Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox win again - March 2015

March 22, 2015 by Gillman Media

Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox continued their winning ways for 2014/15 with another unbeaten run in round four of the dyovest.com Sidecar Grand Slam Series at Gillman Speedway last season.

Treloar and Cox now lead the series by 18 points, and with a maximum of only 20 points available to the winner of the fifth and final round in Alice Springs next Saturday night they have all but won the trophy.

The following weekend (Easter) Treloar and Cox will go into the Australian Championship, also in Alice Springs, as hot favourites after dominating the section this season. Despite some world class line-ups, Treloar has already has won a record sixth SA Championship, a record seventeenth NSW Championship (yes 17!), all three rounds of the Oceania Championship, and now three of the four Grand Slam rounds.

At Gillman Treloar/Cox won all their rides with ease and were only troubled once – surprisingly by Brenten Dwyer/Tom Adams who only got a start in the Grand Slam after three riders, Rob Patterson, Mark Mitchell and Arron Hartwig did not ride. Dwyer shocked everyone, probably none more than Treloar, when he raced under Treloar in turn four of heat five to take the lead. It took Treloar another lap to regain the lead but Dwyer continued to push hard, relegating the in-form Shane Rudloff, and Damien Niesche, to third and fourth until his bike blew on the last lap which forced him out of the rest of the meeting. Nevertheless the crowd gave him a rousing reception for his efforts.

In the final, Treloar shot out of the gate as if fired by a sling-shot and there was no doubt by turn one who the winner would be – it was just a question of by how much.

Placings behind Treloar/Cox in the final where Warren Monson/Matt Morgan, Mick Headland/Jesse Headland and Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin.

Headland/Headland were also unbeaten in their first four rides before clashing with Treloar/Cox in heat 20, but Headland was forced to use his second bike in this heat (and the final), and Treloar won with ease. Justin Plaisted/Sam Harrison finished second, Headland third and Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin fourth.

Ironically Gates’ last place earned him a place in the final! He was tied with David Bottrell/Ben Pitt, and Warren Monson/Matt Morgan for the third qualifying place in the final (with 10 points, behind Treloar 15 and Headland 13) and got the nod on countback with his pointless ride ranking higher than Monson and Bottrell’s exclusions. Monson was excluded for barging after he beat Headland and Bottrell in heat 8, and Bottrell rolled into the tapes in his final and easiest ride.

Monson won the semi-final ahead of Justin Plaisted, Bottrell and Shane Rudloff.

Plaisted was one of a number of riders blighted by bike problems or falls and rode Mark Mitchell’s bike in his last two rides. Others who struck trouble included Mark Plaisted/Brian Anthony, with a retirement and a fall, and Trent Headland/Darryl Whetstone.