The Hunter Motor Cycle Club will host its second title meeting for 2023 with the Australian Senior Track Championship coming up this weekend, August 12 and 13, at their Barleigh Ranch Raceway.
After the highly successful Australian Junior Track Championship last month, officials are confident the track will again be in pristine condition to host the huge entry list of riders. Riders are expected from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia as well as across New South Wales, with the quality of the entries touted to ensure close competition across the six championship classes.
To accommodate the large entry list of riders, five heats have been arranged in each of the four rounds for both the MX Open and Pro 450 classes, with every place in every race holding importance.
Only the top ten qualify directly into the final, while the next 12 on points have to battle for the last two final berths in what is always a cut-throat Repechage race.
While there are many favourites to win big this weekend, Queensland teenager Cyshan Weale is a standout after his brilliant showing in the NSW Senior Track Championship at Coffs Harbour last month. Locally based youngsters Luke Bush and Cody Lewis, as well as Central Coast brothers Harry and Connor Ryan are other prominent contenders among the younger brigade.
While certainly not in the veteran class, seasoned campaigners like Daniel Wicks from Cowra, Jordan Dall from Gunnedah, Grant Charnock from Penrith and Bailey Spencer from Coffs Harbour will all fancy their chances of battling it out in the Final.
The Pro 250 class along with the 1100cc Dirt Track Sidecars and the ATV Open class will all have two heats per round before the Repechage and Final. Cody Lewis is one of the two competitors who will be trying to repeat their 2022 title win when he contests the Pro 250 class. Perhaps one of the hottest favourites for the weekend will be Joshua Griffiths in the ATV Open class.
In the Dirt Track Sidecars, there was little between Jarred Marko, Shaun Fuller and Corey Forde Darren Fraudenstein in the recent NSW State Titles showdown and a repeat of that would not be surprising.
The only championship class that would be decided solely on points over five rounds will be the Pro Open Women’s class where defending champion Tayla Street will again lock horns with Brisbane rider Briony Hendrickson.
As well as the championship classes, there will be a number of support classes including the competitive Over 35s and a class for ATV 450cc machines. There will also be three junior classes, featuring a number of successful performers from last month’s Australian Junior Track Championship meeting.
Practice starts at 9 am on Saturday while Sunday kicks off with the Parade Lap and the National Anthem at 9.30 am.
The Barleigh Ranch Raceway is situated just off the Pacific Highway north of Raymond Terrace and there is no charge for fans on Saturday while a carload of fans will pay $20 to see the deciding events on Sunday.
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Press Release prepared by Peter Baker 0409 903196; bakerp@westnet.com.au on behalf of Hunter Motor Cycle Club
For more information please contact either the writer or Keith Davies 0412 516339