2024 Racing Wrap-Up

250cc Production

Rd1 50pts Mark Fletcher

Well not a lot of competition for Mr. Fletcher in this class in 2024. He rocked up in round 1, rode around and clinched a title. Enough said. Hopefully we get some competition for him in 2025. Dust off your Honda MC22’s and Ninja 250’s and come and join in on the fun.

300cc Supersport

1st Mitchel Carrick (Yamaha R3) 244 pts won last round to clinch title
2nd Tara Morrison (Kawasaki 400) 228 pts
3rd Toby James (Yamaha R3) 193 pts

21 competitors throughout the season.
Young gun Mitchel Carrick clinched the title in this hotly contested series by winning the last round from Tara Morrison and Toby James. Tara missed round 3 so it could have been a different story had this young South Aussie have ventured across the border in April for round 3. We had a total of 21 entrants across the whole series though we would love to see more riders from Phillip Island round 1 back it up for a few other rounds to really spice up this series. We most likely will see a few more juniors step up into this class in 2025 which will be exciting.

600cc Non-Expert

1st Russell Downie (Suzuki GSXR600) 293 pts (raced every round)
2nd Gregor Robertson (Kawasaki ZX6R) 250 pts (missed last round)
3rd Mark Bohannon (Yamaha R6) 130 pts

In what turned out to be a Japanese manufacturer battle in the class, it was great to see Suzuki prevail in the capable hands of Russell Downie who raced in every round and overtook Gregor Robertson in the final round. The Scottish Sydneysider could have made Russell’s job hard had he have attended but it was a good effort to squeeze in 3 of the 4 rounds. Mark Bohannon took out third on his Yamaha R6.

600cc Novice

1st Luke Ereaut (Yamaha R6) 290 pts
2nd Lachlan Mackenzie (Yamaha R6) 265 pts (great battle til the end)
3rd Nathan Hillman (Triumph 675) 212 pts
(16 competitors for the season)

This was one of the most hotly contested categories this season with sixteen 600cc novices honing their skills and race craft over the 4 rounds. Luke Ereaut won all 4 races in round 3 on his R6 to take a narrow 9 point lead from Lachlan Mackenzie on his R6. Times were in the low 60’s so these front boys were on fire at Broady. Luke Ereaut was too good in the final round and after he had won the first 3 races of the meeting, he just had to finish the final race which was declared damp to clinch the title. Lachlan Mackenzie didn’t back it off in the final race to secure his 1st win for the year by nearly 15 seconds and in the process secured 2nd for the series. The top two were banging bars with the front running 1000cc novice boys and putting on a great show for the spectators who braved the chilly conditions on the Sunday. Well done to all novices throughout the season and looking forward to seeing continued progression in season 2025. Won’t be long and they’ll be nipping at the heels of our expert riders in a few seasons.

Over 600cc Novice

1st Tim Pearce (Yamaha R1) 230 pts
2nd Leigh White Suzuki (GSXR1000) 227pts (missed points last 3 races)
3rd Luke Jones (Yamaha R1) 205
4th Ryan Widjaja (Honda CBR1000RR) 205 (both no points last race)

Wow. What a close class. Top 6 finished within 59 pts of one another in the end and we had 22 competitors race in this class throughout the year. There was more drama than a Mills and Boon novel in the final round. Young people will have no idea what that means. So maybe a MAFs analogy might paint them a mental picture. A few crashes unltimately decided who finished on the podium and we wish all those injured riders a speedy recovery. Crashing sucks. Period. Rd 3 we had perfect weather and a clear points leader with Leigh White on his mighty GSXR1000 finishing the round as top dog on 209pts. Ryan Widjaja on his big red Fireblade was on 152 pts, Dick Lodge on the angry sounding Buell on 147pts and then it was Tim Pearce and Luke Jones not far from off the top 3.
Rd 4 it all went pear shaped for a number of competitors with series leader Leigh White coming to grief in race 2 and getting a free trip in the ambulance which left the door open for the rest of the field to chase down his significant points lead. He still finished 2nd overall to his credit. Tim Pearce tip-toed around in the final race in the wet to claim the last win of the season and in the process secured enough points to edge out his good mate by a mere 3 pts for the championship win. Third place was decided on a countback after Ryan Widjaja binned it at T1 and lost the final podium spot to Luke Jones on his R1. Poor Dick Lodge forgot to top up his Buell with oil (they don’t run for long without the black stuff mate) so he blew it up in race one but was lucky enough to borrow a BMW S1000RR off a good mate of his to finish two of the 4 races and still have a great race meet for an old bloke.

Over 600cc Non-Expert

1st Gregor Robertson (Suzuki GSXR750) 195 pts (missed last round)
2nd Cameron Roberts (Aprilia RSV4) 150 pts
3rd John Carbury (KTM890) 96 pts

Not a lot of takers in this class but hopefully a few novices get promoted in 2025 to fill the combined Expert and Non-Expert grids. Gregor Robertson on his GSXR750 did 3 of the 4 rounds to have an unassailable points lead going into the final round. He does come all the way down from Sydney so you can’t blame him for staying at home. Cameron Roberts raced his Aprilia RSV4 to the class victory at Phillip Island and made it to round 4 to clinch second spot in front of John Carbury on his KTM 890 in third.

Clint Farr Memorial 600cc Expert

1st John Quinn (Yamaha R6) 298 pts
2nd Matthew Senior (Yamaha R6) 241 pts
3rd Robert Mackenzie (MV Agusta F3) 228 pts

The top three in this class were pretty evenly separated on points going into round 4 with one of our favourite Irishmen bringing his immaculately presented Irish Racing Team R6 home for a clean sweep in the last round. Not all that far behind him was the super consistent Matty Senior on his older premodern R6 just holding off Robert Mackenzie and his MV Agusta. The final round saw this class combine in with the Over 600cc Experts and Non-Experts and made for some great racing with the smaller bikes serving up some humble pie to the 1000cc machines. Horsepower isn’t everything. Using it all is, however, is. Hopefully we see this trialled again in 2025. Watch this space.

Over 600cc Expert

1st Matthew Rindel (Yamaha R1) 296 pts
2nd Chris Duffy (BMW S1000RR) 262 pts
3rd Travis Hardy (Kawasaki ZX10R) 179 pts

The old blokes tried to take it up to young gun Matty Rindel on his old R1 this season, but alas, his class prevailed and he kicked everyone’s arse. The 3 old blokes who finished the season behind him are all on the Hartwell committee and might have to come up with a special clause to put into the constitution to rule him out in season 2025 if they want to beat him. Consistently lapping in the 58s at Broady in round 3 saw Matty set himself up nicely for a repeat performance the following round but he did get a hurry up from Noel Mahon on his new to him R1. It would have been a good fight if he had of graced us with his presence in the final round. Maybe we will see him for the whole season next year. In the end it was Matty who walked away with another title from Mr. Duffy on his Beemer and Mr. Hardy on his ZX10R even though he missed the last round due to work commitments overseas. The Prez Jayson Porter had some Ducati gremlins that ruled him out of the last race and this cost him 3rd spot by a few points. Lucky for the old blokes Matty couldn’t enter our Seniors round in late October, so they could fight it out to see who was the fastest old fart in the Club.

Pre-Modern 2007

1st Francis (Basha) Dillon (Ducati 916) 232 pts
2nd Liam Luckett (Yamaha R6) 223 pts
3rd William (James) Downie (Suzuki GSXR1000K5) 170 pts

Congratulations to Francis ‘Basha’ Dillon on his first ever class win. Not bad for a 62 year old bloke who only took up racing in his late 50’s. Basha kicked the season off by riding an old FZ1 he loaned off a mate as his Ducati 916 was getting some love from Mr. Robert Daff. Once he got back on his beloved Duke he did enough in the final round to pip the two young blokes in Liam Luckett and James Downie on their Japanese steeds. It was a great initiative to split this class into two Pre-Modern categories as it made for some entertaining racing and some of the biggest fields out there in season 2024.

Pre-Modern 2013

1st Matthew Rindel (Yamaha R1) 305 pts
2nd Matthew Senior (Yamaha R6) 223 pts
3rd Travis Hardy (Kawasaki ZX10R) 188 pts

Another clear winner in this class with Matthew Rindel showing everybody a clean pair of heels to romp away with the title in this new class in 2024. Splitting this class gave competitors a better chance to compete against similar era machinery and three different manufacturers graced the podium dais. Older Matty Senior did enough in the final round with the absence of Travis Hardy abroad to claim second. Mr. Hardy will have to pull his finger out next year and ensure he prioritises racing over work if he wants to stand on the top step in season 2025.

Period 7 (over 500cc)

1st Russell Downie (Suzuki GSXR600 SRAD) 300 pts (did all rounds)
2nd Leigh White (Kawasaki ZX6) 200 pts
3rd Phillip Burke (Kawasaki ZXR750) 75 pts

Russell Downie competed in all four rounds this season and he should be very pleased with his performances and the reliability of the old SRAD Suzuki as he beat the Kawasaki’s of Leigh White and Phillip Burke to the over 500cc Period 7 title this year. Be good to see a few more of these older but more than capable race bikes dragged out of the shed for a good thrashing next season. Especially now that we are hosting the National Historic Titles in November at Broadford and P7 is a new class. Get those log books sorted people. The best part about racing in the Hartwell World Championships is that there is a class for everyone and no shortage of helpful people willing to pitch in when things inevitably go pear shaped.

Period 7 (up to 500cc)

1st Arild Horgen (Kawasaki ZXR400) 223 pts
2nd Matthew Elith (Kawasaki ZXR400) 189 pts
3rd Nicholas Leith (Kawasaki ZXR400) 175 pts

If you ain’t on a Kawasaki ZXR400RR then it appears you stand little chance of winning this series by the looks of things. The young sparky Arild (Ari) Horgen had to work hard for the silverware over the more experienced duo of Matthew Elith and Nick Leith. Nick will be spewing he missed a round as it would have made for a very enthralling final round if he hadn’t. Let’s see if the Honda boys can give the green gang a run for their money next season.

Sidecars

1st Michael Scott/Dwayne Scott (Triumph 675) 322 pts
2nd Roy Williams/Jack Williams (Honda LCR 600) 291 pts
3rd Geoff Irwin/Jacinta Padgett (Suzuki GSXR600) 247 pts

The 3 wheeled brigade had a great battle right down until the final round with the Scott boys taking the honours over the Williams gang. A consistent effort from the Irwin/Padgett pairing bought home the bacon in third for the series. A good mix of machinery had the podium filled out by a Triumph, a Honda and a Suzuki. The last race of the year was a spectacle as the sidecar gang did a Le Mans start with the passengers having to run from behind and leap into their awaiting chariots. A big crowd cheered them on from the pit wall and hopefully we get to witness this again in season 2025.

Thunderbikes

1st Jayson Porter (Ducati 1299) 259 pts
2nd John Carbury (KTM 890) 228 pts
3rd Nathan Hillman (Triumph 675) 194 pts

The Hartwell President had a bit of a scare in the final round when his mighty 1299 Duke decided that electrical gremlins were going to try and stop him from racing. Lucky for him he got enough points early in round 4 to wrap up the title over John Carbury on his immaculate KTM890. Nathan Hillman on his Triumph 675 is getting better with more race miles under his belt and will be looking to bridge the gap to his older rivals next year. It’s a great class to watch with a wide variety of machines making for a great spectacle out on the track. Rumour has it there will be a few new toys next year to stir things up a bit. Definitely a class to watch out for in season 2025.

Historics

1st Adam Stockdale (Honda CBR400RR) 245 pts
2nd Brett Beecham (Honda VFR400) 132 pts
3rd Glenn Kettle (Honda NSR 400) 85 pts

A Honda lockout with 3 different models finishing on top of the standings at seasons end. Adam Stockdale may have had some mechanical dramas throughout the year (as well as a bike that went bang big time in the last round) but he had a very comfy lead to claim the coveted number 1 spot. Brett Beecham and Glenn Kettle bought their Period 6 weapons home for 2nd and 3rd spots. Well done lads.

Juniors 150cc (8 junior riders for the season)

1st Mitchel Carrick (Yamaha R15) 333 pts
2nd Ethan Johnson (Yamaha R15) 273 pts
3rd Henry Hynd (Yamaha R15) 236 pts

It is exciting to see our Junior numbers grow and boy do these kids know how to bang. Mitchel, Ethan and Henry had some epic battles and gained invaluable race craft experience throughout the year to add to the OJC racing they dabbled in. Parents lining pit walls cheering on kids who are the future of our sport was incredible to watch. Lets hope we can build on this foundation and really bolster numbers next year as the Club loves supporting the younger generation coming through. Well done boys on your efforts.

Junior 85cc

1st Jackson MacDonald (Honda RS85) 250 pts
2nd Judd Plaisted (Honda NSF85) 75 pts

Jackson smashed everyone on his mighty 85cc and enjoyed some handicap races later in the year to give him targets to chase down from a delayed start. This kid can ride and will be a name to look out for moving forward. His Dad runs a professional setup and should be very proud of his lad’s progression. Judd came down south for a round and lets hope we get him back as he is another lightning fast kid and another name to track for future success.

Buckets 2 stroke

1st Andrew English (Honda H100) 315 pts
2nd Renee French (Honda H100) 243 pts
3rd Alan Nicolson (Honda H100) 141 pts

Bucket racing can sometimes be like watching lawn bowls (slow excitement) particularly on the straights but its all about the corners in this class and holding them pinned while cranked over. Andrew English has a quick little H100 2 banger and was the master of this category but he did get a hurry up from the Nicolson lads in the final rounds. Renee French did a great job and improves with each outing so a fine 2nd place for the series was a very well deserved reward. Alan ‘Nico’ claimed 3rd to have the spruiking rights in the ‘Nico’ clan. I am sure he reminds young Adam regularly that he’s still got it for an Old bloke.

Buckets 4 stroke

1st Geoffrey Sanders (Honda CB150) 278 pts
2nd Adam Nicolson (Honda H150) 213 pts
3rd Arild Horgen (Honda CB150) 171 pts

4 stroke buckets was a Honda lockout with some fierce battles ensuing on track and a heap of trash talk happening in the pits. There is a wide spread of ages for the 3 podium place getters with Geoff Sanders lofting the coveted 4 stroke trophy at series end above his head. Adam Nicolson can’t decide if he races 2 strokes or 4 strokes, switching between the two throughout the year, but if he stuck to one he may have clinched an overall series victory. Young gun Ari worked on his bucket in the pits just as much as he raced it and with some secret development work over the summer break planned, he will be back to stir up the oldies in 2025. There is a new class coming on board in 2025 called ‘Commuter Lites’ which is modern 150s so it will be interesting to see how they go against the established bucket fraternity. Cheap fun racing will be guaranteed.

Formula 400 Expert

1st Adam Stockdale (Honda CBR400RR) 256 pts
2nd Nicholas Leith (Kawasaki ZXR400) 238 pts
3rd Matthew Elith (Kawasaki ZXR400) 232 pts

Formula 400 is a very hard fought and prestigious series. To be the Expert of the 400s means you have nursed your bike through the year and you’ve had many great dices on track with the close knit 400 nutters. Adam, Nick and Matthew fought it out to the last round and I bet Nick would be spewing he missed Mac Park. Its always a highlight to watch these guys battle it out and its well known that this crew probably have the most fun of any group racing with Hartwell. Well done to Adam on claiming the gong and being top dog in 2024.

Formula 400 Non-Expert

1st Riley Beecham (Honda RVF400) 250 pts
2nd Brett Beecham (Honda VFR400) 200 pts

The two horse race between father and son was a close affair with the younger of the Beecham boys beating the old man. Surely this means they step up to Expert soon to take it up to the elder statesmen of the 400 gang? Well done Riley on the win.

Formula 400 Novice

1st Arild Horgen (Kawasaki ZXR400) 345 pts
2nd Garrick Atkin (Honda RVF400) 258 pts
3rd Ross Leslie (Honda RVF400) 248 pts

Young Ari has his ups and downs all season but got the chocolates in the end over Garrick and Ross who got quicker with each round. The poor old Kwaka had a few more battle scars at seasons end but it was a well deserved win for him as he was regularly banging bars with the fast boys in this class. Time to step up and out of the novice class Ari.

George Carrick Memorial

1st Jim Agombar (Yamaha TZ250) 255 pts
2nd Ralph Pink (Kawasaki KX450) 160 pts
3rd Matthew Ritter (Honda NSF250) 70 pts

Our favourite Pommie committee member did have a ball on his screaming two smoker all season and clinched the prestigious George Carrick silverware from a very quick supermotard mounted gentleman by the name of Mr. Pink. He had a healthy lead and didn’t need to turn a wheel in anger after the first race in round 4. This class throws up a mixed bag of weapons you can campaign and to see a GP bike tussling with a big ‘chook chaser’ is a sight to behold. Matthew Ritter claimed 3rd from his one and only appearance at round 2 Mac Park.

Hartwell Lightweights

1st Tara Morrison (Kawasaki ZX4RR) 125 pts
2nd Arild Horgen (Kawasaki ZXR400) 114 pts
3rd Toby James (Yamaha R3) 113 pts
Tara Morrison won five of the eight Lightweight feature races to claim this years title. She didn’t have it all her own way as Arild ‘Ari’ Horgen on his older Kwaka 400 and Toby James on his R3 were hot on her heels throughout the series. There were 30 competitors across the year so let us hope we can get a few more of them to commit to more than a single round in the future.

Supermono

1st Ralph Pink (Kawasaki KX450) 225 pts
There was only one entrant for the whole season so Mr. Pink had it all to himself in 2024.

Twin Sprint

1st Mark Fletcher (Kawasaki ER6) 244 pts
2nd Tara Morrison (Kawasaki ZX4RR) 202 pts
3rd Toby James (Yamaha R3) 200 pts

Mark Fletcher campaigned a beautiful Kawasaki Er650 that he had built up as a project to get him out of the house and it got the job done in his capable hands. Tara Morrison and Toby James applied the pressure in the final round but couldn’t claw back the points deficit. Experience and consistency triumphed over youthful exuberance in this class in 2025. Who knows what will happen next season.

Greg Bailey

1st Matthew Rindel (Yamaha R1) 133 pts
2nd John Quinn (Yamaha R6) 129 pts
3rd Matthew Senior (Yamaha R6) 70 pts

Coming into Rd 4 there was only 4 points separating the dicing Yamaha duo of Matty Rindel (R1 on 88pts) and John Quinn (R6 on 84pts) so the title fight was going to go down to the wire. The first race saw the ‘Irish Mafia’ crew of Brendan Wilson (1st) and Noel Mahon (3rd) shake things up a bit with Rindel 2nd and Quinn 4th so Matty only needed to bring it home on the podium to seal a back to back series wins in this prestigious event. He did so and held Mr. Quinn off winning by 4 pts in the end from another Yamaha R6 mounted rider in Matty Senior on 70 pts. The new format introduced this year will be looked at and tinkered with, in the hope that we can start to see more riders out there next year. Watch this space.