For the first time Australia will play host to a round of the FIM World Trials Championship in May of next year.
The announcement from the world governing body of motorcycle racing, F̩d̩ration Internationale de Motocyclisme, came early yesterday morning and revealed that Mt. Tarrengower near Maldon, Victoria, will be the site for Round 2 of the championship, to be held over two days on May 26-27, 2012.
For Col Scott, one of the driving forces behind Australia's winning proposal, the announcement is the culmination of two years' work to ensure Australia had a strong enough proposal to be taken seriously by FIM.
Scott, along with others from the Trials Club of Victoria (TCV) and Motorcycling Australia (MA), worked tirelessly to secure a location with the suitable infrastructure to host the hundreds of riders competing, plus the many thousands of spectators expected at the event.
"All I can say is that persistence pays," said Scott.
The last major international trials event held in Australia was in 2005, when Victoria again played host to the International Super Trial, a one-off special format event designed to showcase the spectacular skills of both world-class riders and Australia's best riders.
With just over 12 months to go before the event, Scott is very aware of the huge logistical challenges that lie ahead.
"We would've preferred 18 months, but we'll get it done," affirmed Scott.
The final tick of approval comes in November when provisional FIM World Trials Championship rounds are confirmed. However, Scott is confident that nothing will change regarding Australia's World Championship round.
