More than 80 riders produced two days of exciting action at this year’s Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships, showcasing the great pool of young talent coming through the dirt track ranks. The event was held over last weekend by Central Coast Junior Motorcycle Club at their Allen Park MVRG.
Riders travelled from as far away as Townsville, Melbourne and Adelaide, and everywhere in between.
That of course meant a busy programme with practice and five races in each class – more than 60 laps of racing.
Across the nine championship classes, Queenslander Neiko Donovan was the only multiple winner, while host club rider Cohen McCosker scored a win, a second and a third across his three classes and Riley Holder from Macleay managed a win and a third placing.
Donovan’s reign of dominance started in the 100 – 150cc 2str 13 – U/16 class where he was second top qualifier but overhauled top scorer Thomas Gotts early in the 6-lap final with Max Earl chasing them home for third.
The 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 12 –U16 class was decided over five rounds where Donovan finished comfortably on top on points with Tommy Wright and Bodie Cardinale joining him on the rostrum.
The final of the 200 – 250cc 4str 13 – U/16 class concluded the meeting with the unbeaten top qualifier Thomas Gotts blowing his chances with a slow start and then he fell as Donovan led home Max Earl and Bodie Paige.
The younger age groups riding smaller capacity machines produced even closer racing than the older riders with the classes decided over five rounds still being up for grabs going into the final round, while where a final was needed most classes still appeared to be open to several serious chances.
The 50cc Auto 7 – U/9 class went down to the wire with Cooper Quinn outpointing Kru Tulloch and Cohen McCosker to take the honours.
Zac Salmon was the unbeaten top qualifier for the 65cc 7 – U/9 final but Cohen McCosker turned the tables on him in the decider with Kru Tulloch frustratingly scoring another runner-up place with Salmon back in third.
Probably the most decisive victory came in the 65cc 9 – U/13 class where Riley Holder was the unbeaten top scorer in the heats and then produced a final victory to match as he led home Braxsen Anderson and George Holmkvist.
The last round for the 85cc 4-str Modified 7-U/12 class was in fact a final in every way as Hugo Holmes and Cohen McCosker went in to the race equal on points before the race win gave Holmes the title ahead of McCosker with Riley Holder third overall.
The 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 9 – U/13 was another highlight, with Riley Holder again unbeaten in the four rounds. He was, however, was slowly away in the decider as Hayden Duggan took the honours ahead of Kai Moran and the impressive Lucy Heaton-New.
Of all the classes decided over five rounds the only champion to score maximum points was in the 150cc 2str / 250cc 4str 13 – U/16 Girls class where Ruby James dominated ahead of some close battles for the minor placings that were ultimately resolved with Matilda Heaton-New taking second overall ahead of Mia Blackford.
Speedway sidecar legend Darrin Treloar and passenger Blake Cox led the rider parade to open the second day of the championship meeting and surely any of the competing juniors would be delighted to go on to achieve the level of success over so many years that Treloar has achieved.
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Press Release Prepared by Peter Baker