Tom Armstrong has made an impressive return to national competition, clean-sweeping both rounds of the Yamaha bLU cRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals at Maryborough’s Action Park on July 26-27.
The 36-year-old former Nepean King, racing for the first time since 2012, stunned the Pro 450 field with four wins across the flat track round and two more on Sunday’s TT layout, launching himself into a commanding series lead.
Armstrong’s weekend started with a pair of podiums before taking control in the final two races of Round 1. Round 2 saw him top Superpole by several tenths before claiming the final two races again, despite rising pressure from ASBK Superbike star Cam Dunker and reigning champ Tom Herrick.
“This has been unbelievable,” Armstrong said. “I was just hoping to make the A group. To win both rounds—after all this time away—it’s more than I imagined.”
Behind Armstrong, Dunker showed impressive pace with a race win and multiple podiums across the weekend, while Herrick found form on the TT layout to finish third overall in Round 2. Daniel Wicks and Ronan Jacobs were also consistently fast but couldn’t match Armstrong’s late-race pace.
In Junior Lites, the rivalry between Jed Fyffe and Neiko Donovan produced thrilling racing across both days. Fyffe claimed Round 1 with three wins, while Donovan rebounded on Sunday with a trio of victories to take the TT round. Hugh Hope-Hodgetts stayed in the mix throughout, grabbing a string of podiums.
Beau Baker dominated Junior 85s, sweeping both rounds with six race wins from eight starts. Hugo Holmes and Jye French each stole a win, while Lucy Heaton-New and Kru Tulloch also stood out with consistent results.
The Pro Women class made a welcome return in 2025, and local rider Latiya Allen led the way on Saturday with two wins on her comeback. But it was Brittaney O’Brien who came alive on Sunday, winning three races to claim the TT round win over Allen and Matilda Heaton-New.
AFTN Series Organiser Dave Maddock hailed the event a major success. “This weekend has been incredible,” Maddock said. “Tom Armstrong’s comeback is one of the best stories we’ve seen, and the level of racing across all classes has been unreal. Massive credit to the Maryborough Motorcyclist Club for reviving this venue—they knocked it out of the park.”
The Yamaha bLU cRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals heads next to Wodonga on August 23-24 for another doubleheader weekend on both flat track and TT layouts.
Top Results – Round 1 (Flat Track)
- Pro 450: 1. Tom Armstrong, 2. Ronan Jacobs, 3. Daniel Wicks
- Junior Lites: 1. Jed Fyffe, 2. Neiko Donovan, 3. Tahj Edwards
- Junior 85: 1. Beau Baker, 2. Lucy Heaton-New, 3. Hugo Holmes
- Pro Women: 1. Latiya Allen, 2. Matilda Heaton-New, 3. Brittaney O’Brien
Top Results – Round 2 (TT)
- Pro 450: 1. Tom Armstrong, 2. Cam Dunker, 3. Thomas Herrick
- Junior Lites: 1. Neiko Donovan, 2. Jed Fyffe, 3. Hugh Hope-Hodgetts
- Junior 85: 1. Beau Baker, 2. Kru Tulloch, 3. Jye French
- Pro Women: 1. Brittaney O’Brien, 2. Latiya Allen, 3. Matilda Heaton-New
📸 Image credit: RbMotoLens
Full results: www.Computime.com.au
