The benefits of a full season of flat racing in the USA were on full display for fans last Sunday, with Forbes teenager Tom Drane finishing up as the standout performer at the 32nd staging of the Trackmasters motorcycle meeting held at the Barleigh Ranch Raceway. Drane only recently returned home after finishing runner-up in the season-long chase for the AMA Flat Track Singles class championship and showed everyone how much he had benefited from more racing, longer races and intensive training regimes that he was part of.
Despite the local stars having a great day of racing themselves, Drane turned in a polished and faultless day, winning all his heats and then the finals of both the Pro 450 and Unlimited Trackmasters classes. The Pro 450 win meant he added his name to the Rod Allen Memorial Trophy awarded in memory of the long-time dirt track and speedway commentator.
Local stars Cody Lewis and Luke Bush had a titanic battle behind Drane before Lewis took second place.
Two other youngsters stood up in the Unlimited final as Jett Carter and Blake Wilby chased Drane home.
Drane put the icing on the day when he triumphed in a series of match races to win the Max Troth Golden Helmet, a trophy that was first awarded back in 1965 and features the names of many legends of the sport inscribed as previous winners.
The Don Begley Memorial Trophy in memory of the inaugural secretary of the Raymond Terrace Motorcycle Club was awarded on the Slider class and produced the only ‘old hand’ winner,m with James Bevan taking the honours.
The George Watson Memorial Trophy, honouring the multiple championship-winning dirt track sidecar rider over many years, was won by Corey Forde / Darren Freudenstein, who had finished second last year. This time they came out on top of a tough battle to hold out Jarred Marko / Wade Robertson.
The Pro 250 class showed just how quickly 16-year-olds could take to senior competition when Thoren Openshaw came on top in his very first senior meeting.
Joshua McCosker won the very competitive Over 40s class while the only women entrant Bree-Anna Etheridge raced with the Pro 250 class and got involved in some close racing in those events.
In the juniors, fans got to see some of the promising riders coming through the ranks as local Cohen McCosker and Gunnedah rider Hugo Holmes both scored two class wins.
First-time visitor to Barleigh Ranch Spencer Doyle left with a class win, while in the older junior age bracket, the 13 – Under 16s, it was Sam Drane coming out on top of Max Earl and Gage Gower.
Results
| Seniors | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Trackmasters Unlimited | Tom Drane (Forbes) | Jett Carter (Panorama) | Blake Wilby (Tamworth) |
| Rod Allen Memorial Pro 450 | Tom Drane | Cody Lewis (Hunter) | Luke Bush (Hunter) |
| Pro 250 | Thoren Openshaw (Taree) | Jett Carter | Caleb Wilkes (Hunter) |
| Don Begley Memorial Sliders | James Bevan (Tamworth) | Daniel Wilson (Hunter) | |
| Over 40s | Joshua McCosker (Hunter) | Darren Webb (City of Penrith) | Brett Ryan (Hunter) |
| Max Troth Golden Helmet Shoot-out | Tom Drane (winner) | ||
| Women’s Pro Open | Bree-Anna Etheridge (Kurri Kurri) (winner) |
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |
| George Watson Memorial Dirt Track Sidecar Open | Corey Forde / Darren Freudenstein (Cowra) | Jarred Marko / Wade Robertson (Gunnedah) | Warrick Levy / Isaac Byrne (Tamworth) |
| Dirt Track Sidecar Handicap | Corey Forde / Darren Freudenstein (Cowra) | Jarred Marko / Wade Robertson (Gunnedah) | Warrick Levy / Isaac Byrne (Tamworth) |
| Juniors | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 50cc Auto Div.2 7-U/9 | Cohen MocCosker (Hunter) | Quade Pringle (Kurri Kurri) | Oliver Bridge (Central Coast) |
| 65cc 7-U/9 | Spencer Doyle (Forbes) | Quad Pringle (Kurri Kurri) | Oliver Bridge (Central Coast) |
| 65cc 9-U/13 | Hugo Holmes (Gunnedah) | William Wiggins (Central Coast) | Cade Finn (Hunter) |
| 85cc 4-st Modified 7-U/12 | Cohen McCosker (Hunter) | Edward Torrens (Gunnedah) | Evie Wiggins (Central Coast) |
| 85cc 2-st & 150cc 4-st 9-U/13 | Hugo Holmes (Gunnedah) | Cooper Blowes (Cowra) | William Wiggins (Central Coast) |
| 2-st & 4-st 13-U/16 | Sam Drane (Forbes) | Max Earl (Kurri Kurri) | Gage Gower (Cowra) |
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Press Release prepared by Peter Baker 0409 903196; bakerp@westnet.com.au
On behalf of Hunter Motorcycle Club