ORGANISERS are finalising preparations for the Australian Junior Motocross Championships at Dooen starting this weekend.
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Horsham Motorcycle Club president Kenny Watts said the Dooen Recreation Reserve was ready to go.
He said the club was well organised – and was organised well in advance.
The championships will run from September 30 to October 6.
The event is one of the biggest to visit the Wimmera this year, with more than 400 riders participating.
“This is the second time we have hosted the Australian juniors and we are in a better position than (previously, in 2013) for this event,” Watts said.
A lot of work was put into the track and infrastructure at the venue when the club last hosted the Australian Junior Motocross Championships in 2013, Watts said.
“Now we are just fine-tuning our venue,” he said.
“We have just put in brand new start-line gating. It wasn’t something the club necessarily needed but it was something the club was keen to put in place.
“It looks like a million dollars. That and the shade sails have made it look great.”
The iconic Horsham shade sails have been incorporated into the club’s logo for the event.
“When people from all over the world see those shade sails, they look at it and say, ‘that’s Horsham’,” Watts said. “It’s an impressive structure. We are proud to have completed for the champs again.”
The club has undergone steady, consistent upgrades throughout the year – adding 22 new wash bays for motorbikes at the beginning of 2017.
“It’s all been done by the club,” Watts said.
“We are one club and we are upgrading our venue.
“Club volunteers have been working hard over the three weeks and it has been nothing but outstanding. We’re ready to go.”
Watts said he had been impressed by his small team of volunteers.
“Horsham is one of the smaller clubs in Australia in terms of volunteers and members but the team I have is amazing,” he said.
“I can’t stress how important they are to the club.
There is a small core of people who are passionate about bringing big events to the region.
- Kenny Watts
“It’s just a small club that loves running big events. There is a small core of people who are passionate about bringing big events to the region.”
Watts believes his club would improve on the last time it hosted the event.
“In 2013 Horsham was praised (by riders and supporters) that it was the best (Australian junior championships) they had ever been to at the time – and now we want to improve and make it even better,” he said.
Riders from across the world will travel to the Wimmera to participate at the championships.