Mick Headland defends his Gillman Sidecar Championship on Saturday night - March 2016

March 2, 2016 by Gillman Media

Mick Headland defends his Gillman Speedway Sidecar Championship this Saturday night, 5 March.

Despite an illustrious career, which includes two World Track Racing Championship victories, Headland had never won the Gillman Championship until last season, now he wants to go back-to-back.

Surprisingly Headland will be one of only two former winners in the meeting, and the other is another World Track Racing Champion Darrin Treloar, which indicates just how hard this track championship is to win.

Treloar has the record for the most wins, with three, but his last win was in 2011 and he has had bike trouble in his two Gillman appearances this season, so he’s keen to get back in the winner’s circle before the upcoming World Cup meeting later in the month.

As well as Headland and Treloar, the other major contenders for the championship are three in-form South Australian riders, former Australian Champion Mark Mitchell, Arron Hartwig and Damien Niesche, Victorian star and current Australian number two Warren Monson, and New Zealander Andrew Buchanan, who is in Adelaide for the previously mentioned World Cup.

The Championship, sponsored by Paintmaster SA, will be held over 20 heats, a semi-final and a final and thirteen riders have been seeded with the remaining three to come from three qualifying races with only the winners going into the championship heats. The non-qualifiers go into support races, which, along with support Quad races will give a programme of 36 events. There will also be junior solo racing on the infield track.

After this Saturday night there will only be one more meeting before the World Cup and Oceania Championship meetings to be held over the Easter weekend.

Top photo: Mick Headland/Jesse Headland (white) and Mark Mitchell/Dale Knights (red). Photo by Derick Thomas Photography.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 5 March 2016.

Venue: Gillman Speedway Stadium, 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.

Gates open: at 5 pm.

Parking and entrance: Patrons can enter via two gates, at the western and eastern ends of the venue. There are free parking areas near both gates. The eastern gate will close at 8.30pm.

Racing starts: at 7.30 pm. Free spectator access to the pits for a close look at the bikes until approximately 6.30 pm.

Riders:

Paintmaster SA Gillman Sidecar Championship : Keith Bichard/Michael Bell, Tim Bichard/Anthony Schulz, Andrew Buchanan/Denny Cox (New Zealand), Mick Cave/Sam Heath (England), Steven Fowler/Benny Goodridge, Arron Hartwig/Teagan Hartwig, Mick Headland/Jesse Headland, Dean Hobbs/Andy Westover, Klae Hobbs/tba, Kym Menadue/Eric Melton, Dale Milner/Nick O’Brien (Vic), Mark Mitchell/Dale Knights, Warren Monson/Matt Morgan (Vic), Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear, Luke Puddy/Damian Egan, Shane Rudloff/Darcy Risstrom, Aaron Silvy/Adam Pascoe, Brian Silvy/Josh Knott, Darrin Treloar/Blake Cox (NSW), Mick Tucker/Corey Palmer, Darryll Woods/Will Walker.

Sidecar Format: Championship over 20 heats, a semi-final and a final. 13 riders seeded, 3 to qualify. Non-qualifiers go into support races.

Quad Races : Levi Correll, Nick Correll, Ben Hooper, Roger Koop, Brandon Van Jaarsveldt

125cc Junior Solos on infield track : Connor Bailey, Fraser Bowes, Patrick Bowes, Jackson Milner, Jack Norman, Nicholas Possingham, Angus Vandenberg

Admission prices: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20 (*), Children Under 16 $5 (aged 12-15 inclusive), Children Under 12 free. Family $55. Programme $5. Grandstand seating $5. Parking free.

(*) Concession is limited to Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession Card holders only. A family ticket covers 2 adults and children under 16.

Weather Forecast: partly cloudy, maximum 34, minimum 17. [www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/Adelaide]

Seating: 216 seat grandstand; terracing and large grassed viewing mounds suitable for deck chairs.

VIP Area: The V.I.P. area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view of motorcycle speedway action in Australia. Any number from one up to fifty spectators can enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled room, on the timber decks, or the enclosed lawn area, for a very reasonable price per person. A fully stocked bar and a variety of food to suit all budgets is available and you can book the whole room or part thereof. Ring Gillman Speedway Manager David Parker on 0403 364 658 or e-mail dave@gillmanspeedway.com for more details.

Sponsor: Paintmaster SA is a South Australian company with over 20 years’ experience in residential and commercial painting and decorating. Operated by Dave Adams, Paintmaster SA employs several teams of qualified full time tradesmen and apprentices and services some of South Australia’s top builders, architects, government organisations and residential clients. Paintmaster SA has a focus on service and quality and, by continually updating their skills, can provide top quality finishes in the latest technology and surface applications. In addition they are fully licensed and insured, full members of the Master Painters Association, and offer a 5 year workmanship guarantee! See their website www.paintmaster.com.au for examples of their work.

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, nachos, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. “Gillman has far and away the best speedway tucker” [Peter White’s Speedway World, February 2015]

Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue. Also note no pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed into the venue.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop including the latest Blackchrome manufactured shirts and jackets. Eftpos available only in the souvenir shop.

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, 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. Once you are on Tapleys Hill Road you can’t really go wrong. You only have to make three or four turns and most of those are simple. Just 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, so pretty easy to this point). Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. You only 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 (you can’t go straight ahead) onto Bedford Street. Just keep going on that road until you get to the speedway (about 2 kilometres).

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. The Pavlos Motel on Main North Road, Pooraka; and the Mawson Lakes Hotel and Function Centre, Main Street, Mawson Lakes, offer a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the venues direct and ask for the Gillman Speedway discount. Full details are on the Gillman website under the information/accommodation tab.

Contact for this meeting: Speedway Manager, David Parker 0403 364 658