Sydney Summer Series

Hi sports fans!

With the 'Amigo' tour to the Vic 'O' Champs whisking your correspondent away early Thursday, a post race analysis of todays run at Rodd Point will to wait till Monday. So a little pre-race gossip for those 'News' regulars.

With event one under our belts, we can see lots of interest already building and great first up numbers (plus 15% from last season).

Firstly, the changes to age categories. This season has a couple of stand outs that will give last season's podium nags a real run for the badges and cheap plonk. Firstly, we have Glenn 'Hollywood' Horrocks moving up from Open to Masters and running an equal first with Tim 'Roy' Rogers at McMahons (500 points apiece). This hugely competitive class has just now got a whole lot tougher, with the Peter's and Michael Free 'Lunch' now having to look for ways to derail the Horror Movie. Exciting racing coming up! At the other end of the ages, Ron 'The Jugular' Junghans has adopted the walking frame posture in moving from Super Vets to the Legends. Ron's 400 points last week pips Heiko and will also ensure some classic and close racing in between doctors visits. Watch for more sparks when 'Tearaway' Ted Mulherin joins the fray in this battle of the senior card holders.

Other good scores from the recently elevated include Jim 'Iny Cricket' McLean with an excellent 420 in Veteran Men (up from Masters) and a third placing for Alexa 'The Viking' Troedson in Masters Women, up from Open last season.

Other points of interest from last week were the lonely pot award (#13 with just 16 visits) and the most popular pot (#19 with 199 queuing up to wield the pencil on their way up the hill). A couple of nearby pots (#24 and #28) also got lots of graphite attention at 198 visits.

Event two tonight should be a fast paced affair, with the weather fine but cool - just how that champion of the running singlet Warwick 'I Love Leaches' Selby likes it. Hopefully Steve Flick 'And Stick' will have engineered a few dead end street puzzles to dampen the flow men. We'll soon see!