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This weekend, Townsville Enduro Club Inc. hosted the fiercest off-road endurance motorcycle race in FNQ. 103 riders gathered from all over the State, battling it out on a challenging track built by local rider Jason Dwyer and crew on the outskirts of Mossman at Tara Hills Rd.
Round 3 of the Suncity Enduro Dirtbike Series is sponsored by Cairnsโ Northern Performance Motorcycles. While the event is very much social and family-oriented, over the last couple of years, competing for the top three positions has become fierce.
The Mossmaniacs Pony Express event is a multi lap format where riders race in teams of two, swapping after each lap. They ride for five hours on the single track loop. Ironman is the individual rider event.
There are five classes of competitor, including Expert, Ironman, Clubman, Veterans and Ladies. The team or individual who covers the most laps in the five hour period wins the event. 12 Junior competitors also competed on Saturday, racing Ironman for three hours.
Over the weekend, Australia’s top Hard Enduro rider Adam Giles and Queenslandโs No #1 female Enduro rider, Ebony (Benny) Nielsen also ran a coaching clinic.
The course is recognised as the toughest in FNQ, and was designed by local Ironman class legend, Jason Dwyer, with the help of many locals and riders keen to show their talent and share the workload. Teams came from Mt Isa, Proserpine, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, as well as Mossman and Cairns. Local Douglas Shire talent includes competitors Jason Dwyer, Harlin and Sandon Kerswell, Jai Timamen (Juniors), Rylee Jenkins and Tom Howe.
Highlights of the event include local Jason Dwyer losing fifteen minutes on his first lap, needing to replace a rear tyre. Astoundingly, he clawed back from last place to win the Ironman class outright.
Another competitor โfound Jesus out thereโ amidst his physical exhaustion. The event turned into a North versus South competition, with locals losing the bragging rights in the Expert class to the Southerners.
Expert winner:Team Glitter, Adam Giles and Gary Player
Series winner: Team Seeton/Scott, Seeton Battle (Townsville) and Scott Gofton (Ingham)
Ironman Event winner: Jason Dwyer (Mossman)
Ironman Series winner: Jason Dwyer (Mossman)
Townsville Enduro Club would like to thank Jason Dwyer, Dudley Duffy and all the local team for marking out the course, the generous land owner for supplying the venue, Mossman Horse Club (Jode) for the delicious canteen, all sponsors and QAS Port Douglas and Mossman.
If you would like to get involved in social or competitive Enduro in 2021, keep your eye on Townsville Enduroโs Facebook page for upcoming events, kicking off with a trail ride in Bowen in May 2021.
Images courtesy of Martin Burcombe /
