Ninety minutes of racing, 6.3hp of fury and just 0.248 seconds between first and second, the annual Postie Bike GP delivered another extraordinary finish
After 90 minutes of racing around the streets of Cessnock, NSW, just 0.248sec separated the first two teams in one of Australia’s most entertaining motorcycle events. The 11th Australian Postie Bike Grand Prix (18 October) once again proved you don’t need 200hp and a million-dollar race bike to produce thrilling competition. Sometimes 110cc and a maximum of 6.3hp will do nicely.
The madcap dash around the Cessnock CBD and through the TAFE College grounds attracted 54 machines, the smallest field in the event’s history, but the racing was anything but subdued. Defending champions Cru Halliday and Tom Toparis claimed fastest qualifying honours and won the opening heat, while dirt track stars Daniel Wicks and Grant Charnock took out the second. With the main event decided over 90 minutes plus one lap, following a Le Mans-style start, there was no clear favourite.
POSTIE HASTE
The early exchanges featured the leading three teams, including Jackson Jeffrey and Chad Hughes, along with dirt track brothers Peter and David Smith, Cody Lewis and Brayden Gay, and Brock Christie and Caleb Townsend.
Rider changes added another dimension, with teams permitted to swap riders at different intervals, provided nobody exceeded the 10-lap limit per stint.
Halliday and Toparis looked set to defend their crown until their machine dramatically slowed, one lap taking almost a minute longer than their average. The bike was subsequently ‘revived’ at the next handover, setting Halliday off on a desperate charge.
With Wicks and Jeffrey ahead, the closing laps delivered plenty of drama. Jeffrey fell but quickly remounted, while Halliday reeled in Wicks to finish an agonising 0.248sec behind. Wicks and Charnock had claimed victory, with Halliday and Toparis second and Jeffrey and Hughes third.
Behind them came brothers Harrison and Connor Ryan, followed by Peter and David Smith, and Lewis and Gay.
The top eight all finished on the same lap. The Consolation race went to Wesly Barnes and Brian Boman, improving on their fifth place last year.
FOUR OF A KIND
The Ladies Race attracted eight starters, with Ainsley Childs taking the lead on the opening lap of the 12-lap contest and never looking back. It was her fourth victory in five years, matching the four GP wins achieved by Brody Nowlan and Josh Pickering.
Four women finished on the lead lap, although the second rider across the line was subsequently excluded for exceeding the 6.3hp limit by the smallest margin, warranting disqualification. Enduro star Jemma Wilson was consequently classified second.
DELIVERING THE GOODS
Competitors faced a slightly narrower circuit this year, with several barriers repositioned. And after previous events featuring scorching heat and torrential rain, 2026 delivered the coldest conditions yet.
In a touching moment before the main race, the National Anthem was followed by a minute’s silence for former motocross star Robert ‘Beatle’ Bailey, whose daughter Karina won the Ladies Race in 2024.
Another innovation was the livestreaming of the entire Sunday program on YouTube, with almost nine hours of coverage and drone footage offering viewers perspectives unavailable to the sizeable crowds lining the streets.
The commentary could have benefited from greater knowledge of the wider field rather than concentrating so heavily on Halliday and Toparis, but the broadcast was clearly a success. Organisers reported more than 50,000 views worldwide, with many viewers commenting they wanted to attend or become involved themselves.
Eleven years on, the event continues to thrive thanks to long-time sponsors, new business supporters and an army of volunteers. The locals deserve enormous credit for continually finding ways to improve what is already a wonderfully entertaining spectacle.
Check it out for yourself in 2027. If you want to race the information you need is at www.postiebikegp.com.au
RESULTS
Australian Postie Bike GP
1. Daniel Wicks / Grant Charnock
2. Cru Halliday / Tom Toparis
3. Jackson Jeffrey / Chad Hughes
4. Harrison Ryan / Connor Ryan
5. Peter Smith / David Smith
Cessnock Cup Consolation
1. Wesly Barnes / Brian Boman
2. Cody Atteridge / Reece Atteridge
3. Cory Crossley / Eden Schreiber
4. Aaren Russell / Nathan Atteridge
5. Jye Hollier / Kade Cross
Wine Country Cup Ladies Race
1. Ainsley Childs
2. Jemma Wilson
3. Poppy Pollock
