ADAM GRILL WINS LISMORE POINTSCORE
From left to right: Adam’s dad, Robert Grill, Adam Grill, Lismore Speedway promoter David Lander and Blackwoods Trade Store Lismore Manager Jamie Smith.
FROM HOCKEY PLAYER TO RSA STREET STOCK CHAMPION
By Dennis Newlyn
Adam Grill, 29, spent his earlier years playing hockey, never ever thinking one day he would race a Street Stocker at Castrol Edge Lismore Speedway.
That seemed light years away growing up – just as distant back in the day as this season’s success in the Lismore RSA Street Stock Track Championship sponsored by industrial equipment supplier, Blackwoods Trade Store, Lismore.
His prize for winning the Lismore season track title pointscore was a customised Sidchrome tool kit and trolley.
Speedway at Lismore is not new to Adam; it was where he went every Saturday night as a youngster during the season to watch the stars of the day – including his favourite driver Stuart Herne – compete. “I have been watching racing at Lismore Speedway since I was four years old and when I was a kid, Stuart Herne in the Modifieds was my favourite driver. I have been playing hockey my whole life and I never thought one day I would get into Speedway,” Adam said.
However an opportunity arose to enter the sport several years ago when there was a “spare car sitting around and it all started from there,” Adam further explained.
He started his career in February, 2018. After COVID struck and shortened the 2019-2020 latter half of the term in early 2020, the most recently completed 2020-2021 season was clearly Adam’s best. He has now notched an overall total of three seasons but it’s been the last two years that have shown marked improvement.
There were encouraging signs in the previous season that clearly indicated there was potential for even better performances in the future. “Towards the end of the previous season I was starting to get some good results and this season I just worked on my consistency and it worked out for us.”
His dad Robert was a racer as far back as 1988 and when his son commenced his career, Robert was there in Adam’s corner working the spanners during the 2018-2019 season.
However, the temptation to race again proved too much for Robert, 56, who jumped back behind the wheel for a track return last season, now running as a father-and-son team.
Adam drives an EF Ford Falcon and his father races an EL Ford Falcon.
Adam and his father typify the great attraction of speedway as a family sport.
Adam loves the Street Stock class, running under the banner of the Summerland Street Saloon Club, and says “I will probably stick around in Street Stocks because they’re an affordable class to go racing.”
Away from the track Adam Grill is employed as a truck driver, however he does his best driving on the speedway track.
ADAM Grill is sponsored by:
AVID INSURANCE BROKERS, A1 SIGHNS, CROSSY’S TILT TRAYTOWING,
PUTZ BODYWORKS, KEZ’S HI‐WAY SNACKS, WAYNE WELD FABRICATIONS
CORAKI CALTEX RURAL HARDWARE, PLATEAU TYRES,
2025 SPEEDWAY GP WILD CARDS ANNOUNCED