Newly-crowned Australian Champion Sam Masters takes part in the Motul Pirelli Troy Bayliss Classic on Saturday at Taree Motorcycle Club, New South Wales.
Masters has been invited alongside national and domestic world champions for all different forms of motorcycle racing including former speedway world champion Jason Crump.
The all-day, flat-track event will take place over five rounds and the fact that Masters has been invited to race in such a high-profile meeting is an indication of how much hid reputation has grown over the last few years.
Sam said: “To be able to mix it with the best motorcycle riders in the world is a dream and I can’t wait to get out there.”
The Troy Bayliss Classic is organised and hosted by the man himself, who also competes. Bayliss, who is a three-time World Super Bike Champion, runs the event along with business partner Mark Petersen.
It’s been a whirlwind week for Masters after becoming the Australian Champion last Saturday at Kurri Kurri and Sam said: “To stand at the top of the podium as the Aussie Champion is something I’ve worked towards for a while now.
“I didn’t do a lot of racing leading up to the championship series, which is probably why I struggled a bit in the first round, but I was training so hard away from the speedway track. I felt I needed to do more training on the push bike and things like that, something I haven’t had a chance to do in a while.
“I knew I was in with a real chance going into the last round and I wanted to put as much pressure as I could on Sedgy (Justin Sedgmen). I was determined in every heat I lined up at tapes for. I knew I had to win almost every heat to keep myself in with a chance of winning it.
“Sedgy is my mate so there is a big part of me that feels sorry for him, especially the way he eventually went out in the B Final. I think both of us would have preferred to battle it out in the A Final for the championship.”
He added: “It was my time after finishing second two years on the spin and I think in that time I’ve shown the consistency that merits winning an Aussie title.
“The preparations now start ahead of my return to Europe. My schedule for 2017 is very busy so I want to return in the best physical shape I possibly can.”
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