WHAT was for many years a tradition will be repeated this Saturday when the dirt track racing season opens at Taree Motorcycle Club’s Old Bar Roadside Circuit.
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Taree Motorcycle Club will stage its twilight open meeting, which has attracted an impressive line-up of senior and junior racers.
Senior entries are headed by two of the most successful riders in Australia over the past decade – reigning triple Australian dirt track champion Michael Kirkness and former champion Marty McNamara.
Kirkness has fond memories of the Old Bar circuit. He was the inaugural winner of the Troy Bayliss Classic in 2014.
Among their toughest opposition is expected to be the strong contingent heading down the highway from the Macleay club with the seasoned campaigners Jarryd Oram and Michael Booth joined by young guns Sam Davies, James Chapman and Alex Hurst.
Former Taree member Jared Myer has entered along with talented Queenslander Ben Montgomery and former junior stand-out Bayley James from the Hunter club.
Much interest will centre on two of the youngest senior entries in Taree rider Kye Andrews, a triple Australian champion in his last season in juniors, and Gunnedah rider Thomas Donnelly.
Both have made a good impression in their limited senior outings to date.
The over 35s class will take on added significance with the family of the late Peter Fahey sponsoring the class in his memory.
Kempsey youngster Jayden Holder, who steps up to an older age bracket this year, Queenslander John Lytras and diminutive Beau Bailey from Forbes are among the best credentialed visitors coming to take on the strong entry of local riders in the junior classes.
All the juniors racing this weekend will be able to use the experience as a preparation for the State Junior Dirt Track Championship to be held at the Old Bar track on the weekend of July 13 and 14.
This Saturday will see practice start at noon followed by the first round of racing at 1pm and continue through to late afternoon, around 5.30pm.
Following a tea-break, the lights will be turned on for the last round of heats and the finals in the night-time session.
So fans who cannot be there in the afternoon will still be able to take in the action as the various classes of racing will be finalised in the night-time session.
Meanwhile mayor David West and MidCoast Council’s general manager Adrian Panuccio will be attending the meeting as will member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead.
