Gillman Classic Championships / Phil McCurtayne Tribute

31 October 2022 by Gillman Media

Tribute rider Phil McCurtayne and passenger Natural Stone. Photo by Judy Mackay.

A good crowd saw an entertaining night’s racing at the annual Gillman Speedway Classic Championships meeting on Saturday night, which this year also paid tribute to three-time Australian Sidecar Championship Phil McCurtayne.

Traditionally the Classic meeting has usually started quite sedately until the riders get the feel of being back on track again under racing conditions, and the action is quite exciting in the finals, but the action was there from the start on Saturday night with some close and exciting racing in the heats leading up to the all-important finals.

The riders all had three heat rides each before the championships were decided by finals for the top four pointscorers, and the first of the finals was the Two Valve Solo Championship for riders aged 40 and over, which went to defending champion Steven Graetz, ahead of former winners Kevin Webb and Darryl Christopher, with John Doolan fourth. Webb was only beaten by Graetz on the night, while Christopher and Doolan had the closest race in the class in heat four, after Doolan had earlier led Graetz for two laps in the opening heat.

Steve Graetz (white) leads Kevin Webb (yellow) and Darryl Christopher (red) in the Solo 2 Valve Over 40 final. Photo by Judy Mackay.

The Japanese Sidecar Championship was the most thrilling of the finals with Paul Snadden/Greg Black almost grabbing an unexpected win on the line. For most of the race Steven Lewis/Nick O’Brien held a narrow lead ahead of Chris Wakefield/Kate Barnes, with Snadden/Black third and Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds fourth, but with half a lap to go Snadden went around Wakefield and looked for all the world like he was going to pass Lewis/O’Brien as well, but came up just short as the first three, Lewis/O’Brien, Snadden/Black and Wakefield/Barnes crossed the line wheel-to-wheel.

In the earlier heat racing, Lewis and Wakefield were also wheel-to-wheel in heat one; Wakefield and Snadden had a close race for second behind Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy in heat three; Lewis and Lethbridge exchanged places a couple times over the last two laps in heat four, and Wakefield and Lewis had another close race in heat six, this time with Wakefield the winner after passing Lewis on the last lap. Aaron and Jaron Silvy won their first two heats before being forced out of their last heat and the final with engine trouble.

Steven Lewis/Nick O’Brien (red) and Paul Snadden/Greg Black (yellow) race to the line in the Japanese Sidecar final. Photo by Judy Mackay.

Five-time Australian Champion Dennis Nash, with local lad Jaron Silvy as passenger, on the ex-Red Skelton/Roberta Scarey Vincent were convincing winners in the British Sidecar final, after having their hands full with Rory McEnroe/Darren Turner, on the ex-Kevin McEnroe, ex-Bruce Kelley Vincent, and Clinton Crabb/Michael Bell on the 750 Triumph during the heats. McEnroe won the first heat; Nash came from last to win the second after Crabb led for the first two laps; and McEnroe won the third, but Nash/Silvy made a good start in the final and there was no catching them.

Clinton Crabb/Michael Bell (red) leading Dennis Nash/Jaron Silvy (blue) and Rory McEnroe/Darren Turner during heat two of the British Sidecars. Photo by Judy Mackay.

Like Steven Graetz in the Two Valve Solos, current-day rider, 20-year-old Teagan Pedler went through the card in the 4 Valve Upright Solo class and was unchallenged in retaining the championship she won last year. Brendan Liddle was second, Martin Williams third and Richard Hill fourth. John Doolan would have been a finalist but was forced out with bike trouble after two rides, and Gavin Sedgmen looked handy in heat two before he ran out of puff and decided to concentrate on his newly acquired Sidecar, with his passenger 16-year-old Chloe Ackerley taking over his rides on the Solo.

Teagan Pedler (red) leads Martin Williams (white) and Brendan Liddle (blue) in the Evolution Upright 4 Valve Solo final. Photo by Judy Mackay.

Another rider to successfully defend his title was Dean Hobbs, with passenger Daniel Low, in the Post Classic Sidecar class, despite some hectic racing both in the heats and the final. All five outfits, Hobbs/Low, Keith Bichard/Kane Golding, Darren Pascoe/Michael Potts/Tim Bichard/Josh Pascoe and Stephen Fowler/Ben Goodridge were in the mix during the heats, and challenged Hobbs/Low throughout but Hobbs/Low were nevertheless able to go unbeaten in the heats and the final, with their task made somewhat easier in the final when Fowler reared at the start, dumping Goodridge, and had to start from 15 metres in the restart.

A Post Classic Sidecar heat with Stephen Fowler/Ben Goodridge (yellow, partly obscured), Tim Bichard/Josh Pascoe (red) and Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low (blue). Photo by Judy Mackay.

The final championship class, the Evolution Sidecar Championship, also saw some hectic racing, with Brenten Dwyer/Jamie Flood and tribute rider Phil McCurtayne/Natural Stone to the forefront. 73-year-old McCurtayne, who retired in 1993, came from the back to beat Dwyer/Flood in the first heat; Chris Wakefield/Kate Barnes won the second heat after Dwyer/Flood made a slow start and McCurtayne/Stone stalled; and Dwyer/Flood won the third heat ahead of Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds after McCurtayne/Stone reared at the start and lost some time. The final was all going to come down to the start and McCurtayne did get a good start this time but Dwyer was able to outpace him and go on to take the win with McCurtayne second, Wakefield/Barnes third and Lethbridge/Simounds fourth.

Evolution Sidecars, Phil McCurtayne/Natural Stone (yellow) and Brenten Dwyer/Jamie Flood (blue). Photo by Judy Mackay.

Also on the programme were Classic Flat Track Solos who were racing for the Greg Nestor Cup, a trophy presented by Hannah Conradi in memory of her father who was a regular Flat Track rider at Gillman who passed away unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm just after the end of last season. Seane Chapman was the favourite to win riding one of Greg Nestor’s bikes, but David Footner, a former star of the half-mile track in Port Pirie during the 1990s, and a friend and rival of Nestor’s since they were in juniors together, was determined to win and narrowly got the better of Chapman in their heat and the final. Former Darwin speedway rider Mark Stevens was third, Con Twist was fourth and Wayne Lethbridge fifth.

Classic Flat Track final Mark Stevens (green), David Footner (red) and Seane Chapman (blue). Photo by Judy Mackay.

The opening summer meeting is in a fortnight on Saturday night, 12 November, featuring the Gillman Solo, Sidecar and Under 16 250cc Solo Championships.