Grand Prix riders at Gillman Speedway this Tuesday night

Gillman Media, 31 December 2022

The ‘best of the best’ Australian riders head to Adelaide this week to compete in round one of the 2023 Australian 500cc Solo Championship at Gillman Speedway on Tuesday night (3 January).

The resumes of the riders competing in the Littlehampton Bricks and Pavers sponsored event make this one of the most highly credentialed line-ups seen in an Australian Championship.

Amongst the line-up will be two former World Individual Champions, the current Speedway of Nations World Champions (the equivalent of the old World Pairs Championship), all three of Australia’s current Grand Prix riders, and the last six Australian Champions.

Outside of that, the field is full of riders who race in Britain, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany and even the support events are made up of riders who rode in last week's FIM Oceania Championship meeting.

The Oceania meeting has been highly praised on the internet but this meeting will be so intense the chances are there will be 23 races as good as the Oceania final.

If you only go to one meeting a season, this is the meeting you won’t want to miss.

Looking down the list of riders, at the top are the two former World Champions, Chris Holder and Jason Doyle, and the current Speedway of Nations World Champions Jack Holder and Max Fricke, who won the 2022 title in Denmark.

Doyle, Jack Holder and Fricke are also Australia’s current Grand Prix riders. All three rode in the 2022 World Championship series and have qualified, or been selected, to ride again in the 2023 series.

The last 6 Australian Champions who will come to the tapes are Chris Holder (2014), Doyle (2015), Brady Kurtz (2016), Sam Masters (2017), Rohan Tungate (2018), and Max Fricke (2019, 20, 22). The title was not held in 2021 because of Covid restrictions.

Jack Holder has yet to win an Australian Championship but has won the last five New South Wales Championships against many of these riders. Chris Holder (5), Masters, Kurtz (2), and Tungate (2) are all former NSW Champions, while Merbein’s Justin Sedgmen is also a multiple state champion with 4 Victorian championships and 2 South Australian championships.

Doyle, Tungate and Fricke have also won SA Championships at Gillman, while Chris Holder (4), Tungate, Doyle, Kurtz, Jack Holder (2) and Fricke have all won previous rounds of the Australian Championship at Gillman.

They are the most highly decorated riders in the line-up but outside that top bracket there will be Josh Pickering, Ben Cook, Zach Cook and James Pearson from New South Wales, Zaine Kennedy and Zane Keleher from Queensland and local riders Fraser Bowes and Brayden McGuinness.

Those eight riders would make a very attractive line-up in themselves, but the facts are, no matter how well they ride, some of these riders will only score a few points, such will be the closeness and intensity of the racing.

The line-up warrants a huge crowd, but for those that can’t attend in person, the meeting will be livestreamed through the website link below. Please note this is the only official livestreaming link, any others touted on facebook sites are scams.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Tuesday, 3 January 2023

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

Parking and entrance: Patrons can enter via gates at the western and eastern ends of the venue. There are free off-street parking areas near both gates.

Gates open: at 3pm.

Pit access for spectators: Free spectator access to the pits from 3pm to 5pm.

Racing starts: at 7 pm.

Riders:

Australian 500cc Solo Championship Littlehampton Bricks and Pavers Round 1: Fraser Bowes (SA), Ben Cook (NSW), Zach Cook (NSW), Jason Doyle (NSW), Max Fricke (Vic), Chris Holder (NSW), Jack Holder (NSW), Zane Keleher (Qld), Zaine Kennedy (Qld), Brady Kurtz (NSW), Sam Masters (NSW), Brayden McGuinness (SA), James Pearson (NSW), Josh Pickering (NSW), Justin Sedgmen (Vic), Rohan Tungate (NSW). LATE CHANGE 2 JANUARY: Zaine Kennedy out (illness), replaced by Michael West.

500cc Solo Support Races: Patrick Hamilton (Vic), Declan Knowles (Vic), Liam May (SA), Michael West (NSW), Jake Turner (SA), Dayle Wood (Vic). LATE CHANGES 2 JANUARY: Michael West out (into championship event); Declan Knowles out (work), Steven Graetz in.

250cc Under 16 Solo Support Races: Ashley Jansen-Batchelor (SA), Riley Plum (Vic), Harry Sadler (SA), Darcey Timmis (SA).

125cc Junior (Under 16) Solos (on infield track during main track grades): Cooper Antone (NSW), Kobi Canning (SA), Ruby Chapman (SA), Ambrose Fraser (Vic), Blake Hocking (SA), Ryleigh McGregor (SA), William Nicol (SA), Hayden Pascoe (SA), Blake Schlein (Vic).

Admission: Adults $30, Age Pension and Student Concession $25, Children Under 16 free. Parking free. Souvenir programme $5- includes chances to win $50 fuel vouchers. EFTPOS available at both entrances, canteen, bar and souvenir shop.

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

Livestreaming: This meeting will be livestreamed on https://spacequakesports.vhx.tv/products/2023-australian-speedway-championship-jan-3rd (the cost is $25 Australian, but note the website shows the price as $16.99 in US dollars). Any other claimed links to livestreaming are scams.

Seating: There are large grassed viewing mounds and terracing suitable for deck chairs. The Grandstand only has 120 seats available for this meeting due to ongoing refurbishment.

VIP Area: The Bob White VIP area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view in the stadium. Enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled rooms, on the timber deck, or on the enclosed lawn area. The VIP area also has its own bar and toilet. Ring Ivan Golding on 0417 138 378 for more details.

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.

Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop. See the “A Night At Gillman” tab.

Pets: No animals are allowed into the venue except assistance animals, eg guide dogs.

Weather Forecast as at 31 December: Maximum 25, minimum 14. Partly cloudy.

[www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml]

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 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.

Contact for this meeting: Ivan Golding 0417 138 378 or email contact@gillmanspeedway.com