TAREE Motorcycle Club has again shown its junior racers are among the best in the country.
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Seven boys made the journey to Gunnedah to contest the Australian Junior Dirt Track Championship. For some of the riders it was their fifth trip to Gunnedah this year to take advantage of opportunities to practice on the Gunnedah circuit, such is the dedication required from the boys and their families to be competitive at the Australian Championship level.
The Taree contingent were expected to perform well on the familiar oiled dirt surface and they didn't disappoint. In almost all classes contested the Taree racers made it through the qualifying heats to ride in their respective class finals.
Hayden Nelson and Jack Hyde performed exceptionally well and were crowned 2016 Australian Champions, Hayden in the Junior 65cc class and Jack in the 250cc 4 stroke class.
Hayden, who qualified in second position for the final held his nerve when his final was twice restarted after fallen riders forced the first two final attempts to be red flagged. In the second restart Hayden was well positioned in second place and quickly closed the gap on the leader and top qualifier Cameron Dunker from Kurri Kurri to make the pass around the outside of Dunker in turn 1 and take the lead and eventually the checkered flag.
Jack's ride in the highly competitive 250cc final was outstanding.He was well positioned in second place when the leader Billy Vaneerde suffered mechanical problems and Jack pounced to the lead. Multiple Australian champion Max Whale from Queensland tried everything to pass Jack but his speed matched that of Whale and he went on to take the title ahead of Whale and fellow Taree rider Kye Andrews in third.
The weekend was not with out the typical back luck that goes with racing, Kye Andrews had to retire his 125cc machine due to a mechanical fault on Saturday and similarly Jack Hyde his 80cc modified 4 stroke machine.
Their families once again displayed their dedication by driving back to Newcastle on Saturday evening to bring back a borrowed bike and motor to allow Kye and Jack to qualify for the final on Sunday. Perhaps the harshest blow luck of the weekend was dealt to young Will Bisley, who was brought down by another fallen rider in the 65cc final while he was holding a solid 4th place. Will unfortunately suffered a broken wrist from the fall and consequently missed his other finals berth and will now be watching from the pits for a few weeks.