The Speedway season is here . . . Classic meeting at Gillman Speedway this Saturday night - October 2017

October 17, 2017 by Gillman Media

Finally . . . it is time to get back to the speedway when Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway hosts its annual Gillman Speedway Classic Championships this Saturday night (21 October), and marks 20 years since the first wheels were turned on the track.

The venue is unrecognisable since those early days with terracing, a grandstand, vip area, multiple bars and canteens, covered and bituminised pit area, just some of the improvements which make it Australia’s #1 motorcycle speedway.

The Classic meeting gives fans the chance to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the bikes of yesteryear before the modern-day summer season starts (on 4 November), and admission prices are an affordable $20 for adults and $15 for age pensioners and student concession. Children Under 16, Grandstand seating and Parking are all free.

As always the meeting will feature multiple classes of Solos and Sidecars, plus Three Quarter Midgets.

Racing starts at 7.30pm but the gates will open at 4pm so spectators have plenty of time to have a close look at the old bikes and cars before the pits are closed to the public.

The biggest number of entries is in the Sidecar classes with 31 bikes over 4 classes, with a mixture of former riders, including former South Australian Champion Kym McConnell, and current day riders including former Australian Champion Mark Mitchell, Ronny Parker and Shane Rudloff.

The British/European/American class is the most popular class with those who remember the Rowley Park days of the 1950s and 60s, and Victorian Jon Heaviside is back with one of his restored Vincents, to be ridden by defending champion Peter Tolley, and a Jap 8/80, ridden by Doug Cotterell. A bike familiar to Rowley Park fans is the ex-Bruce Kelley, ex-Kev McEnroe Vincent which will be ridden by Kevin’s son Rory McEnroe.

In 2015 Sydney’s Greg Griffiths (Suzuki 750) stopped Gawler rider Mick Tucker (Suzuki 500) from winning the Japanese Sidecar Championship for the third successive year, and now, after winning again in 2016, Griffiths finds himself now attempting to be only the third rider to win three years’ running. The first was George Atherton (from 2005-07), who is returning this year after several years’ break, but in the British class on a Supercharged Norton. Mick Tucker is back after a spectacular crash on his modern-day bike last December, and will be hoping the turn the tables on Griffiths and stop his run of wins, while current-day riders Tim Bichard (Suzuki 750), Ronny Parker (Suzuki 750), Shane Rudloff (SA) and Aaron Silvy (Honda 750) are also riding in this class.

Another current champion, Dean Hobbs (Suzuki 1000), is back to defend his Post Classic Championship, but he faces formidable opposition with current day riders Mark Mitchell (re-united with his old passenger Tom Golding) (Suzuki 1000) and Ronny Parker (Kawasaki 1000), and former star Kym McConnell (Yamaha 700) on his beautifully restored bike, while a another bike familiar to Rowley Park fans with be one of the Taylor Team Yamahas being ridden by Chris Bichard.

In the Evolution class, Victorians Paul Donnelly/Jake Roberts (Suzuki 1000) will be hoping for a change of result after being unbeaten in all their heat races (apart from one exclusion) for the three years of the class but not winning any of the deciding finals.

In the Solo classes with his arch-rival Roy Stout not riding this year, stylish WA rider Kevin Webb will be the favourite for the 2 Valve, riders aged 40 or over, class; while in the 2 Valve under 40 class teenager Brayden McGuinness is the favourite ahead of fellow current-day riders Arlo Bugeja, Seth Hickey and Blake Ridley.

Former international rider Ashley Norton will make a return to racing in the Upright 4 Valve class, and has looked impressive in practice, but current-day international rider Robert Branford should be too good for Norton, Gary Fischer, Steven Graetz and Darryl Christopher.

Norton is also riding in the Laydown (riders aged 40 or over, non-championship class) and is the favourite against Paul Wheatland and Ross Noble.

The Three Quarter Midgets have their biggest turn out for some years with 10 cars taking part in their demonstration runs, including the former Jim Reece and Viv Wilks cars, and replicas of the Norm Price AJS from the 1950s, and the well-known Greg Anderson, Jeff Holding, Graham Snellgrove and Peter Glassenbury cars from the 1960s.

Photo: Post Classic Sidecar action: Dean Hobbs/Justin Richards (red) and Kym McConnell/Shane Edwards (white). Photo by Judy Mackay.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 21 October 2017.

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

Gates open: at 4 pm.

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

Nominations:

British/European/American Sidecar Championship: George Atherton/Geordie Luckett (SA-Supercharged Norton 850), Doug Cotterell/Don Morris (Vic/NSW-Jap 8/80), Clinton Crabb/Dave Kernohan (SA-Triumph 750), Rory McEnroe/Chris Walker (Vic-Vincent), Peter Tolley/Ezra Blizzard-Allen (Vic-Vincent 1000), Rocky Warren/Adam Lange (SA-Triumph 650).

Japanese Sidecar Championship: Tim Bichard/Derick Thomas (SA-Suzuki 750), Greg Griffiths/Nathan McFadden (NSW-Suzuki 750), Pieter Hoogland/Sean Chapman (SA-Yamaha 650), Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds (SA-Yamaha 650), Daniel Mitchell/Brad Lawler (SA-Honda 750), Ronny Parker/Brenton Marsh (SA-Suzuki 750), Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris (SA-Suzuki 750), Aaron Silvy/ Jaron Speyer-Silvy (SA, Honda 750), Chris Thomson/Shayne Thomson (SA-Honda 4 810), Mick Tucker/Michael Bell (SA-Suzuki 500), Chris Wakefield/Naomi Bullock (Vic-Honda 750), Rocky Warren/Adam Lange (SA-Yamaha 650).

Post Classic Sidecar Championship: John Bennett/Jamie Knudsen (SA-Kawasaki 1000), Chris Bichard/Brett Lewis (SA-Yamaha 1100), Michael Emmerick/Ken Cherrington (SA, Kawasaki 1000), Chris Fraser/Cec Fraser (NSW – out 18/10/17), Dean Hobbs/Justin Richards (SA-Suzuki 1000), Kym McConnell/Shane Edwards (SA-Yamaha 700), Mark Mitchell/Tom Golding (SA-Suzuki 1000), Ronny Parker/Brenton Marsh (SA-Kawasaki 1000), 33-Chris Wakefield/Naomi Bullock (Vic-Suzuki 1000).

Evolution Sidecar Championship: Ricky Adams/Alice Cox (SA-Kawasaki 1000), Clinton Crabb/Dave Kernohan (SA-Yamaha 500), Paul Donnelly/Jake Roberts (Vic-Suzuki 1000), Mal Greig/Ayrton Canning (SA-Weslake 500), Tony Watter/Michael Bell (SA-Kawasaki 1000).

Solo 2 Valve (Riders aged 40 or over) Championship: Frank Graham (SA, Jawa), Trevor Henderson (SA-ESO), Barry Kennington (WA-Jawa), Kerry Marsh (SA-Jawa), Kevin Webb (WA-ESO), David Wheatland (Vic-Jawa).

Solo 2 Valve (Riders aged under 40) Championship: Arlo Bugeja (SA-Jawa), Seth Hickey (SA-Jawa), Brayden McGuinness (SA-Jawa), Blake Ridley (SA-Jawa).

Solo Upright 4 Valve Championship: Robert Branford (SA-GM), Darryl Christopher (SA-Weslake), Gary Fischer (SA-GM), Steven Graetz (SA-Jawa), Ashley Norton (SA-GM).

Solo Laydown (Riders aged 40 or over, non-championship class): Ross Noble (SA, Jawa), Ashley Norton (SA-GM), Paul Wheatland (Vic-GM).

Three Quarter Midget demonstrations: SA2 Grant Coombe (Norton E2 Graham Snellgrove replica), SA4 Michael Levy (ESO Greg Anderson replica), SA5 Peter Glassenbury (BSA Peter Glassenbury replica), E7 Jenny Bichard (JAP ex-Jim Reece), E8 Eric Klenke (SV B33 BSA Jeff Holding replica), MB19 Dion Holland (ESO ex-Viv Wilkes), NSW33 John Catford (JAP ex-Ian Tait), BH77 Bob Holland (Jawa 4 Valve ex-Church Brothers), SA88 Wayne Hamilton (AJS Norm Price replica), J121 Bill Berlemon (BSA ex-Eric Talbot).

Championship formats: All championships decided over three heat rides for each rider, with the top four point scorers qualifying for the finals. Finishing order in the finals will determine the championship placegetters.

Awards: Sashes for the placegetters in the final for each championship class. Presentations in the pits after the meeting.

Admission: Adults $20, Age Pension and Student Concession $15, Souvenir programme $5. Children Under 16 free. Grandstand seating free. Parking free.

Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders 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]

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. Eftpos available in the souvenir shop.

Weather Forecast: Maximum 20, minimum 9. Partly cloudy. [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. 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 kms.

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 offers a discount to speedway fans but you must ring the motel 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