The 2023 Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) has continued its full-throttle up and down the East Coast, with the country’s best flat trackers and their sliding steeds charging through Rounds 3 and 4 of the championship chase over the weekend, in a double-header event at Mick Doohan Raceway in the northern suburbs of Brisbane.
Round 3 – Flat Track
Saturday’s Round 3 of the series featured a traditional Flat Track contest, while Sunday’s Round 4 action played out on a brand new TT course created by the hosting North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club.
Hard and fast racing with plenty of saddle time and laps ridden each day for senior and junior competitors alike was again the draw to lure large grids of riders. With the Brisbane meet also featuring the first appearance of a Pro Twins category, the booming multis—with no front brake!—added a thunderous new dimension to the weekend’s action.
“It was another sensational weekend of hard and fast racing that had every spectator on their feet and cheering on the action,” enthused AFTN series organiser Dave Maddock.
“It’s a real priority of the AFTN series to give riders and spectators alike great value with plenty of laps and close battles across all classes, and with riders again getting around 65 laps in each day of competition, there was definitely al lot of on-track action. The schedule, with racing from 10:45am and usually wrapping up at around 3:30pm, gives spectators plenty of action without an early start or late finish to the day.”
In the premier Pro 450 category, Saturday’s action kicked off with Dale Borlase grabbing Super Pole honours, before Billy Van Eerde snared the overall round victory with a near perfect three wins and a second in the day’s four motos to lead home Reid Battye and Daniel Wicks.
In Saturday’s debut contest for Pro Twins, riders Kristian O’Donnell emerged the overall winner with 2-2-1 moto scores, leading home Joel Elliott , who started his day in emphatic fashion with wins in the first two races but carded a ninth in the final outing after a big crash at turn two that severely damaged his bike. Behind O’Donnell and Elliott, Miles Roe filled the top three overall.
Other class winners in Saturday’s flat track included Lee Hunter, who was riding a 250cc bike against 450cc and 500cc machines. In the Clubman Open, Cooper Achibald, who starred with four wins from four starts in Junior Lites, and Jed Fyffe in Junior 85s.
Round 4 – TT
On Sunday, Van Eerde grabbed the Super Pole points, before series leader Mick Kirkness, who placed sixth overall on Saturday, bounced back to top form to take the round four victory from Wicks and Van Eerde. Kirkness, who won rounds one and two of the series in Appin, NSW, continues to lead the series points chase ahead of Wicks and Van Eerde.
“That was a great weekend with some really clean, fast racing, but to be honest, I’m surprised I got the overall round win on Sunday because I really thought this would be a tough track for me,” Kirkness admitted.
“I’d also like to thank the guys at the North Brisbane Junior Club for the new coping on the top of the fence around the outside of the track; this really saved me from injury on Saturday and allowed me to get everything together for Sunday”.
On Sunday’s TT course, Jason Griffin edged out Hunter in the Clubman Open category, while Archibald again topped Junior Lites, and Fyffe repeated with another round win in Junior 85s.
Overall AFTN series standings after four rounds now see Hunter on top in the Clubman Open category, but he’s just a scant five points ahead of
Darren Webb. In Junior Lites, Lachlan Russell holds the series lead with a 35 point advantage over Archibald, while Fyffe reigns supreme in Junior 85s, enjoying a sizeable 110 point lead over Lenny Duggan.
The Aussie Flat Track Nationals will culminate on November 11 and 12 at Gunnedah NSW, with another double-header weekend of Flat Track action on Saturday and TT racing on Sunday.
Round 3 – Flat Track Results
Pro 450
1 29 Billy VAN EERDE
2 33 Reid BATTYE
3 176 Daniel WICKS
Superpole
178 Dale BORLASE
Junior Lites
1 87 Cooper ARCHIBALD
2 296 Thoren OPENSHAW
3 555 Lachlan RUSSELL
Junior 85
1 23 Jed FYFFE
2 2 Lenny DUGGAN
3 10 Lockie DUGGAN
Clubman Open
1 87 Lee HUNTER
2 5 Darren WEBB
3 264 Peter SMITH
Round 4 – TT Results
Pro 450
1 387 Michael KIRKNESS
2 176 Daniel WICKS
3 29 Billy VAN EERDE
Superpole
29 Billy VAN EERDE
Junior Lites
1 87 Cooper ARCHIBALD
2 555 Lachlan RUSSELL
3 296 Thoren OPENSHAW
Junior Lites
1 87 Cooper ARCHIBALD
2 555 Lachlan RUSSELL
3 296 Thoren OPENSHAW
Clubman Open
1 261 Jason GRIFFIN
2 87 Lee HUNTER
3 69 Luke TURNER
Series Leaderboards
Pro 450
1 387 Michael KIRKNESS 765 Points
2 176 Daniel WICKS 717 Points
3 29 Billy VAN EERDE 659 Points
4 14 Thomas HERRICK 602 Points
5 178 Dale BORLASE 513 Points
6 25 Cyshan WEALE 509 Points
7 314 Rowan TEGART 489 Points
8 42 Jordan DALL 462 Points
9 33 Reid BATTYE 414 Points
10 598 Rory MCQUALTER 391 Points
Junior Lites
1 555 Lachlan RUSSELL 795 Points
2 87 Cooper ARCHIBALD 760 Points
3 296 Thoren OPENSHAW 725 Points
4 174 Bodie PAIGE 656 Points
5 7 James WOOD 607 Points
6 06 Hugh HOPE-HODGETTS 566 Points
7 Cameron DUNKER 413 Points
8 Blake FAIREY 404 Points
9 Jayden HOLDER 294 Points
10 William SECOMB 256 Points
Junior 85
1 23 Jed FYFFE 863 Points
2 2 Lenny DUGGAN 753 Points
3 10 Lockie DUGGAN 720 Points
4 22 Charlie NICHOLS 552 Points
5 552 Jake PAIGE 524 Points
6 11 William WIGGINS 500 Points
7 12 Logan TURNER 496 Points
8 26 Jye FRENCH 428 Points
9 50 Aiden DIPPELSMANN 384 Points
10 851 Levi LAYTON 359 Points
Clubman Open
1 87 Lee HUNTER 765 Points
2 5 Darren WEBB 760 Points
3 261 Jason GRIFFIN 669 Points
4 28 Neil GIRDLER 649 Points
5 36 Darryl MALLAM 546 Points
6 78 Rhys SANDOW 520 Points
7 69 Luke TURNER 454 Points
8 27 Molly FAIREY 436 Points
9 Shane GALE 394 Points
10 Rory HUTCHINSON 359 Points
Pro Twins
1 49 Kristian O’DONNELL 160 Points
2 43 Joel ELLIOTT 140 Points
3 650 Miles ROE 132 Points
4 66 Jamie PORTELLI 120 Points
5 23 David SCULLARD 118 Points
6 454 Justin STEELE 117 Points
7 93 David BUTLER 110 Points
8 24 Murray PEDLEY 98 Points
9 72 Shane RICHARDS 96 Points
10 737 Rocco NARDI 96 Points
