Solo and Sidecar feature events at Gillman Speedway Saturday night

February 6, 2020 by Gillman Media

Gillman Speedway sees a double feature this Saturday night (8 February) when the Sidecars return for round two of the Sidecar Super Series, and the Solos contest the Gillman Solo Championship.

Shane/Rudloff/Scott Morris (17 points) lead the Sidecar Series by one point from Mildura’s Neale Hancock/Brendan Johnson (16), with Kym Menadue/Eric Melton only a further point back on 15 points after a career-best win in the final in the first round, and all are back for round two, along with Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr who missed the first round.

Opening round semi-finalists, Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien and Dean Hobbs/Glen Zaworski are also back, as are Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy and Nathan Fleet/Ayrton Canning who just missed a start in the semi-final. Both rode well and want to nail a semi-final place this week, while Victorians Adon Pearce/Eli Bock and Nathan Cock/Jack McMahon are also in the line-up.

In the support events, history will be made, in one way or another, in the Gillman Solo Championship as Dakota Ballantyne can become the first rider to win the event for a third time, or there will be a first-time winner. Brayden McGuinness, Liam May, Declan Knowles (Vic), Fraser Bowes, Patrick Hamilton and Seth Hickey will be Ballantyne’s main rivals. McGuinness has been a finalist for the last three seasons and finished as runner-up to Ballantyne last year, while Knowles was third in 2018. Unfortunately one of the early favourites for the event, Robert Medson, had to withdraw last night after fracturing a thumb.

Photo: Round one semi-final action from Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien (red) and Kym Menadue/Eric Melton (blue). Melton won by a narrow margin and then went on to win the final. Photo by Derick Thomas.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 8 February 2020.

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 5 pm. Free spectator access to the pits until closed to the public for practice and racing.

Racing starts: at 7.00 pm.

Sidecar Riders/Passengers: 12-Brian Silvy / Cameron White, 14-Kym Menadue / Eric Melton, 15-Shane Rudloff / Scott Morris, 21-Aaron Silvy / Jaron Silvy, V21-Adon Pearce / Eli Bock (Vic), 22-Stephen Fowler / Corey Palmer, 28-Nathan Cock / Jack McMahon (Vic), 31-Darryll Woods / Willy Walker, 40-Mitchell Spear / Jack Spear, 68-Neale Hancock / Brendan Johnson (Vic), 69-Rick Stephens / Nick O’Brien (NSW/SA), 89-Nathan Fleet / Ayrton Canning, 107-Mick Headland / Brenton Kerr, 617-Nathan Johnston / Dylan Schweikert (NSW), 970-Dean Hobbs / Glen Zaworski

Gillman Solo Championship: 10-Declan Knowles (Vic), 14-Liam May, 18-Patrick Hamilton (Vic), 19-Brayden McGuinness, 42-Seth Hickey, 51-Fraser Bowes, 82-Dakota Ballantyne, 99-Dayle Wood (NSW). Support races: 20-Anthony Davey, 23-Brian Johnson, 47-Nicholas Possingham, 50-John White, 211-Teagan Pedler.

Juniors (infield junior track during track grades – no pre-meeting events): 125cc Solos: 26-Jordan Hargreaves, 27-Travis Clarke, 33-Jake Fleet, 131-Ashley Jansen-Batchelor. 125cc Solo Novice: 48-Kobi Canning, 81-Darcey Timmis. Pee Wee: 13-Jackson McPherson. 50cc: 5-Jack Silvy, 10-Darcy Bennett, 21-Bentley Paech, 297-Esther Payne.

Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension & Student Concession $20, Children aged 12-15 $5, Under 12 free, Family $55, Programme $5. Parking free. Grandstand free.

Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only. Eftpos is only available at the eastern gate. The western (main) gate is cash only.

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.

Bar facilities available but 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. Eftpos is not available in the souvenir shop.

Weather Forecast: Maximum 32, minimum 21. Humid and mostly sunny. Forecast as at 6 February. [www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/Adelaide]

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.

For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 20kms, and 30 minutes’ drive (depending on traffic lights) from the airport.

The easiest and most direct way from the airport, if not going to your accommodation first is:

On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airport grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road (you can only turn left). Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. Go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road, over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right onto Bedford Street. Keep going on that road until you get to the speedway. About 2km.

Accommodation: There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels. Speedway supporter discount available at the Mansfield Park Hotel, 426 Grand Junction Road, Mansfield Park (3 km from the track). Call 08 8445 3300 or use the link https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/reservation/VgHXNT#promo=GillmanSpeedway

Live results: Live results of the Sidecar and Solo races are free to view on the MYLAPS phone app. (www.speedhive.mylaps.com).

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