CAN TOM ARMSTRONG WIN THE AFTN 450 CLASS?

The Yamaha BLU CRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals reaches another thrilling climax at Gunnedah’s Balcary Park this weekend (November 15-16) as 36 year-old Tom Armstrong will attempt to seal the 2025 Pro450 crown at his first attempt. Armstrong, who performed strongly with two race wins at his home Griffith round last time out, sits 110 points clear of second-placed Thomas Herrick. Sitting third in the points and hoping for more race wins is Gunnedah’s own Daniel Wicks who took a round win at Albury to mark the highlight of his season so far.

Also on hand will be Griffith teen sensation Billy Ryan, two-time champion Michael Kirkness and ASBK Superbike star Cam Dunker. The action will be non-stop with eight races scheduled for each class utilising the classic AFTN double-header format, where competitors race the flat-track course on Saturday before switching to the TT course on Sunday. The premier Pro 450 class will be one of five taking to the track with Junior Lites set to go down to the wire where Jed Fyffe holds a slim 17-point buffer over Neiko Donovan. The pair have traded blows all season but they will be joined by rising international star Sam Drane at Gunnedah. In Junior 85s Beau Baker has been the dominant force and is favourite for the title but he will be challenged by Hugo Holmes who has recently returned from injury. Sam Hollands looks to seal the Clubman Open crown while Ashley Wilesmith leads the way on his Ducati Scrambler in Pro Twins. The crowd will be in for a treat, however, with Luke Gough entered to ride the legendary Indian FTR750 in what is believed to be the first Australian appearance for this motorcycle in competition.

Tom Armstrong, Pro 450 points leader: “This is a monster weekend for me. I’m pretty excited and nervous at the same time! We’ve put ourselves in a good position coming into the last two rounds; I’ve been doing plenty of training and lots of riding since the Griffith round. I just want to have a clean weekend, play it smart and not do anything silly. I like the Gunnedah track, but the last time I rode there was nineteen years ago! It’ll be good to see it all done and hopefully I’m in a happy place on Sunday evening!”