Double feature night at Gillman Speedway

Gillman Media 12 January 2022

There will be a double feature at Gillman Speedway this Saturday night (15 January) with championships for both Solos and Sidecars.

Solos will contest the annual Gillman Speedway track championship with fourteen riders taking part and a new champion guaranteed with current champion Dakota Ballantyne unable to defend his title because of work commitments.

In Ballantyne’s absence, the favourites to take the title for the first time will be local rider Brayden McGuinness and Bendigo rider Jack Morrison. McGuinness was third in the recent South Australian Championship and was twice runner-up to Ballantyne in the track championship before missing last year’s event because he was in Europe. Morrison had several impressive meetings at Gillman last season and was a semi-finalist in both the South Australian Championship and the Gillman Spectacular.

Behind McGuinness and Morrison, the field is packed with riders capable of making the final and racing amongst those riders will be intense as it was in the state championship. Liam May, despite riding with a shoulder injury, and Patrick Hamilton were both semi-finalists in the state championship, and Declan Knowles has previously been a finalist in the Gillman Championship.

The Sidecars will compete in the South Australian Division 2 Championship and this event will also have a new winner, with last year’s inaugural winners Kane Golding/Isaac Amos no longer eligible, and there is no standout favourite as racing has been fast and furious between all riders this season. Kym Menadue was the form rider last season but he has a new passenger for this meeting which may affect his chances. Mitchell Spear/Glen Zaworski won the final at meeting two, and Brian Silvy/Damian Egan went the card unbeaten at the last meeting, but Thomas Adams/Jaxon Rayner, Daniel Puddy/Byron Mordaunt, Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low, Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy and Adam Pascoe have all been in the mix, while Tim Bichard hasn’t ridden this season but is a former track champion.

Flat Track Solos and Juniors will make up the support programme,

Gates open at 4pm and racing will start at 7pm.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 15 January 2022

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.

Covid requirements: COVID Plan in place. Everyone must sign-in to the contact tracing system at the entry gates. Social distancing inside the venue - 3 people per 4 square metres if seated; 1 person per 2 square metres if standing or mixed seated and standing. Masks required when getting food, drink or souvenirs, and if going into the pits. Hand sanitiser placed at the gate, toilets and all sales areas. COVID Marshals will be in place.

Racing starts: at 7 pm. Free spectator access to the pits for a close look at the bikes until approximately 6.30 pm.

Classes and Nominations:

Solos-Gillman Championship: 8-Michael West (NSW), 10-Declan Knowles (Vic), 13-Jack Morrison (Vic), 14-Liam May, 18-Patrick Hamilton (Vic), 19-Jake Turner (NZ), 19-Brayden McGuinness, 24-Aden Clare (NSW), 39-Steven Graetz, 41-Jackson Milner (Vic), 67-Shaun Sampson, 88-Blake Ridley, 99-Dayle Wood (Vic), 211-Teagan Pedler

Sidecars-SA Division 2 Championship: 11-Thomas Adams/Jaxon Rayner, 12-Brian Silvy/Damian Egan, 14-Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan, 21-Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy, 43-Daniel Puddy/Byron Mordaunt, 46-Mitchell Spear/Glen Zaworski, 77-Tim Bichard/Brenton Marsh, 82-Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds, 88-Matt Crundwell/James Crundwell (Vic), 101-Paul Snadden/Greg Black, 272-Adam Pascoe/Tim Wegner, 970-Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low

Solos Flat Track: 5-Kyle Machin, 12-Roy Stout, 46-Seane Chapman, 52-Simon Sweeney, 57-Hannah Conradi, 70-Greg Nestor, 77-Richard Bunting, 81-Rowan Clark, 87-Stuart McKenzie, 196-Adam Conradi, 273-Dale Knights, 602-Graeme Eberhard, 713-Con Twist

125cc Junior Solos: 16-Hayden Pascoe, K48-Kobi Canning, 128-Hayden Kuchel, 524-Harry Sadler

6 p.m. pre-meeting junior riders — 125cc Novice Junior Solo: 03-Blake Schlein (Vic), 4-Riley Stout, 5-Cooper Coats, 13-Jackson McPherson, 15-Tanner Kenyon, 37-William Nicol, 49-Blake Hocking, 112-Ruby Chapman, -Ryleigh McGregor. 250cc Junior Sidecar: Adam Niesche/Kobi Canning. 50cc Junior Solo: 16-Riley Edson, 46-Owen Chapman. Pee Wee Junior Solo: 11-Nate Sadler, 14-James Menadue, 15-Mikayla Morris, 46-Owen Chapman, 75-Jett Plaisted, 114-Koa McPherson, 417-Kolby Schultz, -Tanner Kenyon

Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children Under 16 free. Souvenir programme $5. Grandstand seating free. Parking free. Programme includes chances to win $50 fuel vouchers.

Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Eftpos available at both gates and in the canteen.

Seating: Grandstand seating is free for this meeting but is limited to 216 people. There are large grassed viewing mounds and terracing suitable for deck chairs.

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] Eftpos available at the main canteen.

Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue.

Pets: No pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop. See the “A Night At Gillman” tab.

Weather Forecast as at 12 January: Maximum 27, minimum 16. Partly cloudy.

[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 new 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.

Contact for this meeting: Ivan Golding 0417 138 378 or email contact@gillmanspeedway.com