Riders put to the test
COMPETITORS converged on Charters Towers for the first race in the Suncity Enduro Series on Saturday.
More than 100 competitors took part in the two days of racing at a private property near the Millchester Motorsports Complex.
Townsville Enduro Club president Lachlan Mcgowan said it was great to see so many competitors take part in the two days of racing.
Junior competitors aged from seven to 16 years raced on Saturday, with Jackson Murray declared the best of them.
The Townsville teenager recorded the fastest round for juniors, competing in the Junior-lites category and finishing 12 laps in a time of 3:00:08.
Team Downings Dollar riders Kayden Downing and Damien Koppe claimed the Expert division for the seniors and the veterans over 35 class was taken out by Team Little FS riders Daniel Kent and Adam Quinn.
Mossman rider Jason Dwyer won the ironman competition — four hours nonstop — completing the most laps in the allotted time and scoring the second fastest lap for the weekend.
Team Povo KTM Racing’s David Hanna and Joel Thomson finished first in the clubman class. Mcgowan said the event was the club’s “biggest turn out yet”.
“As a club of five seasons of racing, and with the COVID period, we were really unsure how we’d go,” he said.
“I had conversations in the weeks heading up to it with the Townsville City Council, which gave us funding for the three rounds of the series, which we’re really grateful for.
“Normally our funding comes from the two trail rides we hold at the beginning of the year.
“And our sponsors great in supporting us.
“We spoke with a lot of our sponsors and bike sales businesses in the lead up to the event and they said sales are through the roof.
“We didn’t know how we would go and to get 110 nominations on the Tuesday before the race was great.”
Mcgowan said the next race in the series would be at Laudham Park in Townsville on September 19 and 20, and the final round would be in Mossman in October.
He thanked the volunteers and helpers, as well as the club members, for their support.
“To have that many members come on at the start of the year, it’s a big thanks to members that have turned up,” he said.
To find out more about the club go to the Townsville Enduro Club Facebook page. were