I have just got home from the last round of the Australian Championships at Oran Park near Sydney with a big weight lifted off my shoulders after wrapping up the championship.

To win the Lazer Helmets Australian 250cc Production Championships in my first year in the class is just great, I can't explain how happy myself, the team and family are.

The meeting started off pretty well with me being 3rd quickest at the end of Friday practice.  We changed a few things on Friday night but struggled through qualifying on Saturday to end the day 7th fastest.  I was a little disappointed but I was still only three tenths of a second from third.

Prior to the first race I was as nervous as hell but somehow still managed to get a reasonable start and went into turn one around 4th.  Then all hell broke loose; Glenn Allerton, Russell Holland and Brent George came together with Allerton hitting the deck hard, followed by Allerton and Holland (my two nearest competitors for the championship) being knocked out of the major running.  I just took it easy for a 6th place finish.

At the end of the race I had a fair Idea I had won the championship, but wasn't sure.  As I came down pit lane two friends of mine, Peter Galvin and Rudi Muller, let me know and I couldn't believe it.

In race two I was out for a win with nothing to lose now that the Championship was all tied up.

I got a crap start and was about 10th at the end of lap 1, with yellow flags everywhere I couldn't get any further through the field. The flags were pulled in for a little while but then I crashed out.

Glenn Allerton went on to win the race and it was a top effort, that's the second weekend in a row where I have seen him take a tumble big enough to wipe him out of the weekend only to have him bounce back and win the second race. He is one of the toughest riders I have ever seen.

It was also good to see Liam Magee win the meeting, he has had a tough year since winning the first meeting of the year in Perth.

Sunday Night was HUGE!!!!! It was the biggest night out I have had for a long time, and I definitely didn't feel like driving home on Monday.

For the remainder of the year I will be riding A Yamaha R1 with Renapur leather backing, and I hope to have some good results.

I look forward to seeing you all at the GP.

Mick Kelly.

Thanks to: Renapur, Tecknic Gloves and Boots, METZELER tyres, JBD Racing, A&R Harmer, White Engineering, Monsons Honey, Mildura Motorcycles, Steve Gray Joinery, Noddy Riordans Paint and Panel and to all those other people that have supported me during the season