A new championship season brings new opportunities, and a clean slate is what Locky Ireland needs after misfortune plagued the Pro Stock Motorcycle stalwart’s first NDRC Championship season.
“Last season didn’t go well at all,” started Ireland. “We bought a built engine from the states that under-performed from the start of the season, only to find it had pistons that did not fit the engine after the first round. As it arrived only a week before the first round to the shop, unfortunately we didn’t get time to check it before it was run at Tailem Bend.
“The second round we put our old motor back in the bike, only for one of the spiral clips in the gearbox to become jammed up in the gearbox in the burnout on the test pass. Being a one day meeting, with only the one test pass then racing, I only had the first three gears and then I had to manually shift to fourth gear. So, first race I got off the throttle and had three or four goes at air shifting the bike, that didn’t work. Second pass, I manually hand shifted the bike, and third pass I foot shifted the bike which gave it the big snakes onto the marbles in the middle of the track.
“I then ruptured my Achilles tendon so didn’t compete for the rest of the season!”
With the season over as Ireland recovered from his injury there was time to work on the niggling issue and also a new bike for the upcoming PDRC season.
“I had time to rectify all the little problems and be prepared for a good outing at the first round of the new season,” said Ireland.
“The frame we were running was a older spec frame and the bigger motored bikes run a later spec frame, so we decided to buy a later spec frame for the new four valve motor. But it isn’t ready just yet.”
With the new championship season now upon Ireland, Pro Stock Motorcycle has never looked stronger with the NDRC and PDRC working together to deliver the best NDRC Championship for the class, and it is exciting Ireland.
“The season ahead should bring some great racing with full fields and all top tier bikes to boot, so shouldn’t be a one sided season, should be lots of different winners and points leads changes coming down to the wire,” said Ireland.
“The PSMA (Pro Stock Motorcycle Association) is making great strides to make Pro Stock Motorcycle the premier category of group one racing.”
Locky Ireland will be releasing the clutch against 7 other heavy hitters for the opening round of the NDRC Pro Stock Motorcycles in conjunction with the PDRC this Friday and Saturday (Nov 15/16) at Sydney Dragway, the epic event also featuring Pro Alcohol, Pro Stock, Pro Mod, Pro Import and the Grand Finale of the NSW Championship series.
Tickets are available now at prodragracing.com.au or by clicking HERE, with tickets from just $25 and family and 2 day passes available.
For more information, Search PDRC Pro Drag Racing Championship on Socials or visit prodragracing.com.au.
