The Nepean Motorsports Club played host to the first two New South Wales Speedway Championships for the season last Saturday (November 9).
The Nepean Raceway looked in pristine condition for solo riders, both Under 21 riders and Under 16 riders on 250cc machines chasing championship honours.
Fans were rewarded with two entertaining competitions, both of which had dramatic conclusions, and which confirmed that there is plenty of great young talent coming through the ranks.
There was a similarity to the two championships with both having three riders standing out based on experience and previous results creating a battle between those trios to see who would come out on top, and who would emerge as the best of the rest.
The Under 16s on 250cc machines took to the track first with Beau Bailey from Harden scoring a 15-point maximum in the heats, confirming his status after being placed third in the Speedway Grand Prix 3 series earlier this year in Poland.
Queenslanders Jordy Loftus, who also contested the SGP3 series this year, and Viv Muddle were clearing dominant over the rest of their rivals and to the surprise of no-one completed the three direct qualifiers to the A Final.
There was still plenty to like from the rest of the line-up as local Jacob Adamson turned in his best performance by winning the B Final.
Queenslanders Jai Bainbridge and Lachlan Hawgood and Victorians Angus Hume, Nate Smith and Xavier Hawtin all had some good moments and will hopefully sustain their level of improvement.
In the A Final, Bailey led throughout, although never far ahead of Loftus and Muddle, while Adamson took a tumble.
The top three from last year’s Australian Under 21 Championship meeting at Tamworth similarly dominated at Nepean on Saturday.
Michael West and Harrison Ryan both scored 14 points in their heats – West beating Ryan, but losing to quick-starting Alexander Adamson who has only recently graduated from the Under 16 ranks.
Queenslander Tate Zischke scored 13, losing once to both West and Ryan, but the A Final still looked to be hard to call.
Bradley Page was next in line on points and he lived up to that to win the B Final ahead of Queenslander Ben Whalley, who improved as the day wore on, with Alexander Adamson third while another Queenslander Broc Hall earned the wrath of the steward being excluded for two starting infringements.
Harrison Ryan made a poor start in the A Final and was always third as West looked to be in control – until the last 20 metres to the checkered flag when Tate Zischke got by for the narrowest of wins.
Fans also got to see Speedway Grand Prix rider Jack Holder testing out two machines he has brought home for domestic racing over the next two months, while several juniors also had the opportunity to practice on bigger machines they will graduate to in the next six months.