Sidecar stars head to Adelaide for Gillman finale
by Gillman Media, 14 April 2021
Many of Australia’s best Sidecar riders – including all the previous winners – head to Adelaide this week to contest the 2021 FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship at the Gillman Speedway finale on Saturday night (17 April).
Heading the list is 11-time Australian Champion, and three-time Oceania Champion, Darrin Treloar, and passenger Blake Cox, a two-time Oceania winner with Treloar.
They are not the current champions, however. The defending champions, from 2019 before Covid-19 restrictions caused the cancellation of the 2020 event, are Warren Monson/Andrew Summerhayes.
They are also two-time winners, and joining them is the inaugural and only other previous winner, Mark Plaisted and current passenger Ben Pitt.
Treloar, Monson and Plaisted have dominated this event since it was introduced in 2014, with Monson finishing in the top four in all six stagings, Treloar top four five times and Plaisted four times.
The field also includes three current or former state champions in Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr, David Bottrell/Darcy Risstrom and Mark Mitchell/Tony Carter.
Other riders include Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear and Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris. In all, sixteen riders will contest 20 heats, with the top three point scorers, plus the winner of a last chance semi-final for the next four highest scorers, going into the final to decide the 2021 champion.
Gates open at 4pm with the rider introductions and racing starting at 7pm.
Top photo, left to right: Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr, Warren Monson/Andrew Summerhayes and Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt. Photo by Mike Gerlach.
Everything You Need To Know:
Meeting Date: Saturday, 17 April 2021.
Venue: Gillman Speedway Stadium, 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Covid restrictions: COVID Plan in place. The QR code system will be operating. Everyone entering the venue will be required to check-in by scanning the QR code or filling in the alternative paper record sheet with a name and contact phone number. Family members who have the same address can sit together but others must adhere to the social distancing rules for outdoor sport and recreation activities of 1 person per 2 square metres. Hand sanitiser will be placed at the gate, toilets and all sales areas. COVID Marshals will be in place.
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.
Racing starts: at 7.00 pm. Free spectator access to the pits for a close look at the bikes until approximately 6.00 pm.
Nominations:
Sidecars – FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship : 05-Klae Hobbs/Colby Higgins, 12-Brian Silvy/Damian Egan, 14-Kym Menadue/Eric Melton, 15-Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris, 21-Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy, 35-Mark Mitchell/Tony Carter, 36-David Bottrell/Darcy Risstrom, 40-Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear, 43-Warren Monson/Andrew Summerhayes, 74-Connor Curran/Ronnie Curran, 75-Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt, 84-Darrin Treloar/Blake Cox, 89-Bayley Ogilvie/Brady Cox, 107-Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr, 115-Kane Golding/Isaac Amos, 970-Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low. Reserves: 82-Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds
Junior Sidecars Under 16 250cc (on the infield junior track during track grades) : 3-Lachlan Coppen/Caileb Westover (SA), 41-Jackson Milner/Adam Niesche (Vic/SA), 84-Jake Treloar/Isaac Mitchell (NSW)
Junior Solos Under 16 125cc (on the infield junior track during track grades) : 15-Seth Pascoe, 23-Ben Dixon, K48-Kobi Canning, 128-Hayden Kuchel, 131-Ashley Jansen-Batchelor, 524-Harry Sadler
Junior Solos Under 16 125cc novices : 1-Hayden Pascoe, 13-Jackson McPherson, 37-William Nicol, -Ryleigh McGregor; 50cc : 4-Riley Stout, 11-Diesel Waddell, 16-Riley Edson, 49-Blake Hocking, -Ryleigh McGregor; and Pee Wees : 1-Lila Canning, 4-Riley Stout, 6-Zac Holloway, 8-Tyler Holloway, 11-Nate Sadler, 14-James Menadue, 15-Mikayla Norris, 75-Jett Plaisted. . . on the infield track at 6pm.
Formats: FIM Oceania Speedway Sidecar Championship 20 heats, semi-final and final; Gillman Junior Sidecar Championship 6 heats; 125cc Solos 6 scratch races, 6 handicap races.
Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children Under 16 free. Souvenir programme $5. Grandstand seating free. Parking free.
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 and 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, including the new season shirts, hoodies and caps [see A Night At Gillman tab on Gillman Speedway website].
Weather Forecast: Maximum 21, minimum 9. Partly cloudy. Forecast as at 14 April. [www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/Adelaide]
Directions:
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 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