Racing News |
Daniel in the dry & Dusty SA Reliability Trials Championship - Marrabel Rd 1 Report
Location: Marrabel
Date: 3/5/25
Class: G
Result: 3rd in class, 14th outright
Well, after a very long off-season we’re finally back racing! The first round of the South Australian Reliability Trials Series was held over the weekend, around the township of Marrabel in the state’s mid-north. As you might be aware, SA is experiencing a very dry start to the year, with little to no rainfall in most parts of the state. Because of this, it was a given that the opening round of the series was going to be dry and dusty.
The weather on the day was a mild 18 degrees and sunny, with strong winds forecast for late afternoon and into the evening. This was beneficial as it was able to blow the dust away and stop it hanging between the trees. The format for the event was a 6hr, day/night trial. I was given a starting position of 93rd and second bike away in my class. My start time was 2:03pm. After the inconsistency I experienced last year, I went into this event with the mindset of keeping things under control and aiming for a trouble-free run. I was hoping to get my season off to a solid start and build from there as the year went on.
As expected, the tracks were dry and skatey. Sections one, two and three were all relatively similar and were set along technical rocky ridgelines and hills. These sections were difficult as there were so many rocks it was hard to find a flow and feel comfortable early in the event. Towards the end of section three there was some reprieve from the rocks as the terrain opened up into flowing grass track and creek sections. Sections four, five and six still had their fair share of rocks but were less congested and were linked together by some awesome parts of singletrack through the scrub. The first few kms of section seven were flowing in and out of a dry creek and finished inside the Marrabel Rodeo grounds at main control, where the organizer’s had set up some obstacles to entertain the spectators. My first lap went smoothly, I was carrying good pace and was able to settle into a rhythm.
As my class was toward the rear of the field, we had a greater portion of the race at night. Compared to the expert and 250 classes that were over an hour in front of us. The sun was going down when I left main control for the second lap and was completely dark when I got to the first section. Over the off-season I’ve put a lot of emphasis on night riding, with hopes of improving my overall speed at night and getting comfortable pushing the pace in the dark. The sections had fallen apart on the second lap. Bulldust was a real issue in any of the tighter turns or under trees and made the track a lot more physical than the first lap. Like the first lap, I was able to just tick off sections and ride at a good, controlled pace, thankfully everything went according to plan, I finished the event 3rd in class and 14th outright.
With a solid start to the season, I’m looking forward to showing what I’m capable over the next few rounds!
Photo Credit: Steve Fraser & DAC fotos
