Roydn Bailey will be contesting his first Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) round for the year after entering this month’s Loveday 400.
Serving as the fourth round of the 2023 AORC season, the Loveday 400 will see a collection of Australia’s best off road crews battle it out over 10 laps of the 40km course around the popular Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park.
Bailey himself has enjoyed a solid recent run in the AORC despite not having a full campaign since he finished runner-up in the 2019 season.
That year, Bailey was behind the wheel of a Can-Am and was highly consistent throughout the three-round season before switching to a Pro Buggy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Unfortunately, he has been unable to get to as many rounds as he would have hoped to and although it’s been a full year since the South Australian competed in the AORC, the recent transition to a pro buggy has been paying off.
“We have been doing some maintenance on this new car and have competed in some local events – basically getting it ready for Loveday, which we are really excited for,” Bailey said.
“Honestly, I am loving the upgrade. Even though it took me a while to get used to, especially when it comes to the speed and how the car behaves, I am really enjoying it.
“With that said, we made a few changes in the off season and I am happy with how it’s looking. Now it’s just about trying to change the heat management system but we’re really close.
“We’re currently focused on preventative maintenance and looking at different areas such as tyres, the C/V Joints and brakes – but we’ll definitely be at Loveday.”
While Loveday will be his first AORC event for the year, he undoubtedly knows the course well and could have a small chance of nabbing an outright podium, or even a win.
In 2022, Bailey managed to secure a class podium and finish inside the top 10 at Loveday – a feat he is looking to improve on come the end of the month and beyond.
“We have had a bit of a year off which is good for me as I have spent it getting the car to where I want it to be,” Bailey added.
“It’s been a couple years of transition but we’re happy and I think we can look at getting some stronger results in the near future – especially with plans to do the full championship next year.
“As for Loveday, the top 10 is our aim and we are confident we can do well this year – we are really looking forward to it.
“Loveday is our home event – there are good spectator points, the food is great and it’s just a good event.”
Entries for the Loveday 400 are still being accepted and can be done so here .
The 2023 Loveday 400 takes place at Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park on 28-30 July.
Photo: Bob Taylor
