Track

Riders and spectators travelled from around Australia to Barleigh Ranch over the weekend, with Hunter Motorcycle Club hosting an extensive list of riders across different classes at this year’s Australian Senior Track Championship.     Two days of electrifying action culminated with the finals of the classes with bigger entry lists, while those classes decided over five point-scoring rounds still had plenty to be resolved in their final rounds.

The massive entry list for the MX Open and Pro 450 classes sorted out the top ten riders to progress directly into the decider, while the next ten in line had to engage in a cut-throat repechage.

The outcome of the MX Open final backed up the form from the heats, with host club rider Harrison Ryan winning the final from Daniel Wicks after both had been unbeaten in their heats, while Queenslander Cyshan Weale finished third.

The Pro 450 class bore a resemblance to the final qualifiers. Cyshan Weale was the only unbeaten rider in the heats, eventually going on to win the final, with Daniel Wicks having to settle for second and Grant Charnock finishing third after Harrison Ryan made a poor start and battled to finish sixth.

The bare results do not do justice to the performances of a number of others, including the likes of more experienced campaigners like Jordan Dall from Gunnedah and Tom Yarnold from Cessnock as well as younger talents like teenager Lucas Quinn who travelled from Townsville as well as Hunter area riders Connor Ryan, Luke Bush and Cody Lewis all qualifying for both of those finals.

Several withdrawals from the Pro 250 class included the 2022 champion Cody Lewis who had sold his machine. These withdrawals meant that this class was to be decided over five rounds – an outcome that provided several significant features. Grant Charnock dominated winning all rounds, including a charge through the field in one, while the minor placings were only resolved at the end. Adelaide teenager Kyle Machin made his trip worthwhile when he claimed second ahead of Bathurst teenager Jett Carter who was riding in his first senior meeting.

North Brisbane rider Briony Hendrickson emulated Charnock by winning all rounds of the Pro Open Women’s class, with Victorians completing the rostrum. Consistency handed Kelsey Jensen second ahead of defending champion Tayla Street who did well to claim third after a fall in one outing.

Jarred Marko/Shaun Fuller claimed their biggest success with an emphatic victory in the final of the Up to 1100cc Sidecar class. Although unbeaten in the heats, Corey Forde/Darren Fraudenstein managed only third in the final as Jim Jobling/Tom Northey overcame some initial mechanical problems to claim second.

The ATV Open final produced a fitting finale to the two days of racing when equal top qualifier Matthew Griffiths was a clear last over 50 metres, before storming through to take the honours ahead of brother Joshua Griffiths and Queenslander John Sherlock.

Benjamin Gordon (Over 35s) and Joshua Griffiths (ATV 450cc) won the senior support classes while junior winners were Thoren Openshaw, Hugo Holmes and local Cohen McCosker.

View all the results from the weekend

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Press Release prepared by Peter Baker 0409 903196; bakerp@westnet.com.au

On behalf of Hunter Motorcycle Club

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      

A superbly prepared track gave the youngsters plenty of opportunity to come from behind at the Australian Junior Track Championships held over the weekend at Barleigh Ranch Raceway. Hosted by the Hunter Motorcycle Club, hardly a race on the 103-event programme failed to produce some, if not multiple, overtaking manoeuvres at different points on the track.

A highly entertaining four rounds of heats more than just prepared onlookers for all the action produced in the final series of races.

The two girls’ classes featured five rounds each, and the last round of the 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 11 – U/16 class proved to be a final in all but names like Amelia Kotze and Matilda Heaton-New were equal on points going into the race where Heaton-New led but was passed by Kotze who took the honours.  

Amazingly in the eight classes that were decided by a final, after four rounds of heats, only twice did the top point scorer from heats go on to win the final.

What was more prevalent in the finals was excitement, drama and plenty of overtaking moves including several races that were only resolved in the dash to the flag after five hectic laps.

The 50cc Auto 7 – U/9 class saw George Holmkvist beat top qualifier Braxsen Anderson to the flag by 25 one-thousands of a second, making it the closest of all finishes.

Cohen McCosker in the 65cc 7 – U/9 class, who was also the top scorer, went on to win the final with a thrilling finish in the final corner to get to the lead.

In the other 65cc class for 9 – U/13s, it was Jed Fyffe who lowered the colours of the top qualifier Hugo Holmes. The former made it a double by winning the 85cc 4-str Modified 7-U/12 class, with Holmes finishing fourth in the final despite being the top qualifier.

The older age groups attracted plenty of interest with many of these riders heading into the senior ranks in the near future. In the 85cc 2str / 150cc 4str 12 –U16 class Riley Nauta claimed the first of his class wins before then taking out the 100 – 150cc 2str 13 – U/16 class.

The 200 – 250cc 4str 13 – U/16 class, the premier class in junior competition featuring among the oldest riders on thew biggest bikes, saw local rider Cameron Dunker holding off Bodie Paige for the last few laps.

Recap prepared by Peter Baker

View all results on Speedhive

The Hunter Motor Cycle Club is about to embark on a busy period of on-track activity, highlighted by the staging of two Australian Championship meetings at their Barleigh Ranch Raceway. First up is the Australian Junior Track Championship coming your way this weekend, July 8 and 9.

An incredible list of 128 riders have signed up to ride at the much-awaited event, coming from up and down the East Coast, including 40 from Queensland (including some coming all the way from Townsville). The girls’ classes have received sufficient entries to ensure championship status and they will be decided over five rounds where points from all rounds will count towards the final outcome. All open classes will be decided over four rounds of heats, then a repechage and an all-deciding final.

Racing is for riders between seven and 16 with competition grouping riders of similar ages and similar machines on the track.  

Hunter Motor Cycle Club President Keith Davies, a former national champion himself, points out that junior racing can be as close and exciting as senior competitions. “Smaller capacity machines and riders of the same age are invariably close on the track and are extremely watchable,” said Davies. “There is some great young talent coming through the ranks, they are well drilled and they show poise and confidence beyond their years”.

While dirt track racing continues as a regular competition for seniors, many youngsters look at it as a training ground before moving into other disciplines of motorcycle racing. One aspect of junior competition that is particularly appealing to long-time track announcer Peter Baker is that while many of the riders entered have already had success in previous title meetings, it is likely that some may go on to bigger and far better achievements in their careers. Baker said, ”Over the past two decades this junior championship meeting has featured riders like Casey Stoner who have gone onto become the World Moto GP champion, and current performers on the world road racing stage like Jack Miller, Remy Gardner and Joel Kelso.” Not to forget former world speedway champion Chris Holder who also started out in dirt track racing.

And in more recent years Flat Track racing in the USA has become another avenue dirt track racers can venture into.

A small contingent of the entrants this weekend have just returned from the American Amateur Dirt Track Championships which showcased riders of all ages aiming to eventually transition into the elite Flat Track scene, while others are already well entrenched in road racing in Australia.

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. 

 

Press Release prepared by Peter Baker (bakerp@westnet.com.au) on behalf of Hunter Motor Cycle Club