WHEN American Sammy Halbert left the Italian city of Bologna earlier this week it was snowing.
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He arrived in Taree on Wednesday to prepare for the Troy Bayliss Classic with the temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. Still, he managed to put a positive spin on the weather.
“It’s good to get a few clothes off and thaw out,’’ he smiled.
This will be his fourth Bayliss Classic although he admits his results have been moderate so far.
“I won the Americana the first year so that was really my best run. But I felt really good going into the night show last year before the rain came and washed us out,’’ he said.
Halbert is confident he can greet the judge on Saturday night.
“Last year I figured out to a way to get me off the start good, which is the key here. If you can get the start and get our front it makes it a whole lot easier.’’
He is confident he can replicate that performance on Saturday, but he added it’s going to be another tough day and night at the office.
Halbert nominated Bayliss as one of the riders to beat.
“For sure Troy will be tough. He always lays it down when it comes to it – he’s amazing,’’ he explained.
“Then there’s Jared Mees, Henry Wiles and Troy Herfoss. There’s also a whole group of Australian racers who will be tough.
“But I try not to think about the competition too much because there’s a such big group.
“I just concentrate on my job.’’
Halbert said the Americans have to adjust to racing at the Old Bar circuit.
“It’s a unique event for us,’’ he said.
“The starting gate – that’s something we don’t have in the States. We just start on the track.
“The oil track – well back home we just water the track, so it’s pretty cool that they put oil down here that makes for a unique surface and some good racing.
“Back home we race on so many different surfaces so we get a lot of variables. Even though it's an oil track it’s just another dirt track really,’’ Halbert said.
“Dirt tracks are always changing throughout the day, so it is the same with this one. You just have to keep up with the changes.’’
Halbert is from Washington State, near Seattle. He’ll be heading home almost as soon as his racing commitments are finished on Saturday night.
“We’ll be flying home on Sunday,’’ he said.
He’s here with his mum.
“We won’t get much of a chance for sightseeing. But we’ll get around Old Bar and Taree while we’re here,’’ he said.
“On Sunday before we fly out we’ll check out Sydney.’’
If all goes to plan Halbert will also have the Bayliss Classic trophy in his luggage when he heads home.