Kade was second in the 50cc, 7-9 years and Ryder, also second on a 65cc machine in the 9-11 years division.

The young Goulburn Motorcycle Club members were part of the NSW representative team that placed third overall in the week of racing. Queensland won the competition with Victoria placing second.

The competition had an international flavour, too, with riders from New Zealand, Estonia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Going into the national competition, Ryder had already placed second in the Victorian State Championships in the 9-11 years 65cc and 85cc classes, and was the NSW 65cc Champion.

Kayde had won both the NSW and Victorian 50cc 7-9 years Championships. He was also second in the NSW 65cc class for his age.

The week of the championships was the same week that South Australia copped the massive storms that blacked out the state. The competition was into its fourth day when the storm hit.

Even though the Riverlands Motorcycle Club track was not affected by the power outage because they had an independent generator system, racing had to be called off early because of the wind making it too dangerous for riders to control their bikes when airborne.

Lightning also added to the risks.

On the Wednesday night, when the Kingsfords got back to their caravan park accommodaiton, it was in darkness.

All they could do was heat dinner on a gas cooker and eat by torchlight, then go straight to bed.

“There was no hot water for showers, so it was rather an early night,” Mrs Kingsford said.

“The next day racing had to be called off and the competition extended an extra day as the track was unfit for racing.

“Pumps had to be used to remove water from waterlogged parts of the track. Organisers did a fantastic job of preparing the track for the final two days of racing.

“The boys now have a bit of a break from racing and next year they will be in the same age division as each other and their rivalry will really be tested.”