Classic Speedway racing at Gillman this Saturday night

Gillman Media 30 October 2024

Speedway fans will get their annual dose of nostalgia this Saturday night, 2 November, when Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway hosts its classic championships and speedway tribute meeting.

The meeting will feature multiple championship classes for Solos and Sidecars, including the popular Vincent-powered sidecars.

Once again Gillman is pleased to welcome back the Nash family from Perth, with former five-time Australian Champion, and defending champion in this class, Dennis Nash, and his son, former WA champion, Darren, with their restored Vincents. A third Vincent this year will be ridden by another former Australian, and South Australian, champion Mark Mitchell. Also in the British Sidecar class will be George Atherton on Geoff Baran’s 850cc Norton Commando. Atherton never reached the Australian Championship level of the Nashes and Mitchell, but has been a former three-time Japanese class winner at the Classic meeting.

Another former SA champion on the programme is Chris Rae, who will riding in the Post Classic Sidecar class, for the Brian Schultz Perpetual Cup, and the Evolution class. Rae nominated for both classes last year but only got one race in after he suffered a broken leg in a turn one collision in his first race. He’s hoping for better luck this time!

George Atherton is also riding in the Post Classic class, as is former North Arm Speedway rider Lee Banks, but current-day duo Dean Hobbs and Daniel Low will be the team to beat. Hobbs is a four-time winner of the class but missed last year’s event because Low was sidelined with an injury.

Competing against Rae in the Evolution class is current day rider Wayne Lethbridge, Jack Spear and Mildura’s  Joshua Kerr and Chris Abriani.

Lethbridge and Kerr are also riding in the Japanese class along with Peter Engels, Pieter Hoogland and Aaron Silvy, and Aaron and son Jaron, on the Honda 750 turbo, should be the team to beat in that class. They won the title on the same bike in 2020, but Lethbridge and Grantley Simounds won the following year.

For the two-wheel brigade there are two championship classes — the two valve class for riders aged 40 or over, who are also competing for the Jeff Fisher Perpetual Trophy, and the upright 4 valve class, with some standout favourites in both classes – Steven Graetz in the two valve, and Robert Branford in the four valve.

Teagan Pedler has won three in a row in the four valve class but she will be hard pressed to beat Branford, who is a former British Under 21 champion and two-time Gillman champion, and at only age 30 could still be racing successfully in the regular season.

The meeting also doubles as a tribute meeting to a past rider, and this year it is former international Solo rider Steven Baker. A limited number of meeting shirts will be available at the souvenir shop, and the $5 souvenir programme includes an extensive look at Steve’s career as one of Australia’s leading rider in Europe in the 1980s.

Racing starts at 7pm but the gates will open at 4pm so spectators have plenty of time to have a close look at the old bikes before the pits are closed to the public.

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.

This meeting will not be livestreamed so please ignore any internet postings that claim to be links to a livestream as they are scams.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 2 November 2024

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 4.00pm.

Pit access for spectators: Free spectator access to the pits until approximately 6.15pm.

Racing starts: at 7 pm.

Riders:

Sidecars British/European/American : George Atherton/passenger tba (Norton 850), Mark Mitchell/Tony Carter (Vincent 1000), Darren Nash/Greg Black (WA/SA-Vincent 1000), Dennis Nash/Jaron Silvy (WA/SA-Vincent 1000).

Sidecars Japanese : Peter Engels/Angela Macfarlane (Suzuki 500), Pieter Hoogland/Liam Sherwood (Yamaha 650), Joshua Kerr/Kate Barnes (Honda 750), Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds (Yamaha 650), Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy (Honda 750)

Sidecars Post Classic (Brian Schultz Perpetual Cup) : Chris Abriani/Rodney Higgins (Vic-Suzuki 1000), George Atherton/passenger tba (Kawasaki 1000), Lee Banks/Adam Lange (Suzuki 1000), Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low (Suzuki 1000), Joshua Kerr/Kate Barnes (Vic-Kawasaki 1000), David Lindsay/Liam Squire (Kawasaki 900), Chris Rae/Jamie Flood (SA/Vic-Kawasaki 1000), Rodney Wall/Rob Telfer (Honda 1000)

Sidecars Evolution : Chris Abriani/Rodney Higgins (Vic-Suzuki 1000), Joshua Kerr/Kate Barnes (Vic-Suzuki 1000), Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds (Kawasaki 1000), Chris Rae/Jamie Flood (SA/Vic-Kawasaki 1000), Jack Spear/Adam Pascoe (Kawasaki 1000)

Solos (JAP/ESO) 2 valve for riders aged 40 or over (Jeff Fisher Perpetual Trophy) : Darryl Christopher (Jawa), John Doolan (Vic-Jawa), Phil Georgeff (Tas-Jawa), Steven Graetz (ESO), Denis Hall (Vic-Jawa), Trevor Henderson (ESO)

Solos Evolution Upright 4 valve : Robert Branford (Jawa), John Doolan (Jawa), Teagan Pedler (tba), Mitchell Spear (Jawa), Brett Tomkins (Godden)

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, Children Under 16 free. Parking free. Souvenir programme $5-includes two chances to win $50 fuel vouchers. EFTPOS available at both entrances, the 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 not be livestreamed. Livestreaming will resume on 9 November with the opening meeting of the summer season. [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv]. Any other claimed links to livestreaming are scams and should be ignored.

Seating: Free grandstand seating, terracing suitable for deck chairs, and large grassed viewing mounds.

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. Also by Government legislation, no smoking or vaping allowed inside this 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 30 October: Maximum 34, minimum 12. Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower about the southern suburbs in the evening. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. [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.

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. 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). Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. 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 onto Bedford Street. Keep going on that road until you get to the speedway. About 2km.

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.

Contact for this meeting: Ivan Golding 0417 138 378.