If your into watching a bike pulling about 140 kph down the straight and then hooking into a corner with an insane amount of counter steer then your half way to getting your monies worth with this type of racing, but, when you chuck in the fact that it’s being done on a dirt track and there’s up to a dozen other riders in that same corner broad-siding inches apart, well, even blind Freddie can see, that, for the spectator it’s a top value way to spend a day out.

Hosted by the Kurri Kurri MCC and with competitors arriving from as far afield as South Aussie and Queensland to rub pegs against local Hunter Valley and other NSW riders in a total of sixty four events it proved to be absolutely full on, the events encompassed age groups down to as young as thirteen and featured bikes from just about every well known manufacturer. Also on the day was a world first in the form of the debut of Dirt Track legend Chris Watson aboard the awesome 1000cc V Twin Godden that was constructed by master builders John Millington and the late Ken Russell (the photos at the top of the page show Chris getting the power down to the rear wheel of the number 71 Godden)

This form of motorcycle sport is very affordable and well within the reach of aspiring young riders, it has been the springboard from which the likes of Casey Stoner and Chad Reed have made their mark on the world, and to my mind, there’s no doubt that the lessons well learnt on dirt tend to instinctively come in very handy on the tar just when they are most needed. For the spectator it allows in most cases a full view of the entire track, and, if you happen to be watching at the ends of the oval track you not only have the sound and smell of the bikes but you also get to taste and feel the rooster tails chucked up by them as they power around the bend in front of you. Of course, if you don’t want to get quite that close up, then there’s always the option of kicking back in the lounge chair on the back of the ute like the photos show a few folk doing on the day.

In closing, thanks to Kurri Kurri MCC and all the competitors for putting on a great day’s entertainment, and thanks also to the officials on the day for kindly allowing me track and pit access to take the photographs. Further info on this sport and upcoming events etc can be found at, www.kkjmcc.zoomshare.com