South Australian sidecar ace Barry Buckley is Australia’s most successful Junior sidecar racer – based on the top three overall results in each class at the Australian Championships between 1953 and 2000.

Buckley, who won six Australian Junior Sidecar titles between 1973-1982, was the clear winner. He finished on top with 25 points – nine points ahead of another SA sidecar legend Murray Williams (16), who won four Junior titles between 1966 and 1972.

Victorians Bernard Mueller and Robert Duke finished equal third on nine points, winning three Championships in the eighties. They tied with fellow Victorian George Murphy, who won two titles in 1959-60 and earlier placed at the country’s first two National titles in ‘53 and ‘54.

At first, the Junior Sidecar class was for machines up to 750cc capacity, which was reduced to 650cc in the seventies, then 500cc in the eighties when the lightweight two-stroke machines were dominant.

Buckley won three successive Junior titles between 1980 to 1982 with passengers Russell Elmi (1980-81) and David Ahola (1982). He took out his first Junior title in 1973 with Randy Harris in the chair, then won the 1977 title with Randy’s younger brother Chris.

Incredibly, Buckley finished eleven times on the winner’s podium in this class alone, finishing third at Wallan in 1972 on a Jawa with Randy Harris.  After winning his first Australian Championship on a Jawa at Wallan (NSW) in 1973, Buckley briefly switched to a CCM engine before his successful move to Yamahas, later adding this engine to a British WASP chassis.  

Sponsored by Pitmans Yamaha, Buckley won back-to-back Junior Sidecar Championships with Chris Harris at Acusa Park (SA, 1977) and Russell Elmi  at Broadford (VIC, 1978).

All Junior Sidecar Championships were held between 1953 to 1990, on one day, with Victorians Trevor Anthony – Mark Weir winning the last event at the Monza Park Circuit, in Ballarat, Victoria.