South Australian Solo Championship this Saturday night

Gillman Media 27 November 2024

Adelaide speedway fans are in for an exciting night’s racing this Saturday Night (30 November) when 19 riders take to the track for the first of this season’s state championships, the South Australian 500cc Solo Championship, at Gillman Speedway.

Riders from South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, New Zealand and England have entered for the event, including quite a few Adelaide fans have not seen before.

Only one former winner, Merbein’s Justin Sedgmen, is in the line-up. Sedgmen is the defending champion, a three-time winner, and has a tremendous record of being a finalist in 11 of his 13 appearances, which gives him the right to start as the favourite, but he’ll face strong opposition from local star Fraser Bowes, who was runner-up to Sedgmen in 2022 and 2024; Bendigo’s Jack Morrison, who was a finalist in the last two titles; New South Wales riders Mitchell Cluff and Michael West, who, like Bowes, both raced in the Polish Under-24 League this year; and English rider Sam Hagon.

Other riders in the line-up, who will make racing fierce for a place in the final or semi-final are 16-year-old newly crowned Western Australian Champion Mitch McDiarmid (another rider with some experience in the Polish U24 League), promising NSW riders Reid Battye and Brad Page, who have ridden well at Darcy Ward’s meetings in Queensland over the winter, Mildura’s Dayle Wood and Patrick Hamilton, experienced local rider Sam Martin and our exciting 16-year-old first year riders Ashley Jansen-Batchelor and Harry Sadler, New Zealand South Island Champion and current NZ3 Ben Whalley, Steven Graetz (SA), Jack McDiarmid (WA), Isaiah Hartley (Vic) and Steven Hutchinson (NT).

The format of the championship is 20 heats with the highest three point scorers going into a final along with the winner of a last-chance semi-final for the fourth to seventh highest scorers.

Five riders — Sedgmen, Bowes, Morrison and West, based on last season’s results, and Hagon — have been seeded into the heats, while the other riders will all have the chance to qualify via time trials.

The time trials will start at 7pm, following a minute’s silence for Flat Track rider Troy Knights at 6.55pm.

Support events will be the SA 250cc Solo Championship, Flat Track Solos and 125cc Junior Solos.

In the 250cc Championship, local girl Ruby Chapman, who finished second in the recent WA Championship, will take on three Victorian boys, Xavier Hawtin, Angus Hume and Nate Smith.

For those that can’t attend, the meeting will be livestreamed through the website link [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv] for a cost of $25. As always this is the only official livestreaming link. Any other links touted on facebook sites are scams and should be ignored.

Everything You Need To Know:

Meeting Date: Saturday, 30 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 pm.

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

Racing starts: at 7 pm.

Competitors:

Solos 500cc SA Championship: Seeded riders: Justin Sedgmen (Vic), Fraser Bowes (SA), Jack Morrison (Vic), Michael West (NSW), Sam Hagon (Eng). Qualifying: Ashley Jansen-Batchelor (SA), Reid Battye (NSW), Mitchell Cluff (NSW), Steven Graetz (SA), Patrick Hamilton (Vic), Isaiah Hartley (Vic), Steven Hutchinson (NT), Sam Martin (SA), Jack McDiarmid (WA), Mitchell McDiarmid (WA), Bradley Page (NSW), Harry Sadler (SA), Ben Whalley (NZ), Dayle Wood (Vic)

Under 16 250cc Solos SA Championship: Ruby Chapman (SA), Xavier Hawtin (Vic), Angus Hume (Vic), Nate Smith (Vic)

Flat Track Solos: Graeme Eberhard, Dale Knights, Greg Laanekorb, Dylan McKenzie, Andrew Rost, Kristy Schultz, Con Twist

Juniors (on the infield track during the main track grades): 125cc Solos: Division 1: William Nicol, Blake Schlein (Vic), Riley Stout. Division 2: Owen Chapman, Cooper Karpinski, Nate Sadler. Novices (non-competitive): Axel Smith, Koby Smith. Pee Wees: Kolby Schultz.

Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children Under 16 free. Parking free. 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 be livestreamed on [https://www.spacequakesports.com/ppv]. The cost is $25 Australian. 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.

Smoking, Vaping: by Government legislation, no smoking or vaping allowed at 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 27 November: Maximum 23, minimum 14. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower (0 to 1 mm). [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.