Close finish in Bowes Family Cup final, surprise winners

Gillman Media 9 February 2025

Bowes Family Cup Final. Malcolm German/Cameron White (blue), Shaen Rudloff/Damian Egan (red), Tom Adams/Campbell Stafford (white). Photo by Judy Mackay.

The riders fittingly saved the best for last in the Bowes Family Sidecar Cup at Gillman Speedway last night, with a surprise winner and just 0.74 of a second separating first from third.

Despite a disappointing bike count and further attrition during the night there was some close racing during the night but at the end of the heats one team stood out as the favourites for the final.

Shane Rudloff, who has missed most of the season after passenger Scott Morris was injured in October, paired up with one of his former passengers, Damian Egan, and rode Tyler Moon’s bike to a convincing maximum, winning each of his heats relatively easily and in the fastest times of the night.

Joining them as direct qualifiers for the final were Malcolm German/Cameron White, who were only beaten by Rudloff/Egan in the final heat, and Tom Adams/Campbell Stafford, who were only beaten by Rudloff/Egan and German/White.

The five-rider Semi-Final saw an all-the-way win by Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy ahead of Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski, Byron Mordaunt/Jarrad Katzorke, Willy Walker/Liam Sherwood and Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds.

Earlier Mordaunt/Katzorke and Lethbridge/Simounds opened the meeting in fine style with just 0.007 of a second between them at the finish, although Lethbridge/Simounds were excluded from second place after accidental contact earlier in the race.

Draw for the final was Rudloff/Egan in red, German/White blue, Adams/Stafford white and Silvy/Silvy yellow.

When Rudloff/Egan won the jump from the tapes it looked like it could be race over, but German/White switched to the inside and they were side-by-side through turn two. Both teams took the high line onto the back straight and Adams/Stafford took the opportunity to shoot down the pole line, under both, to take the lead, and from that point they were never headed.

Rudloff/Egan took another lap to get pass German/White and both teams closely chased Adams/Stafford with Rudloff/Egan making a desperate lunge on the line but it was Adams/Stafford home first in a time of 62.249, Rudloff/Egan second in 62.300, and German/White third in 62.989, while Silvy/Silvy tailed off with an ailing bike.

Placegetters, back row from left Malcolm German, Cameron White, Tom Adams, Campbell Stafford, Shane Rudloff, Damian Egan. Front row, Shane Bowes, Patrick Bowes, Aaron Silvy, Jaron Silvy, Fraser Bowes, Len Bowes. Photo by Judy Mackay.

Although they did not make the final, Brian Silvy and Glen Zaworski’s 7 points in the heats means they now, unofficially, lead the season pointscore with only two rounds remaining. Silvy/Zaworski have advanced to 84 points, leading Trent Headland/Jaxon Rayner and Josh Pascoe/Greg Black on 73.

In the support events, the Flat Track Solos generated plenty of interest thanks to the leading two riders, Kyle Machin and Dale Knights, being handicapped. Machin, SA’s leading rider, was the backmarker on 40 metres, but after he hit the lead at the end of the first lap in the first two heats, he was re-handicapped to 80 for the third heat but still won so he went back to 120 for the final heat. That made it harder, but more exciting for spectators as he did not catch Knights until turns three/four on the final lap. He got some leniency in the final, being allowed to come forward to 80 and managed to complete a clean sweep, the only rider on the night to do so, and the only top scorer from the heats to also win the final.

Kyle Machin (#5) rounding up the field, with Con Twist in white, Greg Laanekorb (blue), Bailey Tippins (yellow), Kristy Schultz (red), Matt Paterson (green). Photo by Judy Mackay.

In the Under 16 125cc Solo Scratch Races, Jett Plaisted top scored in the Division 2 heats, but it was Owen Chapman who took the final ahead of Nate Sadler and Plaisted. In the Division 1 races Riley Stout top scored in the heats but had a serious looking crash in turn two in the final. He was eventually able to get to his feet and the referee allowed him into the restart from 15 metres. He was a boy on a mission in the restart and rode a top race but couldn’t catch Ryleigh McGregor who won with Stout finishing second.

Heavy crash for Riley Stout (red) in the final. Ryleigh McGregor in blue. Photo by Judy Mackay.

Classic Solo and Sidecar demonstration races were also on the programme with Darryl Christopher the standout in the Solos, and nothing much between Aaron Silvy/John Atherton Jnr, Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds and Kane Golding/Jaron Silvy in the Sidecars.

The next meeting is the Safe Fire Electrical South Australian Sidecar Championship on 22 February. Early nominations include defending champion Mark Plaisted, Broken Hill’s Max Howse and Queenslanders Tyler Moon, Stuart Firth and Brandon Warke.