The Whyalla Cycling Club's track season opened on Friday night after a winter delay due to major track repairs and facility upgrades.  Near perfect conditions resulted in an exciting nights racing, with some close finishes and many riders showing their potential so early in the season.

Combined senior A and B grade opened with a 15 lap scratch race, with riders keeping a constant eye on each other.  The pace lifted with Rhyse Carpenter, Tim Fulton, Ryan Ware and Dylan Starkey gaining a 20 metre lead over Darren Anderson and Nicole Goldring.  Ben Young was on the back of the line being caught out when Anderson and Goldring didn't respond to the lift of pace.  Young noticed the gap and was able to bridge the distance to the other riders before they got too big a lead, with five rider bunch staying together for the rest of the race.  They bunched together high on the track as they rounded the bend to receive the bell lap, making the most of the added momentum for the sprint to the line.  In a thrilling finish, Young narrowly took out the event from Carpenter and T Fulton while Ware and Starkey finished just behind.

Jessica Shore, Sam Campbell and Darryl Fulton were together as they got the bell in the Senior C Grade eight lap scratch race when D Fulton took the lead with Campbell on his wheel giving it his all.  Campbell tried to come around Fulton as they sprinted down the home straight, but Fulton held him off to cross the line first with Shore coming in third.

Justin Burke and Jacob Hughes moved up to junior A grade and matched it well with Charlotte and Liza Wakeling.  Charlotte was in the lead with a lap and a half to go when Jacob moved up to sit on her wheel, getting ready for the final lap.  He was able to hold off Hughes to the line with Liza third and Burke fourth, but Hughes and Burke could be quite a challenge to the girls during the coming weeks as their race fitness improves

Corey Gibbons led Bailey Kesby, Connor Margaritis, Chloe Hellowell and Dana Prater into the final lap of the junior B grade four lap scratch race, but wasn't able to break away from the rest of the field with the group crossing the line bunched together.  C Margaritis was first, followed by Prater, Gibbons, Hellowell and Kesby.

Chris Margaritis took off on the bell of the 24" bikes four lap scratch race.

In the final race of the first round of events, Levi Kamin (off 50 metres) in his first race was up against Scott Litchfield (scratch), who was flying and although Levi gave his all Litchfield was too strong and took out the event.

This first round of events was followed by a series of handicap races, team relays and some timed lap sprints by Litchfield before the final round of scratch races.

FULL RACE RESULTS HERE