Plaisted and Egan win Gillman Sidecar Masters

Gillman Media 7 October 2024

Despite being an out-of-season meeting, Saturday night’s Gillman Speedway Sidecar Masters attracted a strong field, led by 11-time Australian Champion Darrin Treloar, but this wasn’t to be Treloar’s night.

Instead it was one of his former passengers, and the 2015 Australian Champion, Justin Plaisted, and current passenger Damian Egan, who swept all before them to win their five heat rides and the final, ahead of Broken Hill 20-year-olds Max Howse/Riley Commons and local duo Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan, with another local duo Dean/Hobbs/Daniel Low non-finishers after Low fell on the last lap.

Plaisted/Egan didn’t win by overly large margins but were mostly never challenged in their six rides.

Dean Hobbs and Daniel Low were the second highest scorers with 13 points, beaten only by Plaisted and Menadue in heat five, and they slotted in behind Plaisted/Egan on the opening lap of the final and looked like they could be a threat if Plaisted slipped up, but Menadue/Dolan pushed under them in turn two on the second lap, which also allowed Howse/Commons to get through. Hobbs/Low then ran infield avoiding running into the back of Howse in turn four, and although they escaped exclusion their race was done and ended altogether when Low fell on the back straight on the last lap. A disappointing end for them after a top class night, but a good sighter for the summer season ahead.

Menadue/Dolan could make no impression on Plaisted/Egan and then lost second place when Howse/Commons passed them with half-a-lap to go.

Second place was a good result for Howse/Commons after things weren’t looking promising when they were relegated to third place by Hobbs/Low and Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski in their opening ride, but they gradually got better as the night went on and were the third direct qualifiers for the final with 12 points.

The last chance semi-final was between Menadue/Dolan (11), Silvy/Zaworski (11), Josh Pascoe/Greg Black (10) and Trent Headland/Jaxon Rayner (9). On heat form it was anyone’s race, and it was close between all four for the first lap and a half but then they started to spread out. Menadue led all the way, initially from Silvy, ahead of Headland and Pascoe. Headland got up into second by the end of lap two but couldn’t catch Menadue.

Darrin Treloar/Blake Cox only lasted one race, which they won against Headland after the lead changed a couple of times, before bike troubles forced them out for the night and meant an early start on the 14-hour drive home to Sydney.

Solos

The 500cc Solos saw the debuts of 16-year-olds Ashley Jansen-Batchelor and Harry Sadler and Jansen-Batchelor surprised by leading home Patrick Hamilton and Sam Martin in the opening race of the night. He followed that with another win in his second ride, passing Martin to do so, while Sadler also scored a race win when he beat Jansen-Batchelor in heat five, but the experience of Hamilton and Martin told in the final in which Hamilton (who top scored in the heats with 11) led all the way and Martin (5 points) finished second after a race long duel with Sadler (7) and Jansen-Batchelor (10), with Martin and Sadler side-by-side for much of the race. Sadler finished third, Jansen-Batchelor fourth and Riley Plum (3) fifth.

Division 2 was dominated by the girls with Teagan Pedler and Lilly Cottrell equal top scorers with 9 points each, although Pedler was the best rider with her points coming from three heat wins after a retirement (while leading) and a non-start in her first two rides. John Doolan was third with 6 points and Mitchell Spear fourth on 5. Spear won his first ride (after Pedler retired) but the talented Sidecar rider had a few falls in his later heats without the third wheel to stabilise him!

Flat Track Solos

Gillman track champion Kyle Machin is rarely beaten at Gillman but visiting Victorian rider Riley Plum had his measure on Saturday night. With 8 nominations, to give everyone as many rides as possible, all eight were programmed in each race, with six to start at the tapes, Riley Plum from 15 metres and Kyle Machin from 30 metres. After Plum had no trouble winning the first heat he was moved back to the 30 metre mark with Machin for the rest of the night but that didn’t affect the results as Plum was a convincing winner in all five heats with Machin second, and newcomer Andrew Rost third each time. Greg Lannekorb was the best of the non-scorers with four fourth places.

Juniors

Kobi Canning and Ruby Chapman both made their debuts in the Under 16 250cc Solo class and both were impressive with neat styles, while in the Under 16 125cc class on the infield track, Riley Stout top scored with 12 points from four wins and a retirement, ahead of William Nicol on 11, Connor Machin 6 and Owen Chapman 1. The Under 16 250cc Sidecars also made a rare appearance and Judd Plaisted/Kobe Plaisted won each of the five heats despite strong opposition from Broken Hill’s Jobe Zammit-Harvey/Nash Zammit-Harvey.