Vol. 16 No. 42
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
INTENSE: Greg and Neale Anthony navigate Horsham Motorcycle Club’s Dooen circuit with courage and strategy during the Australian Sidecar-cross Association Side car Spectacular. Picture: WILLAMY IMAGES
Track gains traction T
By DEAN LAWSON
he Wimmera’s glowing and growing national reputation for presenting elite motocross motorcycling events has continued with officials confirming more high-profile race meetings in the near future. Horsham Motorcycle Club’s Dooen Recreation Reserve circuit, north of Horsham, has the green light to feature a national sidecar title race as part of Australian Quadbike championships in October. Confirmation of the feature pro-class
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race, where anyone with a podium finish will qualify for wildcard entries in world championships in Great Britain next year, came after glowing reports from riders at a sidecar event at Dooen last weekend. Horsham Motorcycle Club president Kenny Watts said the feature race represented the first time in 12 years that the event had gained Australiantitle status. “We were 90 percent sure we had the event before last weekend’s Australian Sidecar-cross Association Sidecar Spectacular at the track last weekend,”
SUND
district economy.
“But we still needed the pro riders who came up for the event to give us the thumbs-up. They rated the track as one of the better venues for sidecars and received news from Motorcycle Australia on Monday morning.”
“A lot of work has gone into the facilities and we’ve made a concerted effort to build the track to a standard that would attract high-class events – so we’re doing that,” Mr Watts said.
The Dooen motocross circuit has been the subject of considerable improvement works and now boasts some of the best facilities for the dirtbike sport in regional Victoria. Elite-level events at the reserve have become a major and relatively consistent tourist boon for the Horsham
“We get to experience the best motocross riders in Australia and beyond and we’re also bringing in the tourism dollar to the region which is much needed. “We’ve got to a stage where, with one or two-day events, we need only a little bit of homework and probably only a week’s notice and we can run a
national title. We’re always planning ahead and it’s paying off.” Mr Watts said Motorcycle Australia had also asked the Horsham club to apply to present a round of national motocross championships next year. “All going well we would have it early in the series,” he said. Last week’s sidecar racing action, featuring riders in several classes, was a first for the club and Dooen track. Mr Watts: “We had about six proclass riders in action. Imagine what it would be like if there was 20. That’s what’s going to happen in October.”
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Mr Watts said.
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