challenges if they are to keep the winners’ trophies in Victoria.
One particular feature of this weekend will be seeing a field of dirt track sliders in action at a time when they have become virtually extinct in open competition.
Flying the flag for the home state is multi national champion Rowan Tegart from Mildura and host club riders Nicholas Waters and Bradley Burns who have won numerous state titles
There is also several family connections with Harley Club of Victoria riders James and Jessie Davies, Max and Nicholas Berry, and father and son Jason and Jordan Stewart from Mildura among them.
Sean McLellan from Newcastle, a former multi Australian junior champion and. Daniel Wicks from Cowra, a surprise packet at this year’s Australian Championship, leads the visiting brigade in the senior classes.
Junior racing will showcase the future of the sport with Harley Club of Victoria rider Max Berry sure to be prominent after recently stepping up in to the 13 to Under 16 age bracket.
Clubmate Bryce Holmes will sign off from junior racing at the meeting.
Junior champions from Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia will test the Victorians.
Many riders will have a busy weekend having entered for multiple classes, none more so than teenager Ryan New from Temora in NSW, who has entered for the Under 19s, Pro 250, Pro 450 , Pro Open and also the Pre-90s class.
A gold coin donation to the CFA will get spectators in to watch on either day with on-track action getting under way at 9am. For more information please visit: www.harleyclubofvictoria.com.au.
Peter Baker
Harley Club of Victoria