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Zack Tremaine Takes on the 2026 Hardi 24hr Trial
The Hardi 24 Hour trial has come and gone for another year. This was my first 24 hour since 2023 where I unfortunately had a crash, resulting in a DNF. In previous years I have finished this event in 6th (2018), 8th (2019) and 2nd outright (2021). With a lot of rain leading up and even some on the forecast we were in for a tricky event.
July 10-12 24 Hour Trial - Kapunda
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the 24 hour, it is run over 4 laps of approximately 200kms/6 hours each lap of special tests and transport sections. Each rider must carry all tools and parts required to maintain the bike throughout, whilst only taking on fuel, air filters and fluids if required. Each rider takes off 1 minute apart and shall remain in this order for the duration of the event. Riders are provided 45 minutes after lap 1 and 3 for dinner and breakfast which is also provided and a shorter 20 minute break after lap 2.
Friday 10 July
Friday is rider sign on; bike check in and riders briefing. Each rider is provided with unique timing tags, competitor numbers and must leave their machines in parc ferme overnight until their respective start time on Saturday. Bike and rider preparation is absolutely a key factor in making this event as smooth as possible.
Saturday 11 July
Lap 1
The first sidecar left main control at Kapunda trotting track at 11.01am. With a field of over 170 riders this year, the expert open class began from bike number 124. I was bike number 129, due to begin at 1.09pm. With plenty of rain about and grey skies we set off to the first competitive section. Even though the last few events this year have not exactly gone smoothly, I was buzzing with confidence and knew I could have a decent crack this year.
The whole first lap went really well for me, even with a bunch of rain to ensure the tracks remained slippery. The KX250X was feeling fast and the tracks were suiting my riding style really well. As with every 24 hour, we had a really great variety of terrain and different length sections to endure.By about 7pm we were back at main control for dinner after a solid lap with very minimal mistakes. The live timing was showing me in 2nd outright by only about 2 minutes and 2 of the best section times out of 12. I didn't realise at this point I had received a 300 point penalty for a missing reflector.
Lap 2
After a good feed and a little ice cream it was time to set out for another lap of pushing the pace into the dark. Some sections were certainly a little more slick in spots but still feeling really comfy on the bike I was able to put in some solid times and settle in. We had a lot less bad weather on this lap and we were beginning to dry out. The end of lap 2, my rear number plate and reflector snapped off in a muddy section and I received another 330 point penalty. However, I was still hanging on to 2nd place in the live timing.
Lap 3
Lap 3 started off ok, but I was beginning to feel fatigue from running such a fast pace the first 2 laps. I settled down a little to minimise any mistakes and then the rain came back, much worse than before. Some of the sections still really held up well and others were very difficult to navigate especially with other competitors becoming stuck on the tracks and bikes failing. By fuel stop 2 I was pushed back to 3rd outright in the live timing.
Section 9 was particularly wet and foggy, section 10 was now cancelled from the race. After a long wait at the beginning of section 11 I was ready to finish the lap strong and try to sneak back into 2nd. I made a really small mistake on a really slick, off camber hill and tipped over, getting stuck under my bike and unable to lift it off. I lost about 2 minutes getting going again and I decided not to refit my number plate at the light check because of the time lost already, now receiving another 330 points.
Lap 4
This is the lap that you can normally push through. The sunrise gives you a boost and you can nearly feel the finish, however this year we did not see the sun. We saw dark clouds and even more rain. The tracks got more treacherous and tricky. I was still riding quite well but not with the pace that I began the race with. A couple more small crashes caused by fatigue, I decided I need to settle into a safe pace and bring it to the finish. This time I refit my numberplate and reflector but unfortunately at the last light check my switch block had some water in it and my spotlight would not work - Thats another 300 points.
I rode into the finish glad to be finding some dry clothes and a beer! After my penalties were added to my times, I finished this years event in 12th outright which I am really disappointed with but my riding in the first 2 laps has never been better.
We will be back in 2027 ready to put in a solid 4 laps!
