CRUMP CLASSIC ATTRACTS GREAT FIELD
The GT Onsite Windscreens “Phil Crump Classic” is set to reopen the Olympic Park season, “Post Flood”, with a talented field being assembled to contest the prestigious meeting.
Star attraction will be 3 Times World Champion, Tai Woffinden, who will ride Olympic Park for the first time as a senior rider, only having ridden an Australian Junior speedway Championship way back when he was only nine years old. Woffinden has always had Olympic Park on his “bucket list” of tracks which he wants to ride, so that desire will be filled on Saturday night.
Mildura Solo Coordinator, Ryan Sedgmen, has worked hard with many riders to fill the program with top talent prior to many of them making their way back to Europe for their summer season. Mildura Club was able to get into action once the rapid fall of flood water had occurred, so it has been “all hands on deck” from within the Club, undertaking remedial work and setting the venue back up to being the wonderful venue that it is. Many members have been attending to “clean up” Working bees, cleaning up the debris which has entered the Club grounds during the flood. Tradesmen too, have contributed to the effort as they have re-connected Power and other services to the complex. Part of the protective Levee bank which kept the Clubrooms and Implement shed safe has been removed to allow access to the Track and a major clean up, trying to remove the “Black water stains” from the effects of the flood has been undertaken.
All is in readiness for our wonderful and energetic speedway patrons to witness a great “return meeting” and especially one which will honour the Mildura Master himself, Phil Crump.
British Champion, Rory Schlein had originally committed to the planned running of the Crump meeting back in December and, now that Rory is returning to ride in England, after a very short retirement, it is great that he can still be part of an excellent program.
Fellow International riders in Justin Sedgmen, fresh from a win in last weekend’s Robbie Woffinden Memorial at the new Perth Speedway venue, Jaimon Lidsey, a former World Under 21 Champion, who came second just ahead of Tai Woffinden himself, Josh Pickering along with locals, Jordy Stewart, Patty Hamilton and Cooper Riordan with regular visitors, Jack Morrison, Jake Turner, Dayle Wood, Aden Clare, Michael West, Liam May, Declan Knowles and young “sandgroper” Matt Marson, make an excellent field of sixteen to contest the 20 Crump heats and the two important Finals at the end of the night to see who will be presented with the Crump Trophy by the Master of Olympic Park himself.
The International competitors will start making their way back to the UK or Europe in the coming weeks, so this final “hit out” will be good for their form and confidence, but Saturday night is a priority for each of them. All riders consider it a great honour to be invited to ride in the Phil Crump meeting each year.
The Crump meeting was initially set to be the feature of the Club’s 75th Anniversary ”Double header” meetings, however the Flood put paid to that. The Club has decided that the end of this year, that will be the start of the 2023 – 2024 speedway season is still in our 75th year, so we will hold over the dual meetings which were planned, in favour of holding both meetings later in 2023.
Patrons have been delighted when this news has been shared, so massive crowds are anticipated when the Anniversary meetings eventually take place.
Patrons are asked by the Club to “Please be patient “ when attending the Olympic Park venue on Saturday night as much of our regular parking places have been compromised, due to the fold and some spots are still “quite soft underneath”, so PLEASE TAKE CARE before finding a spot to park your vehicle.
Please take directions from Club officials who will try to assist getting you in to a safe place to park.
Surface water is still evident in many places on our grounds, especially on the ArenaCross side of the venue, so please take directions cheerfully, both coming in to the venue and also when leaving.
Tickets are available at the gate and patrons are reminded that there is plenty of Free Grandstand accommodation or you may bring a rug or a chair and avail yourselves of the grassy banks which surround the Stadium.
There is good quality food and drinks available at the venue and patrons are reminded that there must be NO BYO by law.
Action will start with our Rider Introduction,, National Anthem and parade, which will immediately be followed by the Exposed Signage & Apparel “Dash for Cash” which will feature the sixteen Crump riders.
The meeting will start at 7:30pm sharp. All welcome !