The long wait is nearly over with the motorcycle racing set to return to the Bathurst Showground with the Bathurst Long Track Masters meeting more than four years since the last time the venue hosted racing.
Practice for the vast majority of competitors takes place on Friday, March 4, with the rest (much smaller numbers) having their shakedown on the Saturday before the race programme gets underway.
The entry list does not have just quantity, as the best dirt track and long track riders in the country are prominent in the line-ups with some to travel from as far away as Melbourne in the south, Mildura in the west and Townsville in the north.
Most travelled riders will be Damien Koppe, Kayden Downing, Harrison Maxwell and Dale Borlase from FNQ, Jason and Jordan Stewart from Mildura plus a contingent from Melbourne.
Queenslander Jarred Brook has been the most successful rider in the sport in recent years, and he will be out to build on his dominant showings in previous appearances at Bathurst.
The programme has 111 races across the 14 classes of races with the final of those classes spread between the afternoon and evening session, plus a Masters Shootout.
Back in 2017, the Shootout was a series of time trials, but the format has been revamped for this year. The Shootout will take place around the traditional tea break that was invariably dictated by the setting sun with officials cautious about sending off a full field of machines looking into the setting sun low in the western sky.
Instead, the series of match races will involve just two machines at a time, and they will be the best performed riders up to that point in the programme.
There will be four classes for the Masters Shootout – Pro 450, long track sliders and the two three-wheel classes, namely dirt track sidecars and speedway sidecars.
Lap times recorded in qualifying heats during the afternoon will determine the three fastest in the sidecar classes and five fastest in the two-wheel classes.
The Shootout format is simple – the two slowest qualifiers will have a one-lap match race with the loser eliminated and the winner progressing to take on the next fastest of the qualifiers.
For the last two riders, it will be a ‘dash for cash’ with only the winner taking the prize money from local businesses Bustin’ Free Earthworks and Schumack Engineering.
Mackenzie Childs has entered for the meeting, no doubt keen to repeat his Shootout victory back in 2017.
Fans should remember they can secure their tickets before race day via the website
