TWELVE Taree Motor Cycle club riders will contest the Husqvarna Australian Junior Dirt Track Championships at the Old Bar Roadside Circuit this weekend.
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In all nearly 90 riders will be involved in the two day event. The majority have entered more than one class. In all there will be 12 championships decided.
Taree hopefuls are Cody Wilby and Zane Hopkins in the 7-under nines; Will Bisley, Bailey Lennon, Hayden Nelson, Thoren Openshaw, Hayden Lennon, Liam Tuck and Kurtis Wilby (9-under 13s); Blake Wilby, Mitchell Bisley and Kye Andrews in the 13-under 16s.
Jack Ashcroft and Hayden Grant will ride in the demonstration class (4-under nines).
Kye Andrews, Zany Hopkins, Hayden Nelson, Will and Mitch Bisley and Kurtis Wilby are tipped to press hard for championship honours, with Hayden Nelson a defending champion. Thoren Openshaw, Liam Tuck and Hayden Grant will be contesting their first national title.
However, fellow Taree rider Jack Hyde, who is now based in Thailand where he is concentrating on road racing won’t be making the trip home.
Hyde broke his arm earlier in the year and that hindered his preparations.
Two road racers, Billy Van Eerde, who rides with Husqvarna and Tommy Edwards, will be definite starters. While both are predominately road riders, they would have also ridden dirt track this year.
Taree Motor Cycle Club president Craig Nelson described Van Eerde as a ‘gifted rider.’
“He is possibly Australia's next big thing in road racing and he has won many dirt track championships but has always struggled with the Taree track, possibly because of the grip level,’’ he said.
“It will be interesting to see how the Husqvarna team rider performs at Taree given his recent time on the bitumen where grip levels are high.’’
Mr Nelson said the track is in excellent order for the two days, with the club carrying out a working bee there last weekend. Around 100 races will be decided over the two days.
There’ll be riders from Victoria, the ACT, Queensland and throughout NSW involved.