Interest mounts for Nankang Tyres Sidecar Super Series - June 2017

June 11, 2017 by Gillman Media

The format for the recently announced Nankang Tyres Sidecar Super Series to take place at Gillman Speedway next season is starting to take shape after consultation with the eight top point scorers from this season’s Australian Sidecar Championship.

Speedway Manager Dave Parker says although the basic format will be the favoured format at Gillman of 20 heats, a last chance semi-final and a final, there will be some tweaks with the qualifying and point scoring.

Parker said: “For round one the eight highest scorers from the Australian Championship will be seeded, and the other eight riders will be decided by qualifying races, but there will be a slight twist for the other three rounds.

“The highest scoring non-seeded rider in round one, will be seeded into the following rounds, likewise in rounds two and three so by the final round there will be 11 seeded riders”.

“The point scoring in each round will be the standard 3, 2, 1, for the 20 heats and 4,3,2,1 for the final (no points for the semi-final) but only each rider’s best three rounds will count towards the overall series points.

“We’ve decided on this approach because we expect a number of riders from around Australia to travel to Adelaide for the series, and by each rider dropping one round of Series points, it allows a rider to miss a meeting for work or injury etc., and still have the opportunity to take the overall win.

“I think it’s something a bit different and can see the overall placings going down to the last race on the last night and with around $35,000 in prizemoney at stake, it will be like watching four Aussie Titles I am sure.”

Current Australian Champion Trent Headland is keen to continue his championship success and said, “I understand being Australia #1 there will be riders aiming to lower my flag, but I have a great team behind me, great sponsors, a bike that I believe is the best I’ve ever ridden, and we are all up for the challenge and to win the Nankang Tyres Sidecar Super Series would be another achievement we are going for”.

The revised dates for the series rounds are January 6, January 27, February 24 and March 10.