The second attempt to stage the "Nixons Wagga" Riverina Long Track meeting at the Wagga Wagga Showground this Saturday (December 4) has attracted more entries than would have lined up when the meeting was originally scheduled back in October.
Promoter Bob Sunderland is delighted with the response from riders as although some original entrants will be missing they have been replaced in bigger numbers.
It will be almost five years since motor cycle long track racing has been seen at the city's showground but the quality of the entries in all classes should ensure plenty of top flight action across the nine junior and eight senior classes that are programmed.
One of the most interesting battles should be fought out in several of the senior class ‰ÛÒ experience versus youth.
West Wyalong wizard Darren Herrick recently a made a successful return to action, after a two year lay off, at the Blayney Long track meeting.
While Herrick looks to have a mortgage on the Over 35 class he will also take the battle to some of the country's best young riders in the All Powers and 450cc 4-stroke classes.
The likes of Grant Charnock from Cowra, Michael Vecchi from the ACT, the Armstrong brothers Tom and David from Griffith, Ashley Wilesmith form Temora and Wagga Wagga club members Ian Hamilton and Aiden Feeney are certain to make things difficult for Herrick.
The long slider class also looks likely to provide a close battle with Strider Horton, Daniel Mason and Tim Heffernan looking to be the standouts.
The older sliders with upright engines are also featured and Horton has sourced another bike to enter this class as he strives for a double.
There is only a small field of dirt track sidecars but there will be plenty of interest as reigning Australian long track champions Corey and Tom Banks from the ACT do battle with former champions Mark Worner and passenger Harold McCahon, another West Wyalong team on the comeback trail after a spell away from the sport.
Many of the nation's leading junior riders are from the Riverina area and there are quality line-ups in all of the junior classes.
Included among the junior entries is Hunter Anderson from West Wyalong who scored a class win at the recent Australian Junior Long Track Championships on the Central Coast. Also there are placegetters from that title meeting ‰ÛÒ Jack Dawes and Matthew Gilmour from Cowra, and Tayla Jones from Wagga Wagga.
Matthew Davies from West Wyalong has won many state and national titles on dirt track in the past and he returns to his roots after a season of road racing in Europe.
Where there is one grid of riders those classes will be decided over four rounds, while for the classes where two heats are necessary per round there will be three heats for all riders before the top 12 contest the final.
The timetable for Saturday sees practice start at 1pm with racing commencing at the conclusion of practice, just after 2pm.
The program will be split into afternoon and evening sessions but the exact time for the tea-break will be determined by the setting sun (let's hope it is shining) as it creates a danger for riders at some point and officials will take the break at that time.
Both the slider classes and the dirt track sidecars will have their practice session late afternoon and will have all of their events in the evening session.
All other classes will commence their racing in the afternoon and then culminate in the evening session, which opens with a grand parade of competitors.
