Gillman Season Opener Oct 29th

[BigFatDave 258]

From the Gillman website:

 

The annual Gillman Classic Speedway Championship meeting takes place this Saturday night, 29 October.

 

The meeting is a family night of old time speedway action, which marks the transition between the Sunday morning winter practice meetings and the professional Saturday night summer season, and it also doubles as a tribute meeting to a speedway legend of the past.

 

This year the meeting will honour the biggest name of them all, Ivan Mauger, OBE MBE.

 

Mauger definitely needs no introduction in any speedway country in the world. After all, in 2000, he was chosen, after polls between 34 speedway magazines around the world, as the speedway “Man of the Millennium” — the top speedway rider of the 20th century.

 

With a career stretching back to the 1950s, and still going strong as a promoter (when he runs his Golden Helmet or Long Track meetings), riding coach, and as an ambassador for the sport, Ivan won over 1000 international events in 26 countries, including 6 World Individual Speedway Championships, 3 World Individual Long Track Championships, 2 World Pairs Championships, and 4 World Team Championships.

 

As well as being the guest of honour at Gillman, Mauger will be doing three demonstration rides, one on a current-day bike, and two on bikes formerly ridden by 1951-52 World Champion Jack Young.

 

The souvenir programme on the night will detail Ivan’s early career when he lived in Adelaide, from 1959-63.

 

The Classic Championship meeting will consist of 48 events to cater for six championship categories — the JAP/ESO powered Solo bikes with riders over 50 years of age; 2 valve Jawa Solos; 4 valve Solos; British/European Sidecars, Japanese Sidecars and Post Classic Sidecars — plus demonstration events by the Classic Three Quarter Midgets.

 

Riders from SA, WA, Vic, ACT, NSW and Qld will take part.

 

The star rider in the Solos should be Nigel Sadler, the defending champion in the four valve class. Sadler is a former British League rider who is still good enough to hold his own against our current-day riders.

 

One of those current-day riders will be Sadler’s main opposition, with Robert Ksiezak making a return to racing after being sidelined since April last year following an alarming crash at Berwick, in England, which resulted in a serious knee injury.

 

17-year-old Luke Mitchell is another current-day rider who might figure prominently, while Merv Janke (Qld), Kevin Webb (WA ) and Jeff Long should be the best of the “old blokes”.

 

Janke, who started riding in Townsville as a teenager in the 1970s, and became one of North Queensland’s best ever riders, was very impressive in his Gillman Classic debut last season, while Webb is a popular visitor each year and always impresses.

 

This year both Janke and Webb are contesting all three Solo classes so will be facing 12 rides if they reach all three finals!

 

On last year’s showing Janke, who turns 55 on 7 November, should be too strong for his rivals in the JAP/ESO class for riders over 50, with Webb, fellow Sandgroper Barry Kennington, the ACT’s Ken Carratt, and Queenslander Keith Pilcher the main opposition. After hearing so much about last year’s event from Janke, Pilcher is making his Gillman debut, riding one of Jeff Fisher’s bikes. Fisher is the current class champion but has decided to sit out this year’s meeting because of health reasons.

 

Janke, fellow North Queenslander Roy Stout, Webb and Long should be the main contenders in the 2 valve Solo class.

 

In the Sidecars, spectators will once again get their Vincent “fix” with Victorians Clint Curran/Garry O’Neill making the trip over to renew their rivalry with Jim Irwin/Rick Schonfeldt on the 750 Triumph.

 

Irwin came through from last place at the start to win the final last year ahead of Curran, with Moz Pridham/Graham Williams on the BSA/Jap third and Mildura’s Dale Milner/Nick O’Brien on the Harley twin fourth.

 

Pridham/Williams won the Japanese Sidecar class but they face an increased challenge this year with former winner George Atherton returning to the field. Atherton won for three year’s running from 2006-08, before retiring in the 09 season final after going through the heats undefeated, but has not ridden in the last two events. Former North Arm Speedway rider Nipper Crabb makes his first appearance in the Classic meeting in this class.

 

Three other former North Arm riders, Jim Irwin, Peter Menz and Lee Banks spearhead the Post Classic Sidecar class along with Victorians Ricky Curran/Chris Walker. Curran was unbeaten in the heats last season before finishing third in the final behind David Adams and Menz.

 

As well as the two and three wheel classes the Three Quarter Midgets will have three demonstration runs. With the clay track surfaces dominating most speedway tracks these days, Gillman is one of the few tracks where the surface is smooth enough for the TQ drivers to have a safe and enjoyable time driving their classic cars.

 

Racing starts at 7.30 pm, but gates open at 4 pm and the public will be able to get into the pits for a close look at the bikes until 6.30 pm.

 

Ivan Mauger will also be Gillman’s guest at a BBQ on the Friday night (28 October, 7pm) which is open to the public, and they will be able to buy a personally autographed copy of Ivan’s autobiography, “The Will To Win”