News

RELIABILITY TRIALS – ‘A HARD DAYS NIGHT’ ONCE AGAIN IN 2023!

December 19, 2022 Filed Under: News, Reliability, SA Women in Motorcycling

The 2023 South Australian Reliability Trials Championship (SART) will once again give riders 6 great events of varying length, terrain and riding conditions, with 3 rounds to be held each side of, arguably, South Australia’s most famous motorcycle event, The 24 Hour Trial, with 2023 being the 99^th Anniversary of this iconic event.

As has become traditional in recent years, the Championship will be opened by the Gawler Club, running their Philip Haydon Reliability Trial out of Marrabel in 2023, which will then be followed by the Keyneton MCC’s Mike Connors event, once again running out of the Keyneton Oval, with both of these events to be around 6 hours in duration, with round 1 to be a day/night event and round 2 to be an all daylight event.

Round 3 will see the annual trek to the mid north town of Robertstown, for the Lew Job 2 Day, being run by the Velocette MCC. With 6 hours each day, Saturday being day/night and Sunday daylight only, this event also features a couple of highlights for most riders – the annual blast up Springhut Creek, and, the after ride mutton & gravy rolls served at Robertstown Oval (seriously worth the drive to ‘Robbie’ on their own)!

The Championship will then take a break while everyone gears up for the ‘24’, starting from the Eudunda Oval in 2023, with this iconic event the highlight of the year, and not only for the

riders, as many of the affiliated clubs will man the control points around the course, making for a great social weekend for these clubs.

The Hardi 2023 24 Hour Trial Committee Chairman, Shane Diener shared his thoughts on the 2023 event, and the run into the 100^th Anniversary in 2024, “The last two Hardi 24 Hour Trial events have both been extremely successful and enjoyable, with great tracks, atmosphere and controls throughout the course.

With the added emphasis of leading into the 100^th Year Anniversary of the Hardi 24 Hour Trial in 2024, this is the ideal opportunity to practice for what will be, the historic 2024 Hardi 24 Hour Trial.”

After everyone recovers from the 24 Hour, the scrub and sand of the Mallala district awaits, as the SART Championship will then kick back into gear with the day/night Gil Harris Trial, run by the centurion club, the Levis MCC, before heading to Palmer and Clare of the season ending daylight events run by the SAPMAC & Clare MCC’s – with all 3 of these events likely to be around 6 hours in duration.

So, there it is – a 6 round Championship, made up of;

3 x all daylight events of approximately 6 hours in duration
2 x day/night events of approximately 6 hours in duration
1 x day/night event of events of approximately 12 hours in duration over 2 days Kye Haydon (Above)

Added right in the middle – SA’s most iconic event, the 24 Hour Trial of approximately 4 laps of 200km, – and right smack, bang in the middle of winter – what more could you ask for?

Photo Credit Don Macaulay

Shane Schiller & Steve Doecke – Crash & Stiff (Below)

SART need to know;

sartchampionship.au

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=south%20australian%20reliability%20trials

24 Hour Trial need to know;

www.24hrtrial.com

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=24%20hour%20trial

2023 SART Championship

Round 1. May 6 @ Marrabel (Gawler), The Phillip Haydon Reliability Trial

Round 2. May 27 @ Keyneton (Keyneton), The Mike Connors Reliability Trial

Round 3. June 10/11 @ Robertstown (Velocette), The Lew Job 2 Day Reliability Trial

Round 4. August 12 @ Mallala (Levis), The Gil Harris Reliability Trial

Round 5. September 2 @ Palmer (SAPMAC), The River Murray Reliability Trial

Round 6. September 23 @ Clare (Clare), The Beryl Pearce Reliability Trial

Special Event

July 7-9 @ Eudunda (24 Hour Comm), The (99^th Anniversary) Hardi 24 Hour Trial

Riley Graham (Above)

PRESS RELEASE :- SA SPEEDWAY 2022/23 – PART 2, THE 2023 PART!

December 19, 2022 Filed Under: News, SA Women in Motorcycling, Speedway

With the speedway season taking in summer, a number of events have now been run this year – BUT 2023 – or the second half of the season looks to be more than huge – with a number of National and International events on offer – as well as a ‘special event’ no one will want to miss!

No sooner than 2023 opening and there is an Australian Championship series kicking off at Gillman – with round 1 of the 2023 Australian Senior Solo Championships, which will feature a couple of World Champions, as well as the current Australian Champion, Max Fricke – what a way to start the year!

Just looking at the calendar below, there are still SA Championships for juniors and seniors, on 2 and 3 wheels, as well as many special events that both, Sidewinders and the Speedway Riders Association (Gillman Speedway Stadium) run each season, but it’s probably the event on Saturday March 11 that will require the ‘Full House’ sign to go up at Gillman!

This night will see the celebration of 100 years of speedway in Australia with the special running of the ‘Sidecar Gold Cup’, and it is a fair bet that there will also be a line up of teams wanting to enter this meeting, let alone get through the gate to watch the action! Best put this on the calendar and try and book your spot on the hill!

Guaranteed also that the Gillman canteen will be in top gear that night – and being one of the best canteens at any venue from any discipline of motorcycle sport, they will be all out to live up to their well deserved hype – get around them!

Other highlights will be the ‘double header’ weekends of; The Bob White Cup for junior & senior sidecars at Gillman, followed the next day by the SA Junior Sidecar Championships at Sidewinders, and then followed in March with the Sidewinders back-to-back Roy Bitmead Memorial and, the always popular, ‘Blast from the Past’ meetings.

Says Speedway Sports Manager, Adam Possingham, “With such an awesome start to our season, we look forward to 2023 finishing off a big season of speedway here in SA. With our senior and junior clubs working together, the season is looking busy with FIM and Australian Championship events – and the big names will be in town….…”

One other huge bonus so far this season has been the number of new juniors coming into the sport, with the number of entries for events down Sidewinders way being the highest they have had for several years, so stay tuned for a number of extra coaching days to be added to the calendar, specifically for the exciting future of the sport here in SA!

If you haven’t been down to Sidewinders as yet, it is a venue that in many ways is the envy of the other states, as it is the only purpose built junior speedway venue in Australia. It continues to get rave reviews from all of the interstate visitors that regularly travel here to go sideways, and these reviews, they are not only about the well prepared track, but also the venue facilities and the warm welcome all receive when they arrive!

Sidewinders need to know – head here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/1414580242225169

SRA (Gillman) need to know head here; www.facebook.com/gillmanspeedwaystadium and https://www.facebook.com/groups/122972761079700 Ashley Jansen-Batchelor (Above)

Photo credit: Derick Thomas Photography

2023 Speedway Calendar

January 3 – 2023 Senior Solo Australian Speedway Championships round 1 @ Gillman. Lachlan Coppen & Hayden Kuchel in Juniors (Below)

January 7 – Club Meeting @ Sidewinders

January 14 – Bowes Family Sidecar Cup, Sidecar Series round 1 @ Gillman

January 21 – The Silver Helmet Meeting @ Sidewinders (special event)

January 28 – 2023 South Australian Senior Solo Championship @ Gillman

February 4 – Riverland @ Renmark

February 4 – Club Meeting @ Sidewinders

February 11 – The 2023 Bob White Cups, for senior & junior sidecars @ Gillman

February 12 – The 2023 South Australian U/16 Sidecar Championship @ Sidewinders

February 18 – The 2023 Pee Wee Stampede @ Sidewinders (special event)

March 3 – The 2023 Graham Baker Shield @ Sidewinders (special event)

March 11 – 100 Year Anniversary Sidecar Gold Cup @ Gillman (special event)

March 17 – The 2023 Roy Bitmead Memorial @ Sidewinders (special event)

March 18 – The ‘Blast from the Past’ Meeting @ Sidewinders

March 25 – Paintmasters Sidecar Cup, Sidecar Series round 2 @ Gillman

April 1 – Club Meeting @ Sidewinders

April 15 –ANZAC Meeting @ Sidewinders

April 29 – The President’s Cup @ Sidewinders

Come March 11 it’s likely going to be this close all night!! (Above)

PRESS RELEASE :- DIRT TRACK IN SA – LOOKING FOR A RESURGANCE IN 2023!

December 19, 2022 Filed Under: Dirt Track, News, SA Women in Motorcycling

After a number of years with no Championship, mainly due to COVID and the issues that has caused to the sport in general, the Mud N Tars MCC are looking to 2023 as the time for a resurgence in the discipline and are already looking to June and the 2023 South Australian Dirt Track Championships, being held at their brilliant Day Road venue.

Says Mud N Tars MCC President Wade Sweet, “Our Club has already started planning for the 2023 SA Championships to be one of the biggest and best we have yet run, and we are really putting an emphasis on getting a large entry, especially as this will be the first Championships to be held since 2019.

We are very proud of our Day Road facility and the amount of effort from Club members to make it what it is, and we want to see it being used more often, so we look forward to seeing everyone in Victor in June!”

Stay tuned for more information to come out in early 2023 regarding the SA Championships, but Wade did state that their excellent canteen will be open to fully cater the Championships, and that to warm up for the Championships, the Club will be running a number of RPA days so people can get familiar with the venue.

Need to know;

www.facebook.com/mudntars

2023 Dirt Track calendar

2023 SA Dirt Track Championships

Sun June 25 @ Victor Harbor (Mud N Tars)

Mud N Tars (RPA)

February 12

March 5

June 11

PRESS RELEASE :- ENDUROS 2023 – THE SA OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS

December 19, 2022 Filed Under: Enduro, News, SA Women in Motorcycling

The 2023 Enduro season has been difficult to put together, to say the least, especially as one of the largest disciplines of our sport at present does not have a Sports Manager, with the resignation of Wes Haydon due to work commitments.

In signing off, Wes had the following comments, “I have been filling this role as acting Sports Manager for the last four years, and while it has been challenging at times, it has also been rewarding. We have seen much change and growth over this time and I’m sure it will continue into the future.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of the clubs, officials, committee members, sponsors and volunteers for their support. There have been many emails, meetings, phone calls and late-night messages along the way. At the end of this we have put together many events and seen our juniors improve, move up to seniors and our SA riders excel at the elite level. This is why we do it. So once again thank you for your support.”

With many of the enduro clubs having planned to have a year off in 2023 to re-charge their batteries, and that of their volunteer club members who make the events happen, up until the 11^th hour, it did look like no SAORC was going to happen in 2023, which would have been the worst possible outcome!

BUT – due to Motorcycling Australia not wanting SA to miss out on a round of the AORC, the Keyneton MCC was asked to once again run a round, and after a number of discussions, they decided to put their hand up for the second year running, which then led to the Keith and Gawler Clubs agreeing to run rounds of the SAOC to compliment the AORC, meaning the SAORC has gone from looking like a stand-alone 2 round, 1 weekend Championship to now being a 6 round, 3 weekend Championship – so a huge thanks to Keyneton, Keith & Gawler, and their members, for making this happen!

SO – while it is fantastic that the Championship will be a happening thing in 2023, it is now more important than ever that a new Sports Manager is found, as the Championship can’t really be organised and run without a Sports Manager, and a committee to assist with all of the logistics!

If this might be you, and you would be keen to get some more information into the role, and also get a nomination form, please email events@motorcyclingsa.org.au – and preferably before 12.00 midday this Friday (Christmas shutdown), or you will have to wait until January 3^rd when the office reopens.

Need to know;

www.saoffroadchampionships.com

www.facebook.com/saoffroadchampionships

Also in 2023 – there are already 3 Club Enduros planned, so if chasing an SAORC Championship doesn’t appeal, but you still feel like banging bars through the bush, then check out the 3 club events on offer -and contact the clubs for all the details!

2023 SA Off Road Championships (SAORC)

July 29 – Round 1 @ Keith (venue TBC)

July 30 – Round 2 @ Keith (venue TBC)

Aug 26 – Round 3 @ Keyneton (with AORC)

Aug 27 – Round 4 @ Keyneton (with AORC)

Sept 16 – Round 5 @ Gawler (venue TBC)

Sept 17 – Round 6 @ Gawler (venue TBC)

* Round order to be finalised when TBA dates are finalised

2023 Club Enduros

August 6 – Calperum Enduro @ Riverland

September 3 – Stockos Enduro @ Mud N Tars

September 10 – Pony Express @ Levis

Cooper Sheidow (Above)

The champion Gear brothers Davie and Ollie (Below)

Emma Haylock (Above), Kye Little (Below)

Photo credit ‘Eric McConnochie Photography’

PRESS RELEASE :- TRIALS SA 2023 CALENDAR

December 19, 2022 Filed Under: News, SA Women in Motorcycling, Trials

2023 is going to be a huge year for Trial in South Australia, with a 14-event season spread from April to October, culminating with the running of the 2023 Australian Trial Championships at Eden Valley, which is also the main event of Trials Week SA 2023, meaning the whole of the Australian Trials community will be on SA soil at the end of September!

Before the Championships come to town though, there will be the usual array of events, but some with a new type of event as the Trial Sports Manager, Ella Peacock, mixes the season up to give it an exciting new feel for the coming year.

Says Ella, “Super excited for the trials season to start up again in the new year. The 2023 calendar has had a refresh with the addition of new events and formats! South Australia will also be hosting the Australian Trial Championships so we’ve got a packed year ahead!”

As always though, the Trials SA community will go all out to offer something for every level of rider, from 4 years of age and up, from the Novice to the Expert, competitive and non-competitive classes, and on 3 wheels as well as 2!

Bec Rees (Below)

The season will have its, now, traditional kick off at Victor Harbor for the Frank Tuck Trial, which will also be the opening round of the TROY Series SA 2023, and who knows, with all the rain that 2022 has seen, there may even be some damp spots on the waterfall section for the first time in many years!

The season will then head to two of the best known trials areas in SA, Tungkillo in the Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley, just north of the Barossa Valley for 2 TROY rounds, as well as 2 ‘special events’ on the calendar. The 48^th running of the Peter Sparkes Trophy will lead it all off, followed by the Trials des Nations fundraiser trial which will be raising money for Team Australia to head overseas in September, with this part of the season rounded off by the 15^th running of the SA Womens’ Cup & Diener/Holmes Sidecar Trophy and then The Max Graetz Trial.

The season really starts to ramp up in August as the countdown to Trials Week starts in earnest, first with the annual trek to the Southern Flinders for the undefeated ‘Event of the Year’, The Woolshed Trial at Mungeree, before heading to Robertstown for the first running of the SA 2 Day Trial, the final event before Trials Week kicks off.

Trials Week will start with the running of the AMX Superstores 2023 South Australian Trials Championships at Tungkillo, with onsite camping and a full set of classes to suit all riders – and – with 4 classes for juniors (2 boys and 2 girls), with SA being the only state to offer this!

Next up will be the mid-week event, the ‘Mid-week to the Xtreme’ Trial, being held at Mount Pleasant and hosted by the Juventus MCC, before the Trials community of Australia converge on Barina at Eden Valley for the running of the Vine Inn Barossa 2023 Australian Trial Championships, which will also include the 50^th Australian Sidecar Championship – plus a heap of other highlights yet to be released.

Lucy Cowan (Below)

The season will then wrap up with the final round of TROY Series SA 2023 with a second trip to Robertstown to play in the ‘black mud’ before the end of season presentations at a new venue at Mount Osmond!

For all of the Trials SA need to know – head here;

https://www.facebook.com/trialssouthaustralia

And for Trials Week SA 2023;

https://www.facebook.com/trialsweeksa2023

2023 Pre-Season @ Mt Wingfield

Saturday January 21

Thursday February 9

Saturday February 25

Thursday March 8

Saturday March 25

Haiden Barwick (Below)

2023 Trials SA Season

April 16 – The Frank Tuck Trial @ Victor Harbor (AJS) TROY 1

April 30 – 48^th Peter Sparkes Trophy Trial @ Tungkillo (AJS)

May 14 – TdN Fundraiser Trial @ Eden Valley (Keyneton)

May 28 – Keep Ya Feet Up Gate Trial @ Tungkillo (Gawler)

June 4 – The Classic Trial @ Tungkillo (AJS) TROY 2

June 18 – SA Women’s Cup & Diener/ Holmes Sidecar Trophy@ Barossa (Keyneton)

July 23 – The Max Graetz Trial @ Tungkillo (Gawler) TROY 3

August 6 – The Non-Stop Trial @ TBA (TBA)

August 19/20 – The Woolshed Trial @ Mungeree (Team H & AJS) TROY 4

September 3/4 – The SA 2 Day Trial @ Robertstown (Velocette)

Trials Week SA 2023

September 23/24 – AMX Superstores 2023 SA Trial Championships @ Tungkillo (AJS)

September 27 – Mid-Week to the Xtreme Trial @ Mount Pleasant (Juventus)

September 30/October 1 – Vine Inn Barossa 2023 Australian Trial Championships @ Eden Valley (Keyneton)

October 14 – The Black Mud Trial @ Robertstown (Velocette) TROY 5

October 28 – 2023 Presentation Night @ Mount Osmond Golf Club

Come N Try Days

January 21 – Come N Try @ Wingfield

June 17 – Ladies Come N Try @ Barossa

August 19 – Come N Try @ Mungeree

Finn Cameron (Below) Ella Peacock (Above)

Steve Rees (Above)

PRESS RELEASE :- 2023 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROAD RACE CALENDAR DATES RELEASE

December 18, 2022 Filed Under: News, Road Racing, SA Women in Motorcycling

The 2023 SA Road Race Calendar will be an amazing opportunity for South Australians to participate in Road Racing, for both recreational fun and to follow opportunities to compete on National or an International stage.

Motorcycling South Australia are excited to release the dates for a packed 2023 South Australian Road Race calendar. There is always continual development and growth of the calendar, with 2023 being no exception. The year coming is looking to provide more high-level events and recreational riding than ever before.

There will be 5 rounds of South Australian Championships for all classes, except Supersport 300, which will have an extra 2 rounds, which will run with the SA Junior Cup in 2 rounds being held at go-kart venues. This is an increase of an extra SA Championship round and an amazing 2 and 3 extra rounds for SA Junior Cup & Supersport 300 respectively from 2022.

Due to the exceptional work done by the team at SA’s Cafnix and Victoria’s Preston MCC’s, 2 rounds of the SA Championships will be held in conjunction with the Victorian Road Race Championships, resulting in not only interstate racing opportunities but also international quality circuits with The Bend International and Phillip Island now included in the calendar.

Gareth Deacon, President of the Phoenix MCC, described the return of the full calendar and exceptional venues being raced at, “After making it through the last two years of COVID impacted racing we’re excited to be returning to a full calendar of road racing events in 2023. Following negotiations with Preston MCC in Victoria we’ve decided to re-start our previous reciprocal race meeting agreement which we started in 2020.

This has enabled us to put the International Circuit at Tailem Bend back in the mix, along with a visit to Philip Island – making the SA road race calendar one of the most exciting and varied line-ups for state level racing in the country. CAFNIX will also be hosting two Brackets meetings this year as Club rounds with the goal of improving competitive racing at the front of the field and also providing an entry point for those looking to try out our sport for the first time.”

Increasing from the 4 rounds in 2022, the bLU cRU SA Junior Cup will increase to 6 rounds for the year with many aspiring junior riders coming into the series setting their sights and hopes on the ultimate prize in getting a ride in the Oceania Junior Cup for 2024.

Reflecting on 2022 the bLU cRU Junior Cup and the 2023 prospects of the series, Road Race Sports Manager, Kym Bolto said: “Our 2022 riders in the bLU cRU SA Junior Cup have all grown as riders into accomplished road racers which is what we set out to do in creating this series.

I can’t wait for the bLU cRU SA Junior Cup series to commence in 2023 and am really looking forward to seeing all of our rider’s progress, home their skills and become the best riders they can be.”

SA Junior Cup ‘Class of 2022’! (Above)

Also in 2023, an extra Brackets race weekend has been planned by CAFNIX, doubling the amount from 2022, and one will include the annual ‘classic’ 2 Hour endurance races, with the old’ 3 Hour Production Race’ now run as 2 x 2 Hour races, as the size difference in bikes can no longer race together like in years past!

Excitingly Mac Park will once again host their ‘Seniors Meeting’ but with it moved from Autumn to Spring in 2023, so will now be a great ‘Father’s Day’ present for those who usually run at the Seniors Meeting!

Rounding out the end of 2023, the Collingrove Hill Climb course will be host to the old bikes taking on the challenge and being out to the ultimate test in October, before the Historics crew once again get ready to welcome in the New Year at Mac Park.

2023 will have more opportunities than ever for both racers, seeking extra practice, or riders who just want some fun on the weekend, without the pressure of racing, as there will be a total of 17 Ride Days to be held from January through to December. (with 12 at Mac Park and 5 at Mallala).

So without further ado… the 2023 SA Road Race Calendar:

2023 South Australian Road Race Championships Declan Carberry – Supersport 300 (Below)

*April 7-9, Easter – Round 1 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

July 7-9 – Round 2 @ The Bend International, Tailem Bend, with VRRC (Cafnix)

September 15-17 – Round 3 @ Phillip Island, with VRRC (Cafnix)

*Sept 29-Oct 1 – Round 4 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

November 17-19 – Round 5 @ Mallala Motorsport Park (Cafnix)

2023 bLU cRU South Australian Junior Cup

April 7-9, Easter – Round TBA @ Mac Park

July 7-9 – Round TBA @ The Bend, International

Sept 29-Oct 1 – Round TBA @ Mac Park

November 17-19 – Round TBA @ Mallala

TBA – TBA @ TBA (with Supersport 300)

Daniel Spendlove – Limited, Naked Bike (Below)

* Round order to be finalised when TBA dates are finalised

2023 South Australian Historic Championships

December 29-31 @ Mac Park (Historics)

Special Events

March 3-5 – Classic Master of Mac Park

March 10-12 – Hartwell Champs @ Mac Park

*April 7-9 – The Easter Cup @ Mac Park,

^June 9-11 – The 2 Hour Races @ Mallala (TBC)

Sept 1-3 – Seniors Meeting @ Mac Park

*Sept 29-Oct 1 – The Master of Mac Park

October 1 – The Historic Collingrove Hill Climb

Extra Events

May 26-28 – Brackets 1 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

^June 9-11 – Brackets 2 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

Grant Howarth & Scott Deslandes – Sidecar (Below)

2023 Club Series

CAFNIX

May 26-28 – @ Mallala

June 9-11 – @ Mallala

Tara Morrison – Watch out for in 2023 (Below)

2023 Ride Days

January 28 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

February 25 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

March 25 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

April 29 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

May 27 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

June 24 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

July 29 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

August 26 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

September 23 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

October 28 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

November 25 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

Dec 16-17 @ Mac Park (Mount Gambier)

February 4 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

April 15 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

June 17 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

September 2 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

November 4 @ Mallala (Cafnix)

* and ^ – combined with a special event

Michael Kemp – Superbike (Right)

Sam Pezzetta – Supersport 300 (Below)