Classic Weekend 26 Wrap Up

2026 Ballards Offroad Conondale Classic Weekend

Brilliant winter sun, perfect tracks, and a sell-out field at Green Park on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

The 2026 Ballards Offroad Conondale Classic Weekend presented by Rat Racing was blessed with brilliant winter sun, perfect tracks, and a sell-out rider field ready to enjoy the best tracks in Australia at Green Park on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Friday was an epic kick off with the paddock filling fast, epic bikes rolled off the back of utes, and campfires lit up across the venue while cold beers were cracked. The afternoon featured Dirt Action's Built To Ride Bike Build Competition presented by MXstore, where riders showed off their bikes before taking them on the tracks Saturday and Sunday.

Built to Ride featured an incredible turnout of entrants, making it hard to pick the winners across five categories because there were so many awesome machines. Big congratulations to all bike builders who put a huge amount of effort into all their builds and ripped laps all weekend!

Ballards Offroad Best Artisan Bike Build: Craig Riddle's Honda CR340 Mugen replica.

Pro Circuit Best Factory Replica: Russell "Rusty" Williamson's Kawasaki 85' KX 500.

Rat Racing Best Stock Resto: Greg Allen's 74' Hodaka 100MX.

Motul Best Survivor: Mark Barnes's 74' Husqvarna 400CR.

Axiom Moto-X Best Farm Bike: Brock Kenneth's 91' Yamaha DT175.

Geoff Ballard hosted a Q&A with legend Glen Bell, one of Australia's all-time great motocross riders, and his previous race bike, the XR654, which was kicked over for the first time in 29 years after being on display at a Bathurst Museum before arriving at Conondale. The sound of the pipe and engine was incredible, getting everyone excited.

A push-up competition went down for a signed Glen Bell Ballards Tee Shirt between die-hard fans for entertainment and a bit of fun. The next day, Geoff took the old XR654 for a spin, and it started first kick!

"It felt a bit foreign, the tyres were shot because they're rock hard and 29 years old, but it was a good experience. There were a million reasons why it shouldn't run, so it was great to get a few laps in at Conondale."

The inaugural Husky Muster saw 60 vintage Husqvarna motorcycles gathered with a range of prizes drawn for participating riders and owners of the brilliant bikes, something cool that we look forward to seeing grow and come back bigger and better next year!

Ride Time

Saturday was all about tracks and cutting laps. Two-stroke smoke filled the valley, while the colours, noise and smiles filled the paddock.

The Pirelli Trials area had a range of technical courses pegged out, log jumps and creek side trails to twist and bend around, with demo bikes available to test out your own skills, not to mention a great spot to swim at if you were brave enough!

The moto gods were shining, as the conditions were the best we'd seen at the Classic in five or more years. The FIST Handwear vinduro loops were all-time chocolate-cake single trail, with not a speck of dust in sight. There was an easy loop for the cruisers, and many longer, harder breakout options for riders wanting more of a challenge. Monster hillclimbs tested the best, and the smiles on the dials of riders coming in from a loop said it all — the froth was high!

The Maico at Chippy's Grass Track was in prime form thanks to the huge effort of the club, which kept it watered throughout the weekend. On the track, it was all about twisting the throttle and sliding the rear end. Happy days all round!

The Dirtlab EVO track was the best yet, and there were more than a few wishing they had twin shocks so they could get a taste of it. The fast-flowing track, with some serious downhill sections, tested what suspension the older bikes possessed.

Last but not least was the Ballards Off-Road Pre-95 MX Track, where things got a bit more serious. Bigger jumps, bigger bumps and some slick corners to catch you off guard. The pace was high, and more than a few egos got bruised as there was always someone faster than yourself leaving you in their roost.

On Show

The Dirtlab Show N Shine was an epic turnout, once again filling the Village with meticulously crafted bike builds from around the country on display. Luckily, judges Mick Jaeger, Andrew Martin and Howard Cox did a fantastic job deliberating this year's winners.

Pre 1978

1st — CR125M 1974 by David Press

2nd — Red Frontera 1975 by Steve Parry

3rd — 400 Cross 1970 by Wayne Goodfellow

Pre 1995

1st — 1989 RM250 by Eden Wilson

2nd — 1984 KTM MX495 by Adam Smith

3rd — 1980 CR250RZ by Craig Riddle

Modified Award

1st — 1979 CCM by Peter Kendall

Mini Bike Award

1st — Wayne Goodfellow with his XR75 1976

Beers, band and bonfire lit up, and the raffle draws were running fast with the major prize of a Yamaha 1993 YZ125 and the MXoN auction raising $1200 for the Aussie team to defend their title, plus the Spangle Drongo Best Dressed Awards got everyone looking incredible in their best vintage outfits.

Sunday was again a beautiful day, with a slow start on the tracks and mint conditions, ensuring riders still had a ton of fun on their vintage dirt bikes. Another year run and done, great to see the old legends and young crew out enjoying Green Park Conondale, what it's built for, riding!

Thank You

Massive thanks to the SCMCC team for hosting yet another awesome and safe event for the riding community that we all love to be part of. Special thanks to this year's Classic Weekend sponsors: Ballard's Off Road, Go the Rat, Dirtlab, Fist Handwear, MXstore, Scrambler MX, Maico at Chippy's, Pirelli, Motul, TCX Boots, Chilli Bins, Printcraft, Kustom MX, Tool Kit Depot Gympie, Axiommotox, Heaps Normal, 3BT - Big Boys Big Toys, Spent Group, Spangled Drongo Brewing, Pacific Concrete Pumping, Vintco, Pro Circuit, Carmart, Dirt Action.

Stay tuned for next year as the SCMCC celebrates their 50-year anniversary of hosting MX events at the venue, a special celebration is on the way! See you next year!