The seventh and eighth rounds of the 2011 Yamaha Australian Off Road Championship, originally scheduled to be held at Mt Seaview NSW, will now be held at the Hastings Valley Motorcycle Raceway near Port Macquarie this Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September due to last minute venue specification issues.

Both rounds, to be held in conjunction with the New South Wales Senior and Junior State Enduro Championships, will now be Sprint Format rounds and entries will remain unchanged.

2011 AORC Series Co-ordinator Denise Hore said that while it is disappointing to have to switch from the original venue, Event Promoter Mick Prott from Off Road Promotions has worked tirelessly to ensure the rounds can still go ahead.

“I appreciate the serious amount of time, effort and money that Mick has invested preparing the original venue for rounds seven and eight,” Ms Hore said.

“While it is obviously disappointing to have to change venues at this late stage, I greatly appreciate Mick’s efforts in securing and setting up an alternate venue at the midnight hour.”

Mr Prott said that while he is disappointed to have to move the event, he is confident that racing will return to Mt Seaview for many years to come and is seeking advice to ensure this happens.

“I would like to thank Hastings Valley Motorcycle Club and Motorcycle NSW for their support of the event,” said Prott.

Despite the venue change, it is all systems go for a spectacular weekend of Off Road racing. Local Port Macquarie rider Chris Hollis will enter the event on a Championship leading 122 points after putting in another solid performance during rounds five and six earlier last month. Hollis will be hotly tailed by Stefan Merriman on 108 points and Jarrod Bewley on 106 points.

Young Tasmanian gun Matt Phillips enters the weekend in fourth, and will be looking to consolidate his line honour round five and six performances and haul his way up the ladder ahead of the penultimate rounds in October, while reigning Champ Toby Price is in doubt for the weekend after picking up an injury during the sixth round.

Hollis, who is in stellar form after bringing home silver at the Australian Four Day Enduro earlier this year, was happy with his performance in the previous rounds and is looking forward to racing at home.

“Rounds five and six last month were very eventful,” Hollis said.

“Phillips carried on his form from the International Six Day Enduro in Finland earlier this year. Price was really fast but had one of those weekends he would rather forget. For me, I wanted to get through the weekend with no mistakes. Sand is one of my weak spots, so I was happy with my performance.”

“The next round at the Hastings Valley Motorcycle Club will be a great race – plus I can sleep in my own bed, which is a bonus!” Hollis said.

“There is still a long way to go in the series and anything can happen. There are three guys that are riding really well, so anyone could win the next few rounds.”

This weekend will be the second last in the ten round series, with the deciding rounds scheduled for Salisbury, NSW on October second the third.