2022 Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix
With Peter Baker
The seventh staging of the Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix on the streets of the Cessnock CBD in the Hunter Valley on Sunday November 6 had fans lining the barriers around the 1450 metre track getting an up-close view of some hectic action.
After the first six stagings of this event had only produced three different winning combinations 2022 has added new names to the honour roll.
But for much of the day it looked likely that the pairing of Brody Nowlan and Josh Pickering were headed for their fourth consecutive victory.
Although Daniel Wicks recorded the fastest lap in qualifying before he and partner Boyd Hollis won the first heat, they were deposed as favourites after the slashing win of Nowlan and Pickering in the second heat.
Within seven laps of completing the 90 minutes plus one lap journey Pickering spilled the bike and it hit a barrier.
While he tried, unsuccessfully, to restart the damaged machine, Hollis rode past, and so inherited an advantage of more than one lap over their rivals, that Wicks held to the flag after their last rider change.
Wicks and Hollis were placed second in 2019 but Hollis only got a late call-up this year after Tom Drane withdrew.
Behind them there was a stream of steady – as-it – goes teams, unable to match strides with the three fastest teams but with a good preparation and steady laps they got to the race end with pleasing outcomes.
Second place went to Isaac Hawes/Caleb Clifton ahead of Kade Dorrington/Danny Anderson as they were the only teams listed as one lap down on the winners.
Previous winner Chris Watson was joined this year by former road racer Simon Galloway to finish fourth.
The other previous winners Luke Richards and Marty McNamara looked ultra-competitive being third fastest qualifier and then second in their heat but they were left with only the honour of the fastest lap of the day and twelfth place four laps down.
The two massive setbacks ruined their hopes – their bike stalled at one rider change and took plenty of work to restart and then Richards ran out of fuel.
The Consolation Race was even more dramatic with Geoff Pyne/Luke Smith winning despite a back of grid start after a DNF in their heat.
They inherited the win when the on-track leader fell on the final lap and then first past the post were excluded after their machine just tripped over the 6.3 hp limit.
Ainsley Childs was a decisive winner in the Ladies race and then partnered Paul Brecht to finish tenth in the Grand Prix race.
Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix Results
| Fastest Qualifier | Daniel Wicks |
| Heat 1 | Pos |
| Daniel Wicks / Boyd Hollis | 1 |
| Luke Richards / Marty McNamara | 2 |
| Isaac Hawes / Caleb Clifton | 3 |
| Heat 2 | |
| Brody Nowlan / Josh Pickering | 1 |
| Kade Dorrington / Danny Anderson | 2 |
| Dean Tolley / Daniel Middleton | 3 |
| CESSNOCK MITSUBISHI AUSTRALIAN POSTIE BIKE GP | |
| Daniel Wicks / Boyd Hollis | 1 |
| Isaac Hawes / Caleb Clifton | 2 |
| Kade Dorrington / Danny Anderson | 3 |
| SMW DRILLING SERVICES CESSNOCK CUP CONSOLATION RACE | |
| Geoff Pyne / Luke Smith | 1 |
| Aaron Metcalfe / Aaron Parker | 2 |
| Hayden Bond / Thomas Glover | 3 |
| SMW DRILLING SERVICES WINE COUNTRY CUP LADIES RACE | |
| Ainsley Childs | 1 |
| Laura Saxon | 2 |
| Stephanie Jones | 3 |
