TRELOAR/COX WIN ANOTHER STATE TITLE

The World’s best ever Sidecar speedway exponent, NSW riders, Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox, took out yet another State Championship ahead of defending Victorian Champions, Rick Howse and Adam Commons, from Broken Hill in the 2016 Victorian Sidecar Championship at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway on Saturday night.

Action was fast, furious and somewhat vigorous for the entire twenty heat sessions, but then the Currans Used Cars, Victorian final was action packed with an early start being required to be pulled back and then some eventful racing between Treloar / Cox, the hard charging Silver City pair of Howes / Commons as well as dual World Champions, Mick and Jesse Headland, from Murray Bridge and current Australian Champions, Adelaide’s, Justin Plaisted / Sam Harrison.

Unfortunately for the National Champions, they put a hole in the engine, taking away their opportunity and then Mick Headland pulled to the infield in the final lap, allowing him a third place finish ahead of Plaisted / Harrison. Treloar and Cox, however, were able to consolidate their win in the final lap ahead of Howes / Commons, who did not give up over the entire journey.

Best finishing Victorian and now Victorian seeded rider straight into the Australian Championship to be held at Mildura on Saturday 9^{th April will be the skillful, Neale Hancock and Brendan Johnson, who again ride magnificently, especially in Heat thirteen when the Hartwig team hit the fence and spun across the track just about the start line area. Hancock, like he did the previous meeting, was brilliant to see the trouble that the Hartwig’s were in and spun his machine in an instant, avoiding the fallen Teagan Hartwig, who was most vulnerable whilst falling onto the track.}

The large crowd in attendance once again applauded the Hancock / Johnson reaction. Selfless action like that of Hancock and Johnson is well regarded by speedway riders and patrons alike and the thanks of the fallen riders is always with those riders who, in an instant, will take immediate evasive action.

A very strong field of contestants was selected by the Victorian speedway authorities, particularly from well credentialed Interstate visitors, which include the top five finishers in the Championship. Hancock / Johnson were sixth with former Victorian Champions, Monson / Morgan in seventh with Gates / O’Loughlin in eighth place. Both Monson and Gates will have to nominate for the Australian Championship “Qualifying” meting to be held on Friday 8th April, prior to the Championship meeting the following night at Olympic Park.

Reserve riders were used in overload, filling a vacant position on at least nine occasions during the program. Both AJ Pearce / Brock Gates and Nathan Cock / Kayne McMahon collected three heat points each while Paul Donnelly / Jake Roberts gathered one point while Chris Wakefield / Jamie Knudsen did not collect from their single Reserve ride.

Points scores overall saw Treloar / Cox unbeaten on a fifteen point maximum ahead of Plaisted / Harrison, who finished on thirteen points, dropping a point to both Treloar and Howes / Commons. The Headlands, who finished on twelve points, dropped a point to each of Plaisted, Howes and Treloar to take the third gate selection in the Currans Final.

Howes and Commons, the defending Champions, finished with eleven points after only dropping a point to Treloar, but also suffering an exclusion in Heat nine, when they locked together with last week’s Masters winners, Damian Niesche / Mitch Spear and the two machines locked together, causing them to both spin infield, causing a race stoppage. Howes was judged to be most at fault, a matter which was not agreed with by the large Broken Hill crowd in attendance.

Niesche later incurred the wrath of officials when he lost his passenger in the toughest heat of the night against Treloar, Headland and Gates, in Heat nineteen. Niesche unfortunately had to go even though his passenger pleaded for a re-start.

A very entertaining group of Classic Sidecars provided an enjoyable adjunct for the large number of Mildura patrons and visitors, who were well accommodated in great grandstand facilities and on the Stadium’s grassy banks, who all enjoyed seeing three 750cc Suzuki Water Bottles in action once again. Rob Kemp / Peter Harvy from Broken Hill rode against father and sons combinations, Don and Scott Morris and Greg Griffiths with his lad Nathan McFadden, all on Suzuki’s against Simon Cohrs / Reece Farr on their four stroke machine.

The Club has been widely congratulated for the excellent facilities at Olympic Park by both competitors, who appreciate the new and smart Pit facilities and by patrons who enjoy to get a great view of the racing from a grandstand vantage point. Visitors appreciate the provision of good spectator facilities, especially when they are comfortable and well utilised.

The meeting started in somber mood with both riders and patrons paying respects to the late Paul Pinfold, an Englishmen who had been the greatest innovator in Sidecar racing over the last forty years. Pinfold was the original designer and builder of a unit construction frame for Sidecar Speedway, which has been adopted and widely modified by many frame builders since. Pinfold had extensive experience in speedway over fifty years, in all the speedway countries of the World, including his home base in England, where he also had a successful career at Grass Track Sidecars before bringing his speedway technology to Australia. Pinfold was always a master of three wheels, including some time on Road Race Sidecars. Pinfold died unexpectedly on New Years eve.

Next meeting at Olympic Park will be the Final round of the 2016 Australian Solo Speedway Championships next Sunday night, the 10th January. The fourth round at Mildura will see a new Australian Champion crowned as there are no former Australian Champions in this year’s field.

Four Mildura riders Justin Sedgmen, Jordan Stewart, Cooper Riordan and Brodie Waters have qualified for the four round Championship which started at Kurri Kurri last Saturday night. The “circus” moves to Undera, Shepparton on Wednesday 6th, with the third round to be held at Gillman, Adelaide on Friday 8th prior to heading to Mildura for the final round. Sedgmen is expected to be in contention for an overall podium place at the Mildura meeting.

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