NOSTALGIA UNLIMITED AT GILLMAN OCTOBER 25
Feature photo by:Judy Mackay.
The Speedway season is back!
Fans will get their annual dose of nostalgia, with the chance to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the bikes of yesteryear, this Saturday night, October 25 , when Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway hosts its classic championships and speedway tribute meeting.
As always, the meeting will features multiple championship classes for Solos and Sidecars, including the popular British Sidecar class.
The Vincents of Dennis Nash, and his son, Darren, are back, along with those of Mark Mitchell and Rory McEnroe, but the class this year also includes George Atherton on Geoff Baran’s 850cc Norton Commando, Wayne Ware from Queensland on his twin Triumph, and Moz Pridham on his BSA/JAP. The Vincents put on a thrilling show last year but Atherton, Ware and Pridham are all former championship winners of various classes at previous Gillman Classic meetings, so the Vincents may not have it all their own way on Saturday night.
The Post Classic Sidecar class, for the Brian Schultz Perpetual Cup, this year looks to be the most open class for many years, and although Chris Rae is back to defend his title, a winner is too hard to predict with any confidence.
The other Sidecar classes are the Japanese class, which is also hard to pick a likely winner, and the Evolution class, which unfortunately is low on numbers this time around.
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.
Steven Graetz will be the favourite in the two valve class, with his main opposition coming from Roy Stout, Darryl Christopher and Kevin Webb, while Teagan Pedler will be attempting her fifth win in a row in the four valve class. There will also be events for the Laydown class (non-championship) and the Classic Flat Trackers, for the Greg Nestor Perpetual Trophy, but both of those classes only have low numbers this year.
The meeting also doubles as a tribute meeting to a past rider, and this year it is former Sidecar rider David Adams, who is forever etched in history as the winner of the last SA Sidecar Championship at Rowley Park Speedway, but he also won many other events which are covered in an extensive look at his career in the 32-page souvenir programme. A limited number of meeting shirts will also be available at the souvenir shop.
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. Spectators can also go into the pits after the meeting for the trophy presentations.
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.