Trot Rods revved up for return

The high-octane Trot Rods series will make its exhilarating return to Redcliffe this evening. 

Staged over six weeks, the series will take place over the unique 947-metre distance – one of the shortest in the world – with a $10,000 cash bonus and Otto Tuza 3 horse float on offer for the quickest lap across the 20 heats. 

Throughout April and May, ‘The Triangle’ will host weekly heats each Wednesday, culminating in a finale night on Wednesday May 29, with 10 Trot Rods races to be showcased on a dedicated SKY 2 broadcast. 

The fifth iteration of the series, which has become synonymous for its innovative broadcast enhancements, will again utilise concepts including driver cam, drone race footage, a time-to-beat line and caller-to-driver audio. 

Recent enhancements include the addition of telemetry to live driver cam footage and a time-to-beat chicklet to the virtual track positioning graphic. 

Racing Queensland Senior Racing Manager – Harness David Brick said that the Trot Rods series aims to showcase the sport to a broader demographic outside of its usual audience. 

“As we enter the series’ fifth year, we are pleased to see its support from both participants and punters remain strong both in Queensland and nation-wide,” he said. 

“In recent years, the series has provided us a great testing ground for new initiatives and enhancements, as we continue to explore new products and ways of presentation to engage new fans.” 

In 2023, the fastest lap time was broken on no less than five occasions over the six-week series, as both Trent Moffat and Angus Garrard combined with Vanity Bay to stop the clock at 63.8 seconds in the 17^th heat. 

That time was unable to eclipse the 2022 record of Just Dessy, whose 63.46-second hot lap remains as the fastest time recorded in the series’ history. 

Queensland’s contingent of drivers will again be led by the nation’s reigning premiership winner Nathan Dawson, fresh off becoming only the second Australian to pilot 400 winners in a season.

They will face off against an invited challenger on the final night, with New Zealand legend Anthony Butt locked in to make the trip north.

The remaining drivers will be selected via a public vote to be unveiled in the coming weeks. 

A live draft – televised live via SKY 2 on May 27 from 7pm – will give each of the five drivers the opportunity to select their own horse across each heat for the feature final evening. 

The draft order – determined by a random ballot – provides each driver with two opportunities to select first, second, third, fourth and fifth. 

Redcliffe Harness Racing Club President Bernie Ring said he was looking forward to welcoming everyone over the course of the series. 

“Trot Rods is one of the highlights on the Redcliffe racing calendar, and we are proud to see it return again in 2024,” he said.

“It’s an exciting time for our Club with Trot Rods returning as we also build towards the Queensland Constellations where we will again see Redcliffe take centre stage. 

“Recently, we also unveiled the Club’s new LED lighting project, which will ensure The Triangle shines bright on the national stage.” 

The maximum field size throughout the promotion will again be limited to five, with an emergency to be drawn.

Click here for more information on Trot Rods.