Interstate Solo matches at Gillman Speedway 2 June

June 4, 2018 by Gillman Media

Edinburgh were always in charge of their match against Zielona Gora, with three 5-1s in heats 2, 3 and 4 setting the tone.

After heat 7 they led by 18 points, and although Zielona Gora were only outscored by 1 point, 25-26, over the remaining 8 heats the damage was well and truly done.

As expected at this level, team captain Justin Sedgmen was untroubled to win his four rides, but it was Ben Cook who was the top scorer, and standout rider, with 15 paid 16 from six rides. Cook started with three wins before suffering a 15 metre penalty in his fourth ride for exceeding the two minute time allowance. His only other dropped points were in his next ride when he led for three laps and looked to be back on track for another win but he was passed by Declan Kennedy at the start of the final lap.

The reserves were also strong for the Monarchs with Matt Pickering winning four races and Arlo Bugeja scoring 6 points after shepherding Pickering home in his first two rides.

While the Monarchs had a strong top three in Sedgmen, Cook and Robert Medson, Zielona Gora only had one rider, Zaine Kennedy, really capable of challenging them. Kennedy accumulated 9 points from his first three rides (although 2 of those were courtesy of a double-points tactical ride) but then suffered a heavy crash in his fourth ride. He was challenging Sedgmen down the back straight on the opening lap when his back wheel hit the fence. He managed to keep control and not lose too much speed only to hit the fence again coming out of turn three and this time cartwheeling alongside the air fence. It was a bad looking crash but he was quickly up and not injured.

In his absence his younger brother Declan, who had suffered a similar crash in his first race, took up the challenge during the closing heats and scored 7 points in his last three races. The best of the rest on the scorecard was Fraser Bowes who pulled off the best ride of his short senior career to win heat 8 while taking a double-points ride.

Zielona Gora 38: Zaine Kennedy (QLD) 9, Fraser Bowes (SA) 9+2, Declan Knowles (Vic) 4, Declan Kennedy (QLD) 10+1, Aaron Jackson (QLD) 6+1, Dayle Wood (NSW) 0.

Edinburgh Monarchs 57: Justin Sedgmen (Vic) 12, Kane Lawrence (NSW) 3+1, Robert Medson (SA) 9+3, Ben Cook (NSW) 15+1, Matt Pickering (NSW) 12, Arlo Bugeja (SA) 6+2.

The Bulls v Robins match was much closer, both in terms of the score but also the racing. There was only six points in it at the end, the Robins winning 50-44, although the Bulls score was inflated by 5 points by double-points rides by the two Bulls’ stars, Ryan Douglas and Zane Keleher.

The racing between Douglas and Keleher and the Robins’ Josh Macdonald and Zach Cook throughout the match was amongst the best of the day and when the four met in the final heat it was looking like a brilliant race as Macdonald and Douglas were shoulder to shoulder on the first lap, with Cook going under them, but Douglas fell between turns three and four and Macdonald was excluded.

Douglas won the rerun to complete a five ride maximum (18 points with a double-points ride) and Keleher finished with 10 points, while Cook scored 15, paid 16, and Macdonald 14.

Leszno Bulls 44: Ryan Douglas (QLD) 18, Dakota Ballantyne (SA) 6, Zane Keleher (QLD) 10, Scott Warwick-Day (QLD) 0, Brandan Coglan (QLD) 7, Blake Ridley (SA) 3+2. Swindon Robins 50: Cooper Riordan (Vic) 6+2, Josh Macdonald (NSW) 14, Matthew Gilmore (NSW) 10+1, Zach Cook (NSW) 15+1, Jack Morrison (Vic) 3, Seth Hickey (SA) 2.

The full heat results are on the Gillman Speedway website under the Results tab.

The next teams meeting at Gillman is on Saturday, 30 June.

Top photo: Zane Kelleher (red), Josh Macdonald (yellow) and Cooper Riordan (white). Photo by Judy Mackay.

Bottom photo: Cowra riders Zach Cook (yellow) and Matthew Gilmore (white) team-riding for the Robins. Photo by Judy Mackay.