Golding and Amos take division two title at Gillman

by Gillman Media, 11 April 2021

First year duo Kane Golding and Isaac Amos have taken their first victory in what has been a promising first season by winning the Chook’s Custom Grafix South Australian Division 2 Sidecar Championship at Gillman Speedway on Friday night (9 April).

Golding and Amos were not the meeting favourites but were considered a chance after riding well against good opposition throughout their debut season.

The pre-meeting favourites were Kym Menadue and Eric Melton, who had qualified for the final in all six meetings they have contested this season, and they lived up to that favouritism in the first round of heats when they won heat two in the fastest time of the night.

Sadly for them, however, their night was soon over as they suffered a blown motor while clear leaders in their second ride.

With Menadue and Melton out, the event was thrown wide-open, but three teams — Golding/Amos, Mitchell Spear/Glen Zaworski and Brian Silvy/Damian Egan — quickly emerged as the likely finalists.

After nine of the twelve heats, Spear/Zaworski and Silvy/Egan were unbeaten on 9 points, with Golding/Amos on 8 points after running second to Menadue/Melton in heat two, and all three were drawn to meet in heat ten in a preview of the final.

Visually Spear had looked the fastest, and the probable favourite, but a check of the transponder times showed Golding’s times had been on a par, and they provided one of the best races of the night as they were side-by-side for much of the race before Golding pulled away for the win ahead of Spear with Silvy in third.

All three went straight into the final, with Golding getting first gate choice ahead of Spear on the result of this heat after both were tied on 11 points. The fourth starters in the final were Klae Hobbs and Kym Menadue’s passenger Eric Melton, who were untroubled to win the semi-final ahead of Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy and Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds, with Connor Curran/Ronnie Curran excluded for going infield after running into Lethbridge.

Although the final was close, it wasn’t as thrilling as heat ten, as Golding/Amos led all the way, with Spear/Zaworksi again second, but Hobbs/Melton third, relegating Silvy/Egan to fourth.

In the support events, Liam May made a welcome return to the 500cc Solo ranks after missing the whole season following a shoulder operation, and looked like he would go through the card unbeaten when he won his first three rides, but things went a little awry after that. He made a slow start in his fourth ride and in an attempt to make up the lost ground quickly, he spun 180 degrees in turn one and got thrown backwards onto the track. In heat five Steven Graetz made an exciting outside pass on May, alongside he fence, to take the win, and then May didn’t come out for heat six after aggravating his shoulder injury in his earlier fall. After his big ride in heat five, Graetz was expected to easily win the last heat, but Blake Ridley was almost the giant-slayer this time, leading almost to the last corner before Graetz got by to win by 0.252 seconds.

Nigel Sadler once again dominated the Flat Track Solos with another unbeaten night, this time winning the all-in final from Seane Chapman, Roy Stout and Sean Curtis; and Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds were the best of the Classic Sidecars, winning three of the four races.

Sadler’s son, Harry, was also dominant in the Under 16 125cc Solo Races. He was unbeaten in the division 1 scratch races, despite some strong opposition from Kobi Canning and Travis Clarke, and won the first handicap race from the 60 metre mark, but couldn’t get through from the 70 metre mark in the other events with Darcey Timmis (10 metres) taking two wins and Canning (50 metres) the other. Earlier Seth Pascoe was unbeaten in the division 2 scratch races.