Rain only briefly delayed racing as the 2023 Group One Site Services Long Track Masters meeting provided a big crowd with plenty of red-hot action at the Bathurst Showground last Saturday, March 4.
Persistent, but light showers necessitated extensive track work around dusk, but the hard-working crew won out as the racing surface produced as much excitement post-rain as there had been during the day. The massive 119-event programme was finished, albeit slightly later than planned, and the fans were well rewarded with the quality of the racing turned on by all 14 classes of competition.
Long-time track announcer Peter Baker best summed it up saying, “There was hardly a race where there was no drama. Constant changing of positions was the norm and there were many races so close that the result was not obvious to the naked eye”.
Harrison Ryan was the only rider who managed to win more than one class, but an alarming spill in between those wins nearly ended his night.
The massive entry list for the Pro 450 class necessitated three rounds of six heats, a repechage and then a final which Ryan won by seven one-hundredths of a second ahead of local star Ben Grabham with James Sawdy third. Ryan was back slammed to the track when his slider machine looped as the tapes rose in a heat race and he was lucky to only be winded.
The finale to the programme was the Unlimited class final where Ryan again triumphed ahead of Damien Koppe, Jarred Brook and Ben Grabham – all of whom have an extensive list of wins at Bathurst. The Slider class saw a high attrition rate, although it is questionable if any of those who had problems could have overcome the very impressive Victorian Jack Morrison who stormed to victory. His most serious rival loomed as Gunnedah rider Jordan Dall but in the end, courtesy of the air-fences in use at Bathurst for the first time, he had an alarming spill while chasing Morrison in the final.
Damian Koppe made the trip from Townsville worthwhile with victory in the Unlimited 2-stroke class to go with second place in the Unlimited class.
Rory Hutchinson was unbeaten in winning the 250cc 2-stroke class, but his brother Angus Hutchinson failed to match him, finishing second to Cody Lewis in the 250cc 4-stroke class.
Older machines and older riders were part of the programme with class wins for Daniel Wicks (Pre 1990 machines) and Matthew Davies (Evolution Sliders). Kenny Angel (Hooligan Twins) and Ben Grabham (Over 40s) were the only two-wheel 2022 class winners to be victorious again this year.
The Women’s class lived up to expectations with Briony Hendrickson emerging as the winner.
A class for Unlimited MX framed machines with 19-inch flat track wheels featured for the first time, and this proved a worthwhile innovation as it also produced consistently exciting action and close finishes.
After dominating the most recent Bathurst meetings, the 19-inch class provided Jarred Brook with his only class win of the 2023 meeting ahead of Thomas Herrick and Daniel Wicks in Division 1, while Kristin O’Donnell dominated Division 2.
The Dirt Track Sidecar class produced one of the most decisive victories of the meeting but what made it special was that Corey Banks and passenger Tom Banks won for the sixth consecutive Bathurst meeting.
The two junior classes again showed fans that there is a rich vein of talent coming through the ranks.
Both class winners – Sam Drane (9-Under 13s) and Bodie Paige (13-Unde 16s) stood out, but behind them, the action was as close and exciting as any of the senior classes.