Queensland’s Grace Hudson was crowned the 2026 Yamaha Aussie Flat Track Nationals Pro Women champion after an action-packed Round 5 at Griffith’s The Pines Speedway. Meanwhile, hometown hero Billy Ryan took a memorable Pro 450 round victory, holding off a world-class field across the TT and flat track layouts.
Hudson secured the Bunda Fine Jewels Pro Women Championship Ring after a consistent day of racing, including a race win in the final event. Lori Gow dominated most of the round to claim the overall victory, finishing ahead of Hudson, with Matilda Heaton-New completing the podium.
“It’s been an awesome series in my first year,” Hudson said. “Thank you all for helping out. The 19s have been really cool at these events and I’d like to thank Pritchett & Sons Moto Racing and Garage 308. I wouldn’t be here without them helping me.”
In Pro 450, Ryan made the most of his home-track advantage to take the overall win against a formidable field featuring championship leader Cam Dunker, American Flat Track champion Tom Drane, his brother Sam Drane, Max Whale, John Lytras and Cooper Archibald.
AFT Singles champion Tom Drane set the pace in qualifying for the opening three races on the TT circuit, but Ryan proved difficult to beat. The local rider took the first two races, beating Dunker by 1.4 seconds before beating Drane by 1.6 seconds in race two. Dunker responded with a third-race win to keep himself firmly in contention.
Dunker then claimed Superpole ahead of the evening’s flat track races and won the opening event, edging out Ryan and Sam Drane. However, the second eight-lap race delivered a dramatic turnaround when Dunker crashed on the final corner of the last lap while battling Ryan for the lead. He remounted to finish 11th, handing the victory to Ryan.
Ryan was denied a clean sweep in the final race, finishing second behind Tom Drane, with Dunker recovering to third.
“It’s always good to win on your home track, but when you’ve done it against arguably the best in the world – Tom with two American Flat Track titles, his brother Sam, Cam Dunker and Max Whale – it’s a pretty cool feeling,” Ryan said.
Dunker admitted the crash was disappointing but remained positive after a tough day.
“It was a little bit unfortunate about that crash, but we live to fight another day. Our winning streak was broken here today, but a big congratulations must go to Billy and his team,” he said.
For Drane, the event was an opportunity to enjoy racing back on Australian soil. He also credited his father and Darren Herrick for their work on the bike throughout the day.
“It was so good to be back in Australia and have a ride against everyone here and just enjoy it and have some fun,” Drane said.
In Junior Lites, Jed Fyffe continued his strong form, taking four of the five races to secure the round victory. Fastest qualifier Tahj Edwards scored a win on the TT circuit, while Fyffe recovered to third after crashing in the second race.
Pro Twins was dominated by John Lytras, who qualified fastest before winning every race aboard his Pritchett & Sons Moto Racing Suzuki SV650. Corey Banks finished second overall, ahead of Bede Hunt.
Cooper Quinn claimed the Junior 85 round with two race wins, despite Flynn Beard also taking two victories and securing fastest qualifier honours. Harley Ford won three of the four 65 Trackers races to take the round victory and move into the lead of the overall points.
The Over 35s All Powers class belonged to Neil Girdler, who completed a clean sweep and qualified fastest. His brother Jeffrey Girdler finished second in every race to secure the runner-up position, making it a family affair.
The event also featured an emotional return for Tom Armstrong, who attended as his son competed and completed demonstration laps as part of his ongoing recovery. Series organiser Dave Maddock praised the Griffith club for delivering another successful round, while acknowledging the importance of Armstrong’s involvement and feedback as the series continues to develop.
The Yamaha Aussie Flat Track Nationals now heads towards a massive season finale, with a double-header scheduled for Gunnedah Motorcycle Club’s Balcary Park on November 7–8, where the remaining championship battles will be decided.
Visit www.aftn.com.au for more info about upcoming rounds and race results.
Photos: RBMotoLens
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