Herrick Clinches Second Aussie Flat Track Crown

Thomas Herrick keeps his cool to take the 2025 AFTN crown at Gunnedah after heavy Armstrong crash

The Yamaha BLU CRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals delivered a dramatic and emotional finale at Gunnedah’s Balcary Park, where a heavy crash to points leader Tom Armstrong on Saturday reshaped the championship fight and set the stage for Thomas Herrick to secure his second Pro 450 crown twenty-four hours later. Across both days the racing was fierce with multiple national titles claimed in front of a vocal northern NSW crowd.

Round 6 – chaos and opportunity

Saturday’s action began with Herrick looking sharp on the demanding Balcary Park oil track, topping Superpole and immediately signalling his intent. But the day took a serious turn when the opening Pro 450 race was red-flagged after Armstrong crashed heavily. The incident ruled the Honda rider out of the weekend and instantly transformed the championship landscape, leaving Herrick, Kirkness, Dunker and Archibald to scrap over the suddenly wide-open points haul.

When racing resumed, ASBK star Cameron Dunker pounced to win the restarted opener, but Herrick responded with two perfectly executed rides, showing clean lines and composure to take control of the round. Michael Kirkness fired back with a last-lap pass to steal Race 3, but Herrick held strong in the final outing, fending off Kirkness to secure the round win and inherit the championship lead on a day he later called “a first for everything”.

The juniors were equally impressive, with Sam Drane and Jed Fyffe putting on one of the year’s best displays in Junior Lites. The pair split the four wins evenly, riding with precision and maturity well beyond their years, while Nate Jaeger enjoyed a breakthrough day. Fyffe’s consistency gave him a 62-point buffer heading into Sunday’s TT layout.

In the Junior 85s, George Holmkvist backed up his Griffith win with another strong round, adapting quickly to the slick surface and landing on the podium in every race. Lucy Heaton-New was a standout with two wins, climbing to second in the standings as championship leader Beau Baker battled the conditions.

The Pro Twins class delivered one of the most memorable moments of the weekend, with former American Flat Track rider Luke Gough sweeping all three races aboard Matt Drane’s Indian FTR750—believed to be the first time the rare machine has ever raced in Australia. But it was Ashley Wilesmith who collected the silverware, sealing the inaugural Pro Twins Australian Championship thanks to another polished and consistent performance.

With Armstrong in hospital and Herrick now ahead on points, the championship picture was suddenly in focus heading into Sunday’s TT layout.

RESULTS

Fastest Qualifier
Sam Hollands

Round 7 – Dunker dominates as Herrick seals the deal

Overnight rain eased as the paddock received good news about Armstrong’s condition, and the mood lifted heading into the TT round. From the first lap it was clear that Cameron Dunker was in a class of his own. He scorched to Superpole and then proceeded to win all four races with authority, beating Daniel Wicks and Michael Kirkness in a display that left the crowd shaking their heads.

Behind him, Herrick didn’t need to win—he just needed to be smart. The Husqvarna rider did exactly that, managing four measured rides to bank enough points for the Pro 450 title. It capped off a long season that included a trip to America, mechanical development, and a fierce, season-long rivalry with Armstrong.

The junior titles were settled in similarly decisive fashion. Jed Fyffe closed out the Junior Lites championship after a rock-solid Saturday, with the TT round win going to Neiko Donovan ahead of Drane. Beau Baker returned to form on the TT track and wrapped up the Junior 85s crown with a 101-point margin, while Flynn Beard claimed the round win.

In Clubman Open, Sam Hollands completed his remarkable return to racing—after twelve years away—by sealing the title with a composed second place. Rhys Irvin was unstoppable on the TT layout, sweeping every race, but the championship belonged to Hollands.

From Armstrong’s crash to Dunker’s unbeaten Sunday, from Holmkvist’s junior rise to Wilesmith’s historic Pro Twins crown, Gunnedah offered a finale worthy of a national series. Herrick’s grit under pressure, paired with Dunker’s blistering pace, delivered a weekend that will be talked about long after the dust settles.

RESULTS

Pro 450 round 7 winner, Cameron Dunker: “Today was nothing short of perfect for me, really! Superpole and four race wins which is pretty cool, that’s the first time I’ve ever done that in flat track. I can’t thank Franko, Adam and Fyffey enough for getting this bike set up awesome. Also the guys prepping the track, they did an incredible job all weekend and to be on tracks like this definitely creates great racing. Big thanks also to Dave for running an amazing series. I look forward to coming back next year and seeing if we can go a few places better.”

Pro 450 series champion, Thomas Herrick: “The year didn’t start out too well at Maryborough, but then to carry through all these rounds plus a trip to America, it has been a long season and I’m grateful to finish on top. Yesterday I was really happy with the way I rode..today I didn’t feel like I had enough in me but we made it work in the end and got the job done. I think if it wasn’t for Tommy Armstrong having an unfortunate crash yesterday things might be different. Big shoutout to him, he’s been riding awesoem and he’s a great mate, I hope he heals up ok. I’d also like say a massive thanks to my dad Darren for his tireless work preparing this bike, he’s developed the bike from day one and put in so much time and effort as well as my beautiful partner Zoe who is always out supporting me and all the guys at Davies Motorcycles. Maybe a three-peat next year!”

Series Organiser Dave Maddock: “Firstly, I’m relieved to say that Tom Armstrong’s injuries, while serious, aren’t as bad as we initially feared. It was a heavy crash but it looks like he will be able to make a gradual recovery. The racing certainly didn’t disappoint and I’d like to offer some huge congratulations to Tom Herrick on winning his second ring. He showed great speed on the flat track on Saturday and is always a fierce competitor. Junior Lites showed the younger generation are coming for the older guys! Jed Fyffe and Neiko Donovan put on an awesome display with Sam Drane as a perfect international level yardstick. In Junior 85s it was great to see Beau Baker find form on Sunday. He’s been so strong all year and we are looking forward to see how that whole field progresses in the coming years, particularly Lucy Heaton-New who really stuck it to the boys. Sam Hollands was in a class of his own in Clubman Open this year, but we’ve unearthed some exciting new talent in Rhys Irvin and Cooper Carnie. Cooper needed an age exemption to race this season, he will be one to look out for in the coming seasons. We’ve been very proud this year to take the AFTN series to some new areas and the response from the Maryborough, Albury and Griffith regions has been amazing. The clubs that are involved have gone above and beyond at every round, especially Gunnedah this year when the weather really threatened to derail the weekend! The planning for the 2026 season is well underway and what I can say is the locations and dates will be similar to this year and we look forward to sharing the details with everyone in due course.”

2025 FINAL STANDINGS

Pro 450

Junior Lites

Junior 85

Clubman Open