Despite wild weather and a flooded track on Saturday afternoon, the Cowra Motorcycle Racing Club’s speedway weekend was still hailed a success, drawing riders from across the country and delivering impressive performances across all classes.

The two day event, held in partnership with Darcy Ward Speedway Promotions, began strongly on Friday night with practice sessions.

Riders travelled from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and beyond, eager to compete on Cowra’s well regarded track.

Cowra MRC president Steve Kurtz said the weekend started smoothly before being hit by severe weather.

“We had a good weekend, all the riders turned up from all over the place,” he said.

“But we got hampered by the rain Saturday afternoon.

“It flooded the track pretty well, so we had to put the races back a little bit.

“We got all the way through all the rounds of races, but we didn’t get to finish the finals.”

Kurtz said the club had no choice but to call the event off before the final heats.

“The track was getting just a little bit dangerous for the riders with all the water it had taken in during the afternoon, so we didn’t do the final,” he said.

“But it was a good day, we had a good crowd and all the riders enjoyed themselves.

“All in all it was a good couple of days for us.”

One of the standout results from the night was the victory of 16 year old Grenfell rider Beau Bailey, who claimed the top spot in the 500cc category.

Kurtz said Bailey has a big year ahead, saying, “he’s gonna head across overseas and start his international career next year, so it’s a good thing for him to be able to win something like that to kick off his season.”

Cowra’s own Ben Cook finished second, with Zach Cook third.

“Our two Cowra boys, Ben and Zach Cook, fared well,” Kurtz said.

Although disappointed the finals couldn’t be completed, Kurtz said the event still received overwhelmingly positive feedback from riders, families, and spectators.

“It was just a little bit of shame about the weather, that was the main thing,” Kurtz said.

“If that didn’t happen, it would have been 100% perfect.

“But I think Cowra was entertained, I think they all had a good night.”

One of the biggest positives was the reaction to Cowra’s infrastructure.

“They loved our complex, and all the infrastructure we got.

“They loved our clubhouse and the canteen and the whole setup,” Kurtz said.

While heavy rain stole the finals from the schedule, the combination of strong racing, a large crowd and glowing feedback made the weekend a win for the club.