Round 3 of the University of SA Australian HPV Super Series will get the green light tomorrow at Adelaide’s Victoria Park in the heart of the city. It is fortunate that in 2021, unlike the previous year, racing has been able to resume. However COVID’s tentacles continued to reach out and throw up challenges to the Series.
This year, racing will share the Adelaide Parkland circuit with the now well entrenched COVID testing centre. The full-time facility is completely separated from the shorter eastern track loop which will host the three day carnival of human powered vehicle racing, and is boarded by two metre high fencing.
It is however teams from the neighbouring state of Victoria which will feel the full brunt of COVID restrictions with none of the entrants able to travel to South Australia to compete. Their presence will be sorely missed as they have played an important part in shaping the outcome of Rounds 1 and 2 to date.
In a first for the Series, the Victoria Park event will take place over three days. Commencing on Friday the 18th of June, day one will see the primary school teams (Category S1) take to the track. Saturday, will have all the open category entries racing (C4-C7), with the carnival culminating as high school teams in categories S2 and S3 scorch the tarmac on Sunday. The shorter eastern loop circuit will cater for a total of 18 hours of action over the three days, with each event starting at 10:00 AM, and finishing at 4:00 PM. The new format will cater well for the ever-increasing numbers which, despite the reduced numbers due to the absence of Interstate teams, will see significant fields take to the track, and racing expected to be tight.
Top contenders in action this weekend include Crafers and Coromandel Valley in the S1 Primary Schools, Unity College and Pembroke School in Senior High School, Category S3, and Unhinged and Reload Racing in the Open Category, C7.
