THIS weekend is set to be a big one for Macarthur’s Lachlan Hill, as he contests the Classic Bike Festival Ireland, at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit in Downpatrick.

The 50-year-old made his international debut at Austria’s Red Bull Ring in 2022, leading to this weekend’s appearance at the invite-only race.

Hill rides for Ron Angel Racing, and has relied on Youtube to learn the track, with the two-day event giving an advantage to local riders.

“We are racing both days, but there is qualifying and practice on Saturday morning and then racing Saturday afternoon,” he said.

“So I have been watching a bit of Youtube to get my head around the track.

“I qualified on pole at Red Bull Ring and I didn’t know that track, so it will be a bit of an uphill battle.

“When you qualify, that position will be for the rest of the weekend.

“The qualifying for the bikes is important, but when we are on a bike, we have a much better opportunity to get to the front, compared to car racing.”

A renowned 2-Stroke specialist and 2012 Australian 125GP champion, Hill will contest the GP250 class.

“It is a classic meeting, so bikes up to about 1990 two-stroke bikes,” Hill said.

“That is what I have specialised in, I have raced pretty much everything, but two-stroke GP bikes are really satisfying to ride.”

With more than 25 years of racing experience, the opportunity to race again in Europe came after strong performances in Austria.

“I actually got invited over to Ireland when I was in Austria, so it just opens up other opportunities,” Hill said.

“Because of the results in Austria, the organisers were there and asked if I could come over to the other side of Europe.”

The Macarthur farmer typically races four or five big meets a year with some additional practice inbetween, with this weekend another opportunity to impress on the world stage.

“I have got to learn the track and compete against the locals, they found me a really good team and all the racing gear is supplied,” Hill said.

“We always like to win, we like to have fun, but we like to win

“The team I am riding for is one of the top teams, apart from that, no pressure at all.

“We will be doing well to be up the front.”

It will also be Hill’s first time to the UK, with he and wife, Louise, set to spend a bit of extra time there after the weekend.

“One thing I’ve found is you meet the best people, motorcycle racers come from all walks of life, and to just have that similar passion, it is amazing how many good people you can meet,” Hill said.