A STRONG performance in Taree Motor Cycle Club's twilight meeting at the Old Bar Roadside Circuit is next on the list for Dale Austin.
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The twilight meeting on January 19 is expected to attract some of the nation’s top riders. Dale is Taree’s reigning women’s champion, a title she’s held for the last three years. She’s favoured to regain the mantel at Sunday’s presentation.
Dale is coming off a winning performance at the Kempsey club’s Grass Track Shakedown last weekend where she took out the women’s class. She is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.
She’s had a busy and successful year riding in various disciplines around the State. Dale enjoyed riding on the grass at Kempsey, although she conceded the lack of opposition in her class was disappointing.
“A few other women were expected but unfortunately they weren’t able to make it,’’ she explained.
Earlier this month Dale was part of history when she contested the inaugural women’s street car race at the Australian Postie Bike GP held in Cessnock.
She described the event as ‘a lot of fun.’
“I qualified 10th and I finished ninth which wasn’t too bad,’’ she said.
“I beat my previous PB, so I was pretty happy with that.’’
Dale was invited to be a part of a team and for that reason she was unable to ride her own bike.
Dale also finished third in the women's class at the State championships earlier this year.
Now 31 and a teacher at Lansdowne School, Dale started riding bikes when she was a young girl.
“It was a family thing – my family all had bikes,’’ she explained.
Dale had a break from the sport during her teenage years.
“Then I went along one day to watch my sisters kids ride and I got the bug again,’’ she said.
“Now I have five bikes.’’
Dale enjoys all disciplines of the sport, however, admits racing on an oil track is her favourite, either at her home club's headquarters at Old Bar or at Gunnedah.
She was a regular at the Troy Bayliss Classic at the Old Bar circuit and had a seventh and fifth placings to her credit.
“The year I finished seventh I was going pretty well until I had a crash and end up in John Hunter Hospital,’’ she said.
“So to still finish seventh with a DNF (did not finish) was pretty good.’’
Dale’s had her share of spills, but quickly added that it's part of the sport and certainly not a deterrent.
“I just love riding bikes,’’ she said.
“I’ve met so many good people through the sport and now I have my family to act as a personal cheer squad, that just makes it even better.’’