Gracey Hemstreet makes history at Red Bull Hardline Maydena
Sunshine Coast racer thrives in Tasmania
Photo by:
Graeme Murray / Red Bull Content Pool
Gracey Hemstreet made her first Red Bull Hardline appearance on Saturday and quickly set about making history. The Sunshine Coast, B.C. racer became the first female rider to complete a full race run on a Hardline course.
Hemstreet was one of two female riders qualifying for Hardline finals in Maydena. Louise Ferguson (Intense Factory Racing) joined the Norco racer in finals, out of a high-profile qualifying start list that included Tahnée Seagrave, Harriet Burbidge-Smith, Hannah Bergemann and Cami Nogueira.
Hemstreet was the first rider to drop in for finals and put down a clean run, hitting the 10+ metre drop and looking smooth over the 70-foot finish line canyon gap. Her finish time, 3:56.586, would hold as the days fastest women’s time.
Ferguson was up next. While the big features weren’t an issue, two dusty berms caught out the Intense racer. Fergusun battled through two crashes to join Hemstreet as the only women to finish a Hardline course in the series’ 10-year history.
With her run, Hemstreet earned the BF Goodrich Rider of the Week award for the Maydena event.
The two-stop Red Bull Hardline series now takes a few months off. The series returns to its home in Wales for the second and final event of the year at the start of July.
If you missed Saturday’s racing, the full replay is available on Red Bull TV.
