The motorcycle racing spotlight shifts to Queensand from June 6-8 when the 2025 Hell Team TRS & Integrated Products Australian Trial Championship is held in Meringandan West, just north of Toowoomba.
The championship is always a highlight on the national calendar, as raw speed is set aside for technical prowess, balance, patience and improvisation as riders challenge themselves against the clock and natural elements.
It’s relentless, high-pressure competition – and a delight for spectators who can admire the guile and precision of the competitors at close quarters.
One rider who has displayed those attributes over the last two decades is Kyle Middleton (NSW), who returns in 2025 as he looks to reclaim the Trial1 title which Connor Hogan (SA) won in 2024.
Hogan’s victory snapped Middleton’s Trial1 winning streak dating way back to 2013, so the scene is set for another spicy battle in 2025 – but it will be by no means a duopoly.
The 10-rider Trial1 field also includes multiple Australian champions Kevin Zarczynski (NSW) and Colin Zarczynski (NSW) – who won their first titles in 1997 and 2004 respectively – as well as perennial contenders Chris Bayles (Tas) and Neil Price (WA).
Another veteran, Trevor Campbell (Vic), is back in the top tier after finishing second in Trial2 last year, while the youngest competitor will be 17-year-old Benjamin Walling (WA).
Of the top brass, Hogan is probably the most battle-hardened after just coming off a career-high finish in the 2025 Scottish Six Days Trial, as well as competing in a few rounds of the Trial2 world title.
Hogan, Colin Zarczynski and Bayles will all represent Motorcycling Australia at the 2025 Trial des Nations in Italy.
Thirteen other classes will compete on the ‘Erinvale’ property in Meringandan West over the weekend, where 27 brand new sections have been created by the event promoter, Moto Trials Queensland, to push the riders to the limits.
Four riders will be looking to go back-to-back – Hector Pinto (WA, 7-U11 Junior), Dean Nuttall (Vic, Masters 35+), Jake Farnham (Qld, Trial4) and Steve Johnson (Vic, Veteran 55+) – while there’s a standout in the open women’s field: seasoned campaigner and former Aussie TdN representative Michelle Coleman (NSW).
The 45-year-old was just pipped by Jenna Lupo (Tas) in 2024 after leading at the halfway mark, so a third Aussie title could be on the cards if she maintains her composure.
Lupo won’t be competing in the 2025 Australian Trial Championship, but we’ll see her at the TdN later in the year alongside debutante Alisha Harry (SA) who’s in the Youth class this weekend.
Meanwhile, 2013 women’s national champion and last year’s bronze medallist, Kaitlyn Cummins (NSW), will be competing in the Trial3 title at Erinvale.
The full list of classes for the 2025 Hell Team TRS & Integrated Products Australian Trial Championship is:
- Trial 1
- Trial2
- Trial3
- Trial4
- Trial5 (non-championship)
- Junior Open
- Junior 7-U11 years
- Masters 35+ years
- Twin Shock
- Classic
- Veteran 40-55 years
- Veteran 55+ years
- Women’s
- Youth
Championships will also be held for state, trade and club teams.
Riders will follow colour-coded sections at Erinvale depending on their championship classification – for the Trial1 riders it’s a green course – while a 90-second time limit will apply for each section.
Sections will be open from 9:30am-4:30pm on Saturday and 9am-4pm on Sunday, with entry free for spectators. The address is 393 Willis Road, Meringandan West.