Experience will be the key for Dubbo owner-driver Darren McGuire and his crew as they aim to defend their title and race record at the annual Hawkesbury 120 this weekend.
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Last year the Superman team of McGuire, observer Brett Armstrong and skiers Daniel Graziano and Daniel Cotton crushed the opposition to win by more than 90 seconds.
But McGuire was coy about his squad’s chances in 2018.
“We’ve done a couple of lead up races and took it easy, but hopefully we are right to go this weekend,” McGuire, from Dubbo, said.
“We have the same crew as last year and that we’ve had for some time. The experience is there.”
The nation’s best water skiers, drivers and observers will converge on Governor Phillip Park on the Hawkesbury River for the Ski Racing Australia’s ‘River Classics’ season opener.
A total of 82 crews are entered across the weekend, with 68 in Saturday’s team challenge hoping to earn the best possible starting position for Sunday’s expert classes.
Saturday’s racing will take place over the shorter course between Windsor and Sackville, while Sunday’s big race is from Windsor to Wiseman’s Ferry and back.
A new format will see skiers race as individuals on the Saturday to post a combined qualifying time for Sunday’s racing.
That, and the quality and depth of the field, are both reasons for caution according to McGuire.
“There’ll be lots of threats, they’ll be coming from everywhere,” he said.
“There are five boats in superclass and they are all pretty good teams. There’s probably three or four boats in (the) unlimited (class) too that could come out and win the whole thing.
“A win would be awesome. There’s nothing better than to start the season on a good note.”
One crew attempting to play the role of kryptonite will be TR with local owner-driver Ian Tricker at the wheel.
It will be the TR team’s first foray into the big league of superclass together but Tricker is confident local knowledge will play a role.
“We’ll be fine stepping up to superclass,” Tricker said.
“This is my track. I spend plenty of time on this part of the river. I run down there from Windsor to Sackville at least once a week. I’ll be dialled in.”
Not surprisingly Tricker identified McGuire and Superman as the team to beat but hoped his group of newcomers could cause a few upsets.
“I don’t think anyone will hold a candle to Superman, certainly not on race day on Sunday,” Tricker said.
“We don’t really have anyone in our sights but we’ll have a red hot crack.
“I don’t want to be starting Sunday ahead of Superman but I wouldn’t mind being number two.”
While they will line up in the top class this weekend, Tricker revealed it almost didn’t happen.
“We weren’t going to run superclass this year but when (perennial podium finishers) Merc Force stepped away from racing for the year, we thought, why not have a go and step up now,” Tricker said.
While Tricker will be very focused on the pointy end of the field, he like many others in the family dominated and orientated sport will race across several of the 30 classes on offer at the iconic event.
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