Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox the winners at Gillman Speedway

Gillman Media 14 February 2022

Darrin Treloar struck the first psychological blow in the lead up to this season’s Australian Sidecar Championship when he was unbeaten in the Sidecar Super Series Bowes Family Round One, defeating three of his main rivals for the national championship in the final at Gillman Speedway on Saturday night (12 February).

The format of the meeting was two groups of riders each contesting twelve heats with the highest scorers from each group going into the final and the next four highest scorers going into semi-finals.

Treloar/Blake Cox were the number one seed in group one, with late additions Trent Headland/Jesse Headland their biggest threat.

Both teams won their first two rides setting up a highly anticipated heat seven clash but it was a major anti-climax as Jesse Headland fell in the first turn and they were excluded. Treloar/Cox won the rerun and their fourth ride to score the maximum 12 points and earn the direct qualification place to the final.

Headland/Headland won their last ride to still finish second in the group with 9 points from their three completed rides and they were joined in the semi-final by Brenten Dwyer/Jamie Flood, also on 9 points, Max Howse/Riley Commons, 8 points, and Byren Gates/Eli Bock who edged out Mitchell Spear/Glen Zaworski on countback after both teams scored 7 points. The major “name” rider to miss the semi-final was Damien Niesche. Niesche/Ayrton Canning were very quick, recording the second fastest lap time, and the second fastest race win for the night (both behind Trent Headland) but two pointless rides restricted them to 5 points. The dropped a certain 2 points when they suffered a tyre problem while closing chasing Treloar on the last lap of their second ride, and were then excluded from their final heat for what the referee deemed an overaggressive pass on Spear/Zaworski.

The win in the semi-final, and therefore a place in the final, went to Headland/Headland ahead of Gates/Bock, Howse/Commons and Dwyer/Flood. The most eye-catching ride in the race came from Gates who came from last to pass Howse and then Dwyer for his second place.

The likely top scorer in group two was too hard to predict with Mark Plaisted/Bitt Pitt and Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr both in the group, and was made even harder when Shane Hudson, having his first ride after several seasons on the sidelines, beat Headland in their first ride. Plaisted then beat Hudson in heat five, but then Headland beat Plaisted quite easily in heat seven to set up the possibility of Headland, Plaisted and Hudson all finishing on 11 points, but Hudson dropped an unexpected point to Kane Golding in heat 8. Hudson and Rick Stephens collided in turn one leaving Hudson in last place and well behind and he only managed second place after a tyre failure for second-placed Stephens on the last lap.

Wins in their last heats left Headland/Kerr and Plaisted/Pitt tied on 11 points and Hudson/Adam Constable on 10. Headland was the one to go into the final based on his win over Plaisted in heat seven, leaving Plaisted and Hudson to race in the semi-final, along with Kane Golding/Greg Black, 9 points, and Brian Silvy/Damian Egan, 8 points. Teams missing out included 2021 Australian Championship riders Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris, 7 points, and Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien 6.

Plaisted was the favourite to win the semi-final, with a possible threat coming from Hudson, but it was a straight forward win for Plaisted ahead of Hudson and Silvy, with Golding spinning infield on the second lap.

The line-up for the final featured three of last seasons’ Australian Championship finalists (Plaisted, Mick Headland and Treloar) and the last three Australian Champions (Plaisted, Treloar and Trent Headland). Starting positions were Treloar in red, Mick Headland blue, Plaisted white and Trent Headland yellow. It looked to be anyone’s race but Treloar won the start and was gone. Mick Headland and Plaisted were side-by-side in second place down the back straight when Plaisted hit the fence and Ben Pitt fell. Trent Headland had to run off the track to avoid Mick and Plaisted and the red lights came on with Mick Headand excluded.

The rerun was Treloar/Cox all the way for a clear victory with Headland/Headland second and Plaisted/Pitt third.