Gillman Sidecar Championship this Saturday night
Gillman Media 23 November 2023
The first of the this season’s championship meetings — the Chook’s Custom Grafix Gillman Sidecar Championship — takes place this Saturday night, 25 November, weather permitting!
The weather forecast is for rain over the next few days, but at the time of publishing the main day is Friday, so everything should be good to go on Saturday night. In the event Saturday night is rained off, the restaging will be on Sunday at 1pm to give the interstate riders — Adam Wenn and Jonah Sita from WA, and Rick Stephens and Max Howse from NSW — the chance to ride before heading home for work.
Rick Stephens, and local passenger Nick O’Brien, are one of only two teams competing who have previously won the title. The other teams is Shane Rudloff/Damian Egan, so either one of those two teams will win a second title, or there will be a first time winner’s name on the honour board.
Stephens and Rudloff will both have their supporters but the title really is wide open with any number of potential winners.
Amongst the other favourites are Shane Hudson/Mitchell Spear, Max Howse/April Cottrell, Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan and Nate Headland/Jaxon Rayner.
Howse and Menadue finished second and third respectively behind Stephens when he won the title in 2021, and Menadue was unbeaten in the opening meeting a fortnight ago, while Hudson is the current Australia #4. He’s without regular passenger Adam Constable, but Mitchell Spear is a very experienced passenger, and even a talented rider who would give the title a shake if he had the sponsorship support to ride.
Nate Headland was last season’s best first year rider, capping his debut season with victory in the Paintmaster SA Sidecar Cup at the final meeting, but Josh Pascoe also had a very impressive debut season and now has former SA Champion passenger Greg Black on board.
Other SA teams are Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski, Stephen Fowler/Jeremy Sherwood, Thomas Adams/Jason Mordaunt and Byron Mordaunt/William Lepoidevin. All are capable of taking points off the more fancied riders but may not have the consistency to put enough points together to make the final, although Silvy is a former championship runner-up.
The WA riders are making their first interstate appearances but both have had good results this season on their home track. Adam Wenn/Shayne Crowhurst finished second in the Sidecar Stampede in October, and Jonah Sita/Jamie Forrest finished second in the Sidecar final at the most recent Pinjar Park meeting (with Wenn third).
Support events will be 500cc Solos, Flat Track Solos, 250cc Solos and 125cc Junior Solos.
In the 500cc Solos, International rider Brayden McGuinness, Liam May and Sam Martin are making their first appearances of the season in preparation for the following meeting’s SA Championship. Former Gillman Solo Champion Martin is now driving Sprintcars but is also doing a few nights on the Solo at Gillman when his sprintcar schedule allows.
A surprise entry in the Flat Track Solos is former international Solo rider Aaron Summers, who has recently returned to live in Adelaide after 15 years of living and racing in Great Britain. With his extensive speedway experience Summers will be a favourite to reach the six-rider final along with Liam May, Jake Mitchell, Roy Stout and Rohan Clark. Mitchell is another welcome addition. A former Solo rider he was one of the star Flat Trackers but hasn’t ridden at Gillman for over 18 months.
The meeting will be livestreamed through the website link [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv]. Cost $25. Please note this is the only official livestreaming link, any others touted on facebook sites are scams and should be ignored.
Everything You Need To Know:
Meeting Date: Saturday, 25 November 2023
Venue: Gillman Speedway Stadium, 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Parking and entrance: Patrons can enter via gates at the western and eastern ends of the venue. There are free off-street parking areas near both gates.
Gates open: at 4.00pm.
Pit access for spectators: Free spectator access to the pits until approximately 6.15pm.
Racing starts: at 7 pm.
Riders:
Sidecars — Chook’s Grafix Gillman Championship: Thomas Adams/Jason Mordaunt, Nathan Fleet/Cameron Diwell (OUT), Stephen Fowler/Jeremy Sherwood, Nate Headland/Jaxon Rayner, Max Howse/April Cottrell (NSW/Vic), Shane Hudson/Mitchell Spear, Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan, Byron Mordaunt/William Lepoidevin, Josh Pascoe/Greg Black, Shane Rudloff/Damian Egan, Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski, Jonah Sita/Jamie Forrest (WA), Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien (NSW/SA), Adam Wenn/Shayne Crowhurst (WA)
Solos 500cc : Sam Martin, Liam May, Brayden McGuinness, Teagan Pedler, Shaun Sampson.
Solos Flat Track : Richard Bunting, Rohan Clark, Dale Knights, Troy Knights, Greg Laanekorb, Liam May, Stuart McKenzie, Jake Mitchell, Shannon Paech, Matt Paterson, Roy Stout, Kristy Schultz, Grant Stephen, Aaron Summers, Con Twist, Adam Wright, Mingyu Zhao.
Solos Under 16 250cc : Harry Sadler, Darcey Timmis
Juniors on the infield track during the main track grades : Under 16 125cc Solos : Owen Chapman, Ruby Chapman, Hayden Kuchel (out), Riley Stout. Under 16 125cc Solo Novices : Nate Sadler, Jett Plaisted. 50cc Solos : Kolby Schultz.
No 6pm juniors at this meeting.
Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children Under 16 free. Parking free. Souvenir programme $5-includes chances to win $50 fuel vouchers. EFTPOS available at both entrances, the canteen, bar and souvenir shop.
Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only.
Livestreaming: This meeting will be livestreamed on [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv]. The cost is $25 Australian. Any other claimed links to livestreaming are scams and should be ignored.
Seating: Free grandstand seating, large grassed viewing mounds, and terracing suitable for deck chairs.
VIP Area: The Bob White VIP area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view in the stadium. Enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled rooms, on the timber deck, or on the enclosed lawn area. The VIP area also has its own bar and toilet. Ring Ivan Golding on 0417 138 378 for more details.
Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, hamburgers, chicken burgers, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chiko Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. “Gillman has far and away the best speedway tucker” [Peter White’s Speedway World]
Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue.
Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop. See the “A Night At Gillman” tab.
Pets: No animals are allowed into the venue except assistance animals, eg guide dogs.
Weather Forecast as at 23 November: Maximum 20, minimum 14. Cloudy, high chance of showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon.
[www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml]
Directions:
The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road.
If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.
From the northern suburbs, travel down the Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.
From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.
For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 20kms, and 30 minutes’ drive (depending on traffic lights) from the airport.
The easiest and most direct way from the airport, if not going to your accommodation first is:
On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airport grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road (you can only turn left). Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. Go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road, over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right onto Bedford Street. Keep going on that road until you get to the speedway. About 2km.
Accommodation: There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels.
Contact for this meeting: Ivan Golding 0417 138 378.