Big race attracts top riders

Australian champion in Mountain Man

Current two-time Australian champion Dean Ferris is looking forward to returning to one of his favourite tracks for the Mountain Man event.

“I’ve raced all around the world and Toowoomba is up there with on the best,” he said.

Over the past 15 years Ferris has raced at Echo Valley for nationals and the Sunshine State Series, but this will be his first time lining up in the Mountain Man.

“Mountain Man is actually a really prestigious race that used to run back in the day and has been going for a few years,” he said.

Ferris has been wanting to race in the Mountain Man for the past few years but it clashed with his New Zealand tour.

This year he has freed up his schedule and wants to make it mark on the event.

“I’m hoping I can win it. That will put my name up there with all the greats,” he said.

“It’s going to be a good pre-season race for me leading into nationals.”

This year Ferris is chasing his third Australia title in a row.

Toowoomba Motocross Club president John Armstrong said it was huge for the region to have someone of Ferris’ calibre race in the Mountain Man event.

Ferris has not only raced in Australia he also competed in Europe and America for a number of years and represented Australia at the MX Nationals.

“The MX Nationals is like the Olympics of our sport where you ride for your country,” Armstrong said.

“To have him turn up for our little event, it’ll make the riders lift their game that’s for sure.”

Although it’s not a little event at all.

It’s one of the richest stand alone events in the country and has the biggest prize money up for grabs on the east coast of Australia.

Armstrong and his family first met Ferris when he was an up and coming rider in Europe.

“He was working out the back of his van with his mum as his mechanic,” Armstrong said.

“We followed him and kept going from there.”

The Mountain Man Motocross is a two-day event held across the weekend of March 10-11.

To have him turn up for our little event, it’ll make the riders lift their game that’s for sure.

— John Armstrong

PHOTO: NEV MADSEN TOP TRACK: CDR Yamaha's Dean Ferris won his second consecutive Thor MX1 title in Round nine of the MX Nationals at Echo Valley in Toowoomba last year.