Bathurst rider Noah Grabham took top honours at the M & K Eklund Transport New South Wales Under 16 Speedway Championship held at the Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club track at North Somersby on February 5.
The weather held off and the track staff worked wonders to allow some of the country’s best junior speedway riders to turn on an enthralling program of races.
At the end of a meeting that produced plenty of close and exciting racing there was a dramatic championship decider and an outcome that, in the eyes of some observers, was controversial.
The 20 heat races decided the top three riders who progressed direct to the A Final – with Grabham finishing top on countback with 14 points, after being beaten only in his final heat by Beau Bailey, ahead of Queensland champion Jordy Loftus who lost only to Grabham.
Bailey was next on 13 with a third place behind Loftus and Cooper Antone in his first heat and then four wins.
The next four riders on the score chart had to contest the cut-throat B Final from which only the winner went into the decider.
That turned out to be Albury Wodonga rider Cooper Antone who gated brilliantly.
Host club rider Lachlan Russell could not overhaul him, after both had scored 11 points in their heats.
The other B Finalists were Queenslanders Anika Loftus and Jai Bainbridge who finished in that order.
With the top four riders lined up for the final there was sure to be drama – Grabham led but as Loftus tried an outside pass he actually lost second place as Bailey came through on the inside.
As Bailey continued his inside charge there appeared to be some contact with Grabham who ran off the track.
The official decision saw Bailey excluded with the win awarded to Grabham ahead of Loftus and Antone.
Fans were left rewarded for their patience as track staff turned a saturated surface in to an extremely raceable track that allowed the youngsters to show off their talents, albeit two hours later than the planned start time.
Even the least experienced riders showed enough to suggest that all will progress with coaching as part of the Speedway Experience Coaching program led by former world Number Three Craig Boyce.
One of the bottom half of the field was the only girl from NSW in the line-up, Ruby James from the Kurri Kurri Junior club, who received the Encouragement Award at the meeting.
Source:
Peter Baker, Central Coast Junior Motor Cycle Club