Warren Monson and Andrew Summerhayes new Sidecar World Cup champions - April 2017

April 9, 2017 by Gillman Media

Warren Monson/Andrew Summerhayes won the 2017 FIM Speedway Sidecar 1000cc World Cup at Gillman Speedway last night (8 April).

Monson/Summerhayes finished the 20 qualifying heats as equal top point scorers with defending Cup holders Darrin Treloar/ Blake Cox, and least season’s runners-up, Trent Headland/ Darryl Whetstone on 13 points, then led the final from start to finish to win ahead of Treloar/Cox and Andrew Buchanan/Denny Cox. Headland got “filled-in” in turn two and with no vision had to pull off the track.

Buchanan/Cox were the fourth highest scorers with 11 points, then won a closely fought semi-final from Grant Bond/Glenn Cox (9 pts), Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin (10) and Derek Ramsay/Matthew Ramsay (10).

Ramsay/Ramsay sealed a place in the semi-final with a good win over Gates/O’Loughin, Aiden Thwaites/Shane Twiss and Grant Bond/Glenn Cox in heat 17, but was unfortunate to get knocked off balance in a turn one bingle in the semi which deprived him of any chance of progressing to the final.

Hard luck story of the night was Mark Mitchell/Sam Harrison, who were in slashing form in their opening rides, including a win over Monson/Summerhayes, Treloar/Cox and Grant Bond/Cox in heat 7, but finished the race with a blown engine and were not in contention from that point riding Buchanan’s #2 bike, although they only finished a point shy of a semi-final place, as did Jamie Moohan/Bayley Ogilvie.

Full heat results are on the Gillman Speedway website results page.

The action continues tonight (Sunday 9 April) at Gillman with the second and final round of the Littlehhampton Bricks FIM Oceania Sidecar Championship.