Arlo Bugeja, Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding are the President’s Trophy winners at Gillman - March 2014

March 9, 2014 by Gillman Media

Arlo Bugeja (Solo) and Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding (Sidecar) were the winners of the President’s Trophy races at Gillman Speedway last night, and in both cases they had to come from behind to win the finals.

Robert Branford easily won the start of the Solo final, and given his outstanding form this season he looked a good bet to win, but Arlo Bugeja rode around him going through turn three then pulled away to win comfortably from Branford, with Robert Medson third and Seth Hickey fourth.

A win by Bugeja looked anything but likely after the first heat in which he was in last place until he passed Chris Ferguson on the last lap to finish third behind Medson and Branford. Branford was the top scorer in the heats with 11 from a possible 12, followed by Bugeja on 9, Medson 8, Hickey 5 and Garry Fischer 3. The massively unlucky Ferguson failed to score. After looking a likely finalist after a good showing in his first ride, he fell starting his bike in the pits for his second ride and dislocated his shoulder.

Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding went through the card unbeaten in the Sidecars. Arron Hartwig/Teagan Hartwig were also unbeaten in their first four rides before meeting Mitchell in the final heat, heat 20. Heat 20 not only brought together the two unbeaten riders but also the top four scorers, with Rob Patterson/Brenton Kerr and Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear (both 10 points) the other riders in the race.

Prior to the final heat however there was about an hour delay after Ron Parker/Derick Thomas crashed in heat 19. It was a simple enough crash, Parker spun the bike in turn four, it then started running backwards towards the fence before tipping over throwing Parker and Thomas to the ground. Unfortunately Thomas was knocked unconscious and when he came too there was concern he’d damaged a vertebra in his neck, hence the lengthy delay before he was taken to hospital.

The prospect of seeing the two unbeaten riders clash in the next heat was enough to keep most of the crowd at the track, but in a major anti-climax, Hartwig touched the tapes and was excluded. In his absence Mitchell came from last place to complete his maximum and Patterson won a close race with Niesche for second place and consequently the third direct qualifying place in the final behind Mitchell and Hartwig.

The semi-final was won by Niesche ahead of Kym Menadue/Anthony Schulz — with Daniel Puddy/Luke Puddy (lost passenger) and Jason Hardy/Gaz Williams (infield) both excluded — to set up a repeat of heat 20 for the final.

This time Hartwig made no mistake and raced to the early lead, but Mitchell went around him on the second lap and won a close race from Hartwig with Niesche third and Patterson fourth.