HUNDREDS of elite motocross riders will converge on Warrnambool’s Shipwreck Coast Motocross Club this weekend, April 8-9, for the opening round of the 2017 Victorian Motocross Championships.
Shipwreck Coast MC Secretary Tracy Chilton says the club has been busily preparing the track and facilities to welcome the state’s best motocross riders for the season opener. “There’s been a bit of work on the actual track itself to prepare for a good weekend,” Tracy said.
“There’s a fair bit of rain forecasted on Saturday but I think it’s still predicted to be 27 degrees, with 5-10 millimetres of rain, but with the weather the way it is at the moment who knows? It’s hard to judge when you’re trying to prepare a track for approximately 260 riders,” she added.
Asked what hosting a Victorian Senior Motocross Championships does for the club and the local region, Tracy replied: “It’s absolutely tremendous.
“It’s great to have the local community come out and help the riders and it’s great to have free gate-entry to come and see some of the best riders in Victoria and interstate riders from Tasmania and even the Northern Territory,” Tracy continued.
Tracy mentioned a number of locals will be competing in the opening round this weekend such as Steven Collins in the MX1 A Grade Open, and Steve Mora and Michael Pickert who’ll be competing in the Over 40’s class.
“Those three riders are the standout. We’ve also got a number of younger riders like Ben Reid, Jack Hughes, Liam Jones and a few others who have stepped up to the senior competition this year,” Tracy added.
Local rider Steven Collins is excited to be competing at his local hometown track this weekend where he’s performed well at the Shipwreck Coast 2-Day Open and a round of the Western Region MX Series earlier this year.
“The club volunteers have been doing a great job lately preparing the track. Hopefully they prepare it well as there’s some rain forecasted on Saturday. I have a 450cc and it’s always good to stretch its legs a little bit on a fast track,” Steven said.
Steven hopes to win this weekend’s round in the MX1 A Grade Open. “The goal is to always win. It’s a pretty competitive class that I’m in. Sometimes you can be the quickest rider on the track but it doesn’t matter if you get a bad start,” he added.
“This weekend is definitely going to be a challenge but I’m looking forward to it,” Steven said.
Tracy would like to thank the club’s volunteers who come out time and time again to help support the club. “Many hands make life easy,” she said. Steven would like to thank his family and friends for all the support.
The opening round of the 2017 Victorian Senior Motocross Championships takes place at the Shipwreck Coast Motorcycle Club at Lake Gillear on Saturday, April 8 from 9am.