Racing News |
Daniel Fraser: SART Championship Rd 3 - Beryl Pearse Trial
Location: Clare
Date: 21/6/25
Class: G
Result: 2rd in class, 9th outright
Saturday, we headed into the Clare Valley for the 3rd round of the SART Championship, the Beryl Pearse Trial. An event that is usually run as a 6hr, daytime trial. This year had elected to be run as a day/night event. As has been the theme this year, the 450 open class was starting toward the rear of the field. With the experts and 250’s closer to the front. Meaning my class would have a later start time and race a larger component of the event at night. I was due to leave main control at 2:19pm as the 79th bike away. Ideally, I’d like to be starting higher up the list, but you have to play with the cards you are delt. However, I couldn’t have asked for better conditions in the Clare Valley, sunny and 20 degrees. With the region having had some rain in the lead up to the event, traction was good.
Looking through the rider notes before the event, most of the sections were relatively short, the longest being 8km but most only 3 or 4kms. This would mean the competition would be tight, allowing less margin for error. The short sections meant the transports were longer than normal as well.
After leaving main we headed out to the east of Clare into the rolling hills and vineyards. Section one was on a property used in 2023, so I had a rough idea of what to expect. It started with a 5th gear wedged straight before weaving left into the scrub. Being the first lap, you are hitting sections blind and relying on track markers and lines left by other riders to keep you going the right direction and interpret what is ahead. Unfortunately for the first turn, I relied too heavily on the other rider’s tracks and blew straight past the first left turn. I realized very quickly and got on the brakes to spin the bike around and get going but as I had just come off a 5th gear straight, I had to bike in too high of a gear and stalled it! “What I great start” I thought to myself. I got going again and the mistake fired me up to charge hard through that section.
Sections 2 and 3 were in the rocky hills further east of Clare. When I first got out there, my initial impression was they were going to be dry and skatey, as the riders in front were creating a fair bit of dust. To my surprise, there was tons of traction. It was dusty but you could push hard, and the bike would hook up really well. I was able to lean on the dirt track practice I had done and felt very comfortable through those sections.
The remaining sections were situated on the northern and western sides of Clare. As it was getting late in the afternoon the sun became an issue on some of the sections when you were riding towards it. Unfortunately, it is just something you must deal with, when riding day/night events but frustrating nonetheless. I finished the first lap just as the sun disappeared completely, thankfully it was a trouble-free lap.
The temperature started to drop as I headed out for the night lap, the long transports got fairly cold, but it was nothing compared to the last round at Robertstown. I was on a charge through the first few sections of the night lap, the speed was there, and I didn’t feel like I was riding over my head. Most of the sections were better on the second lap than they were on the first. A solid line had formed, and some sections could even be described as loamy! Which is a rarity at a road trial.
Upon reflection, this was probably the first night race I’ve done where I’ve felt as fast and comfortable on the night lap as I did during the day. My night lap time was comparable to the time I set during the day so it’s good to feel like everything is starting to click. The SART series usually has three daytime events, but with the round at Keyneton being cancelled and Clare run as a day/night, it leaves Palmer as the only daytime race. It is confidence inspiring knowing that my night riding is improving, after it being one of the weaker areas of my skillset.
Happy to come away with 2nd in class and 9th outright. There wasn’t much separating the top 10 outright, so I’ll keep chipping away and putting in the work behind the scenes to hopefully work my way up the outright standings in the back half of the year!
Thanks everyone for your continued support, it wouldn’t be possible without it!
