Solo Championship at Gillman Speedway Tuesday night

Gillman Media 24 December 2021

Riders from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand will take on the local South Australian riders, in the 75th running of the South Australian 500cc Solo Championship at Gillman Speedway next TUESDAY night, 28 December.

Despite the strong interstate representation, Adelaide riders Brayden McGuinness, Liam May and Fraser Bowes, all with experience racing in Europe, and track champion Dakota Ballantyne all must be considered a serious chance of making the final and possibly being the first home town winner for quite some time.

To win the title, however, they’ll have to overcome visiting riders Justin Sedgmen and Zane Keleher, who finished second in the last two titles.

Sedgmen is also the only past winner in the line-up, has a good record in the title, being a finalist on nine occasions, and is fresh from winning the Victorian Championship on the 18th.

Other riders who look the most likely to be in contention for a semi-final place, and maybe a final place, are the Kiwi Jake Turner, Cooper Riordan and Maurice Brown.

Turner has been in good form at Gillman this season; Riordan was third in 2019, while 17-year-old Brown, from Cowra in New South Wales, is a former Australian, and multiple state, under 16 champion.

That’s already nine riders chasing just seven places in the two finals, so should ensure some desperate riding as no one can afford to drop any unexpected points which could mean they are the ones to miss out.

While the finalists most likely will come from those nine, there should be some equally close racing between the other riders, Arlo Bugeja, Steven Graetz, Dayle Wood, Patrick Hamilton, Jackson Milner, Blake Ridley and Teagan Pedler, and most are also capable of being spoilers and taking those vital points from the more fancied riders.

All in all, a good line-up which should produce another entertaining night’s racing.

The championship will be decided over 20 heats, a last chance semi-final, and a final for the top three point scorers and the winner of the semi-final.

Sidecars, Flat Track Solos and Juniors will make up the support programme,

Gates open at 4pm and racing will start at 7pm.

Top photo: Flashback to the 2020 championship and pre-Covid days! Brayden McGuinness leading Zane Keleher. Photo by Judy Mackay.

UPDATE 27 DECEMBER 9.20PM: Dakota Ballantyne out. 28 DECEMBER 2.30PM Tom Adams (isolation), Kym Menadue (engine) OUT

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: TUESDAY, 28 December 2021

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 4 pm.

Covid requirements: COVID Plan in place. Everyone must sign-in to the contact tracing system at the entry gates. Social distancing inside the venue - 3 people per 4 square metres if seated; 1 person per 2 square metres if standing or mixed seated and standing. Masks required when getting food, drink or souvenirs, and if going into the pits. Hand sanitiser placed at the gate, toilets and all sales areas. COVID Marshals will be in place.

Racing starts: at 7 pm. Free spectator access to the pits for a close look at the bikes until approximately 6.30 pm.

Classes and Nominations:

Solos-South Australian 500cc Championship: 2-Justin Sedgmen (Vic), 14-Liam May, 18-Patrick Hamilton (Vic), 19-Brayden McGuinness, 19-Jake Turner (NZ), Z22-Zane Keleher (Qld), 39-Steven Graetz, 41-Jackson Milner (Vic), 51-Fraser Bowes, 51-Cooper Riordan (Vic), 56-Arlo Bugeja, 66-Maurice Brown (NSW), 82-Dakota Ballantyne (OUT), 88-Blake Ridley, 99-Dayle Wood (Vic), 211-Teagan Pedler. Reserves: 67-Shaun Sampson, 12-Roy Stout

Sidecars: 11-Thomas Adams/Jaxon Rayner (OUT), 12-Brian Silvy/Damian Egan, 14-Kym Menadue/Eric Melton (OUT), 43-Daniel Puddy/Byron Maurdant, 115-Kane Golding/Isaac Amos, 272-Adam Pascoe/Tom Smith, 970-Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low

Solos Flat Track: 5-Kyle Machin, 55-Sean Curtis, 70-Greg Nestor, 81-Rowan Clark, 87-Stuart McKenzie, 181-John White, 215-Matt Paterson, 273-Dale Knights, 281-Julian Timmis, 295-Lucius Payne, 312-Dylan McKenzie, 602-Graeme Eberhard, 713-Con Twist

125cc Junior Solos: 16-Hayden Pascoe, 26-Jordan Hargreaves, K48-Kobi Canning, 81-Darcey Timmis, 128-Hayden Kuchel, 524-Harry Sadler

6 p.m. pre-meeting junior riders — 125cc Novice Junior Solo: 03-Blake Schlein (Vic), 4-Riley Stout, 37-William Nicol, 49-Blake Hocking, 112-Ruby Chapman, -Ryleigh McGregor. 50cc Junior Solo: 46-Owen Chapman. Pee Wee Junior Solo: 5-Cooper Coats, 11-Nate Sadler, 24-Cooper Karpinski, 46-Owen Chapman, 417-Kolby Schultz

Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children Under 16 free. Souvenir programme $5. Grandstand seating free. Parking free. Programme includes chances to win $50 fuel vouchers.

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 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.

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. See the “A Night At Gillman” tab.

Weather Forecast as at 23 December: Maximum 31, minimum 15. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower.

[www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml]

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.

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