THE big names keep coming as entries for the 2020 Master of Mac Park continue to roll in.
Arthur Sissis is the latest announcement and he brings with him a professional team and plenty of confidence.
The 25-year-old Australian has no shortage of motorcycle experience and has shown his talent on a bike from a young age.
He rode in the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2011 and finished second in the championship, following a successful junior speedway bike career where he had won the Australian Championship three times by the age of 15.
In 2011 Sissis earned his first Moto3 Grand Prix start in the 125cc class and in 2012 he lined up against the likes of Jack Miller, Alex Marquez and Maverick Vinales in the Moto3 World Championship riding for the factory-backed Red Bull KTM Ajo team.
A highlight of his 2012 season was a podium finish in front of a home crowd at Phillip Island.
He remained with the Red Bull team in 2013, before a shift in 2014 to Mahindra Racing.
From there he made the decision to return to speedway in 2015 and raced for the Sheffield Tigers in the British SGB Premiership.
Currently he is back in his home country and competes in the Australian Superbike Championship and now has his eyes set on the Master of Mac Park title.
Mount Gambier Motorcycle Club committee member Andrew Vause believed Stissis was a major contender for this year’s event and would be one of the highest calibre entries to ride the track in decades.
“He last came to Mac Park in 2018 on an older model bike that was not well set up, but with his pure talent managed to win the 2018 Master of Mac,” Vause said.
“This time he will have the latest spec 1000cc bike plus all his crew making it the most professional team to come to Mac Park since the late 1970’s.”
Stissis has already been out to the track for testing and clocked an impressive lap time of 1.08.2 a few weeks ago.
“Talking with Arthur he told me he has got two goals at this year’s Master of Mac – one is to win it and the other is to smash the lap record possibly into the one minute seven second bracket,” Vause said.
It certainly adds some intrigue to this year’s event, which despite a South Australia exclusive field due to COVID-19, already has a strong list of entries, including reigning title holder and current South Australian Superbike champion William Strugnell.
“With other big names indicating they also want to come to the Master of Mac in racing terms it is going to be on,” Vause said.
“Nobody who likes super fast motorcycle racing would want to miss this looming battle.”
