Dirt Track News

Round one of Sultans of Slide descended on Wagga Wagga, in the NSW Riverina region, on Saturday.

Australia's best dirt track racers showed their versatility and proved once again just how entertaining flat track racing is, racing over 50 laps in seven races across two track layouts as they battle it out for over $12,000 in cash and prizes.

After sweeping away all opposition in the three flat track races, Jarred Brook was looking unbeatable. However, it was consistency over both the flat track and TT layouts that saw Max Whale (2-2-2-1-2-1-2) come out on top. He was followed by Michael Kirkness (4-3-3-2-1-2-1), with Brook (1-1-1-11-6-3-7) filling third spot on the podium in the MX450 class.

In the MX250s, it was Daniel Yarnold, fresh from 10 years in retirement, who stormed to a seven-win victory on a 1999 YZ250. Max Whale topped the Multi Open class in front of Tom Edwards on the Indian FTR 1200 and Bryan Farrow coming home third on the Harley-Davidson Sportster.

Tom and Sam Drane secured victories in the Junior Lites and 65cc classes respectively, with seven wins from seven starts for the brothers, while Jock Hulland and John Kennedy traded wins in the 85's.

"I really want to thank each and every entrant for coming out to support this series," Motorcycling NSW CEO, Dave Cooke said.

"Sultans of Slide was an idea to try new things and inject some life back into dirt track racing, a discipline that has not only developed so many Australian champions, but is a hell of a lot of fun to race. The racing was just incredible this weekend, with so many highlights, like seeing Tommy Edwards riding the wheels off his FTR 1200, Max Whale and Mick Kirkness taking it to the last corner in the last lap of the last race to secure their top placings on the 450s, Tom Drane putting on a clinic in the Junior Lites, and seeing the Indian and Harleys lining up a 20m jump (modified table top)!

"It was an incredible day of racing and, if the feedback from the entrants so far is anything to go by, we're on the right track," Cooke continued. "I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank the Wagga Wagga club for sticking their hand up and making this event come to life. They did an incredible job in preparing the venue and ran a great meeting alongside some great key officials. So, thank you all. I can't wait for Appin this weekend!"

The Sultans of Slide fires back into life this Saturday morning, November 23, at Appin, in Sydney's south-west. With entries open until midnight on Wednesday, get your entry in now and have a ball, or alternately, head out to watch all the action for yourself.

Championship Standings:

MX450
1 Max Whale - 25 points
2 Michael Kirkness - 22 points
3 Jarred Brook - 20 points

MX250
1 Danial Yarnold - 25 points
2 Jarred Loveday - 22 points
3 James Sawdy - 20 points

Clubman Open
1 Aaron Statham - 25 points
2 Jason Griffin - 22 points
3 Christopher Jarvis - 20 points

Multi Open
1 Max Whale - 25 points
2 Tom Edwards - 22 points
3 Bryan Farrow - 20 points

Junior Lites
1 Tom Drane - 25 points
2 Alex Wallace - 22 points
3 Daniel Kennedy - 20 points

85cc
1 John Kennedy - 25 points
2 Jock Hulland - 22 points
3 David Morgan - 20 points

65cc
1 Sam Drane - 25 points
2 Thomas Gotts - 22 points
3 Billy Clark - 20 points