Australian Sidecar Champions at Gillman Speedway Saturday night
Gillman Media 24 March 2025
The only riders to win the Australian Speedway Sidecar Championships over the last twelve years, and the four finalists last season — Darrin Treloar, Justin Plaisted, Mark Plaisted and Trent Headland — will go head-to-head in the final meeting of the season — the Paintmaster SA FIM Oceania Sidecar Championship — at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway this Saturday night (29 March).
Darrin Treloar’s record in the sport is known by everyone, he has been the most successful rider of all-time, winning the Australian Championship twelve times, including four with current passenger Blake Cox. Among Treloar’s other huge list of championship wins are also three FIM Oceania Championships.
Mark Plaisted and Ben Pitt have also won the Oceania Championship three times and won three Australian Championships in a row before Treloar/Cox regained the title last season.
Trent Headland and Justin Plaisted are both former Australian champions who have been in good form again this season. Headland finished third behind Mark Plaisted and Treloar in the Oceania Championship twelve months ago, and this season has won the New South Wales Championship and the Jim Irwin Cup, and finished second (behind Mark Plaisted) in the Gillman Sidecar Spectacular and the South Australian Championship.
Justin Plaisted won the Gillman Sidecar Masters back in October but missed a large part of the season with injury before returning at the last meeting to win the Bob White Cup.
With Treloar, Headland and both Plaisteds regarded as the top four riders in Australia today, it is hard to imagine they won’t all make it through to a block-buster final, and probably a preview of this season’s Australian Championship to be held in Bowen, Queensland next month, but behind them the field is wide open with riders ready to take advantage if any of the top four should falter.
Amongst the leading challengers are current Queensland Champions Tyler Moon and Adam Lovell, who have been regular finalists in their appearances at Gillman this season, Rick Stephens (with Jeremy Sherwood this meeting) who was runner-up to Headland in the NSW Championship, and to Justin Plaisted in the Bob White Cup a fortnight ago, and Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan who were finalists in the Oceania Championship last season.
Others in the line-up are the first three from the recent Bowes Family Sidecar Cup, Thomas Adams/Campbell Stafford, Shane Rudloff/Damian Egan and Malcolm German/Cameron White, current WA#2 Jonah Sita/Jamie Forrest, Josh Pascoe/Ayrton Canning, Byron Mordaunt/Kate Barnes, Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski, Stephen Saunders/Isaac Mitchell and William Walker/Liam Sherwood.
Gates will open at 4pm, and the meeting will start at 7 pm with the Paintmaster SA $1000 One Lap Flying Dash for Cash before the Oceania heats. There will also be support events for the Sidecar reserves and 125cc Junior Solos.
The 24/25 Speedway Riders Association raffle, with a first prize of $2500 worth of travel vouchers (ideal to cover a trip to Bowen for the Australian Sidecar Championship) will also be drawn during the evening.
For those that can’t attend, the meeting will be livestreamed through the website link [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv] for a cost of $30. As always 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, 29 March 2025
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 pm.
Pit access for spectators: Free spectator access to the pits until approximately 6 pm.
Racing starts: at 7 pm. Paintmaster SA $1000 Dash for Cash at 7 pm, then Oceania Championship heats.
Competitors:
2025 FIM Oceania Sidecar Championship: Thomas Adams/Campbell Stafford (OUT 26/3/2025)...Simon Cohrs/Cameron Diwell (Vic)...Malcolm German/Cameron White (Vic/SA)...Trent Headland/Jaxon Rayner (SA)…Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan (SA)... Tyler Moon/Adam Lovell (Qld)...Byron Mordaunt/Kate Barnes (SA/Vic)...Josh Pascoe/Ayrton Canning (SA)...Justin Plaisted/Brian Anthony (SA)...Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt (SA/Vic)...Shane Rudloff/Damian Egan (SA)...Stephen Saunders/Isaac Mitchell (NSW)…Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski (SA)... Jonah Sita/Jamie Forrest (WA)…Rick Stephens/Jeremy Sherwood (NSW/SA)...Darrin Treloar/Blake Cox (NSW)…William Walker/Liam Sherwood (SA). Reserves: 1. Darcy Risstrom/Jake Doyle (Vic)... 2. Matthew Binns/Jake Armstrong (Vic)... 3. Joshua Kerr/Scott Cameron (Vic).
Juniors (on the infield track during the main track grades): 125cc Solos: Owen Chapman, Cooper Karpinski, Ryleigh McGregor, William Nicol, Jett Plaisted, Nate Sadler, Koby Smith, Riley Stout. 250cc Sidecar demonstrations: Tilo Schultz/Riley Edson.
Admission: Adults $30, Age Pension and Student Concession $25, Children Under 16 free. Parking free. Programme $5-includes two 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 $30 Australian. Any other claimed links to livestreaming are scams and should be ignored.
Seating: Free grandstand seating, terracing suitable for deck chairs, and large grassed viewing mounds.
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.
Smoking, Vaping: by Government legislation, no smoking or vaping allowed at this 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 24 March: Maximum 32, minimum 17. Mostly sunny [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.