After years of domination by off-road winners, the historic 10th instalment finally fell to two road warriors
At last, riders from a road racing background have triumphed in Australia’s quirkiest motorcycling race when Cru Halliday and Tom Toparis combined for an emphatic victory in the 2025 Cessnock Mitsubishi Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix.
The previous nine stagings of this popular event held on 1.45km of roads around the Cessnock CBD and through the TAFE College grounds had been dominated by riders from dirt track, speedway and motocross. A number of riders, including some significant names from road racing, had contested the event – particularly in its early years – but with little joy.Halliday had previously turned in an impressive performance in 2019 when, partnered by Ricky Olsen, the team had mechanical issues in their heat, consigning them to the Consolation Race – which they won at a pace that would have made them a top-five contender in the GP race.
A total of 65 bikes completed qualifying this year before two heats to determine the 37 to contest the feature, with the rest left for the Consolation.
Halliday and Toparis topped the qualifying ahead of previous winner Daniel Wicks, this time partnered by long track racer Harrison Giffin, and when both teams won their heats it certainly looked to shaping up as a classic duel between two sporting disciplines.
Wicks got the holeshot when the GP race was flagged away but after the first rider change had happened it became obvious that the road racer duo were circulating at the same pace, while Giffin could not match Wicks’ pace.
After 90 minutes plus one lap, Halliday and Toparis were one lap ahead of only three teams; Wicks and Giffin were clearly second ahead of Bailey Chircop/Lachlan Foster and Aaron Parker/Danny Anderson.
Who’s who
This year featured an older entry list, with some significant dirt track performers, the usual family combinations, joined by more ‘weekend racers’ – quite likely riders content with contesting club events but who have the Postie Bike GP as a must-do on their calendar.
Other significant finishers were dirt track duo Cody Lewis and Brayden Gay (eighth), last year’s winners Liam Pointer and Joe O’Donnell (15th), Karina Bailey and Sophie Lovett (19th) – daughters of two legends – and dirt track brothers Harrison and Connor Ryan (26th).
Some teams appeared happy to just miss out on being one of the last qualifiers for the main race, instead starting up front in the Consolation event where there were seven teams finishing on the leading lap as David Tuddenham and Cory Bunt were just over seven seconds to the fore.
There were only eight entrants for the Ladies Race but it provided the best finish at the end of the 12-lap journey – again, the longest-riding stint for any rider on the day.
Ainsley Childs became a three-time winner across four years, denying defending champion Karina Bailey by just 0.11 seconds. So fast did they cross the line, at a point where riders where approaching a 90-degree corner, that both hit the crash barriers at that corner – thankfully both quickly back on their feet.
This year was devoid of controversy with compliance to the limit on riding stints and the top 10 machines all passing the dyno test for the 6.3hp limit.
The quirks of getting that horsepower limit just right is obviously a battle that all teams embrace and there have been plenty of examples over the years of teams not quite getting it right.
Interesting admissions from two of the top five teams – one who was disqualified last year left that machine in the shed this year, and another was riding their B machine as their A machine was over the limit, despite having less preparation work done on it than in previous years.
So, 10 years on, the crowds keep watching in good numbers and many riders want to be part of the show doing things with postie bikes that Mr Honda could never have imagined.
The circuit, with short straights, traffic islands, gutters, off-camber corners and surface changes, means the event is unlike any other on the calendar.
The co-operation of the local council, the TAFE and various other organisations is vital, along with a myriad of sponsors and in-kind backers, and the numerous volunteers who face a six-day workload to set up and dismantle for race day.
Motorcycle racing on public roads is a rarity in Australia these days – remember Bathurst, Canberra, Port Kembla and more recently supermoto around the Newcastle Harbour Foreshore – let’s hope for many more years of this unique event at Cessnock.
Results
CESSNOCK MITSUBISHI AUSTRALIAN POSTIE BIKE GP
1. Cru Halliday / Tom Toparis
2. Daniel Wicks / Harrison Giffin
3. Bailey Chircop / Lachlan Foster
4. Aaron Parker / Danny Anderson
5. Sonny Antonio / Flynn Nevstad
SMW DRILLING SERVICES CESSNOCK CUP CONSOLATION RACE
1. David Tuddenham / Cory Bunt
2. Caleb Townsend / Brock Christie
3. Jacob Peacock / Joshua Gladys
4. Matthew Nicol / Mikey Parker
5. Wesley Barnes / Brian Boman
PremiAir Hire WINE COUNTRY CUP LADIES RACE
1. Ainsley Childs
2. Karina Bailey
3. Emma Stevenson
HONOUR ROLL
AUSTRALIAN POSTIE BIKE GP
2025 Cru Halliday / Tom Toparis
2024 Joe O’Connor / Liam Pointer
2023 Brody Nowlan / Josh Pickering
2022 Daniel Wicks / Boyd Hollis
2021 Not Held
2020 Not Held
2019 Brody Nowlan / Josh Pickering
2018 Brody Nowlan / Josh Pickering
2017 Brody Nowlan / Josh Pickering
2016 Chris Watson / Michael Kirkness
2015 Luke Richards / Marty McNamara
2014 Luke Richards / Marty McNamara
LADIES RACE
2025 Ainsley Childs
2024 Karina Bailey
2023 Ainsley Childs
2022 Ainsley Childs
2021 Not Held
2020 Not Held
