TRELOAR/COX MASTER CLASS

TRELOAR WINS NINTH AUSTRALIAN TITLE

Darrin Treloar and Blake Cox gave a “master class” performance for Treloar to win his ninth Australian Speedway Sidecar Championship in front of a record crowd at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway on Saturday night.

The Riordan’s Paint and Panel, Australian Championship Final, was a thrilling race which saw Treloar select the inside start gate on a count back from eventual second place getters, Trent Headland / Daz Whetstone, who also finished on fourteen points and who started from gate two with the defending Champions, Justin Plaisted / Sam Harrison, just squeezing into third selection with their thirteen point score line, on count back from Warren Monson / Matt Morgan.

Monson / Morgan, who, in losing the count back, had to settle for first choice in the “B” Final.

The winner of the “B” Final was Shane Hudson / Eli Wright, who had completed the card with ten points, but after an unusual gate choice by Monson, who chose the outside, gate four, was never able to catch Hudson, who could not believe his luck that the inside gate was still available for a last chance to the Championship final.

The final started with a good gate to Treloar, ahead of Headland and Plaisted, who made a decision to put it all on the line for a big first turn and lost out to Hudson who just put in a solid start to the event. It did not take long for Treloar / Cox to show their ascendancy with a massive drive down the back straight. Headland drove well too from turn two, but was always just half a length behind the best Sidecar exponent in the World and through turns three and four, Treloar was able to take a slight, but clear advantage into the second lap. Treloar went on to a winning lead and consolidated over the hard charging Headland, who always had Hudson’s measure, who also was taking account of the defending Champions.

Treloar and Cox continued on the gas to the end, taking the win over Headland and Whetstone, with Hudson and Wright in third while Plaisted and Harrison watched from the back, in what was a superb display of Speedway Sidecar racing. Cox was already celebrating as the team crossed the line and the laconic Treloar was probably smiling broadly under his helmet, and, as he admitted later in the Clubrooms, that even though he has won nine Australian Championships, this was his first win at Mildura, and to him, that is a treasured milestone in his speedway career.

Treloar, in his first heat, dropped one point to Mildura’s Warren Monson / Matt Morgan and then scored four superb heat wins over his main rivals in turn, taking care of Shane Hudson / Eli Wright, in his second ride, main rival Trent Headland / Daz Whetstone in his next, then defending Champion, Justin Plaisted / Sam Harrison then finished his heat rides beating Arron and Teagan Hartwig and Mark Plaisted / Darcy Risstrom to finish with a fourteen point score.

Headland and Whetstone also finished on fourteen points taking wins over Howse / Commons, 2009 Champion, Mark Mitchell / Dale Knights and then took account of Monson / Morgan and Plaisted/ Harrison in their last two heats. Their second place was an excellent effort and reward for a strong and solid season, where they have finished second behind Treloar in some recent meetings of significance.

The third placed Shane Hudson / Eli Wright were strong to win the “B” Final, especially as they finished ahead of Monson / Morgan, who along with Treloar, recorded the fastest times during the Title. Hudson then made the best of his opportunity and, after defending Champ, Plaisted made a huge effort in the final, which allowed Hudson to capitalize, went on to take a third place in the Title.

Fourth place went to Plaisted / Harrison, who are at last back riding the bike, which brings them great joy. Plaisted was excited all night, and in the after function in the Clubrooms told the members that it was a pleasure to ride with and against all competitors, but particularly in his time riding as passenger to the great Treloar, with whom he won three Australian Championships.

Monson was a bit unlucky in dropping points to Justin Plaisted and Trent Headland, but has kicked himself for making, what he said, was a poor decision to take gate four in the cut throat “B” Final. That decision cost him dearly as he then finished in sixth place overall, behind Mildura star Byren Gates and Mick O’Loughlin, who had just snuck into the “B” final claiming the last available spot, but proved that when the chips are down and an opportunity presents, than a fifth place was there for the taking. The “Gater and Micky O” pressured Hudson right through the “B” final, but Hudson did not make any mistake in that ride leaving the popular Mildura pair to take a well deserved fifth place.

Mark Mitchell / Dale Knights were the other “B” finalists and finished the weekend in seventh place overall while the veteran, Grant Bond / Glenn Cox, form the Hunter Valley, rode themselves into eighth place. It was Bond’s twenty second consecutive appearance in an Australian Sidecar Championship, starting the year after Darrin Treloar won his first Australian Title in the Northern Territory. Both Bond and Treloar have been ornaments to the sport, often putting the sport before themselves. Treloar especially has been pleased to offer himself for promotion of events and even made the presentations to the competitors in the Junior Sidecar Championship which was held as a curtain raiser to the main event.

Surprising and poor results for some riders, some of whom had a wretched night, included Mick Headland / Liam Brown, who never got going in Mick’s usual way. Even during the Official Practice on Friday night, Headland had problems with both his machines and before the session was through had already dispatched team members to Murray Bridge to get two more engines to try for Title night. Headland too was disadvantaged by having to use another passenger due to injury to his son Jesse, who attended but is still trussed up. The chance for young Englishman, Liam Brown to get some experience with Headland senior, was curtailed when each practice session was shortened by machine problems. It was most unfortunate for Headland and Brown that they never got to have a real chance at the Title. Broken Hill’s Rick Howse / Adam Commons, particularly when the Fonz fell from the machine in mid track and Mark Plaisted / Darcy Risstrom, who just never seemed to get on terms with the meeting were also in an unusual position for themselves. Queenslanders, Wes Jenkins / Hagan Campbell showed that they have not been doing enough competitive riding over recent months and Brodie Cohen / Josh Sinnott, who had spills in their third and fourth heats, with the second of them requiring rider, Cohen, to be taken to Hospital with bruising to his leg cost them any chance of success. They took no further part in the meeting.

The youngsters in the field, the brother / sister pair from Waikerie, Arron and Teagan Hartwig, finished mid field, with just one win and were exposed to some tough riding, which is indicative of an Australian Championship and Hayden Bond/ Brady Cox, the sons of the other Bond / Cox pair, also finished mid field and would have gained from the experience of an Aussie Title opportunity. Both young teams will be better for their time and will now know where their focus needs to be.

Mildura’s “Dad’s Army” pair of Neale Hancock / Brendan Johnson finished at the bottom of the stack, but they should realize that they were competing in the strongest line up ever put together for and Australian Championship and they had earned their place in the meeting. This Australian Championship was probably the best field ever put together and the Club had always been pleased with the selection process.

All riders complimented the track conditions, which provided excellent opportunities and gave constant grip over the width of the track.

Two, four Time Australian Champions, in Andrew Cleave and Glenn O’Brien both congratulated the Club on an excellent track and an excellent weekend. Individually, both Cleave and O’Brien claimed that this 2016 Australian Title was the best that they have ever been associated with, with O’Brien stating that “He has never seen an Aussie Title with such a level of intensity”. Cleave, who also spent time in the pits said “that he could feel the pressure that was on the riders in the Pits and that the way the Club had treated all competitors was exemplary, as it helped to calm what could have been a potentially rugged meeting”.

The large crowd in attendance were vocal in their support of individual teams but were also appreciative of good riding during the night. The crowd could be heard loudly when there were three riders wide on the track through plenty of the corners, swapping a little paint and charging hard into the turns.

A worthy Champion has been crowned at the Riordan’s Paint and Panel, 2016 Australian Sidecar Championship in front of a very appreciative crowd. Mildura Club President, Gavin Sedgmen said, “that this was the largest crowd to attend a meeting at Mildura and was a compliment to the many members who have contributed many hours of volunteer work during the Stadium refurbishment and continued their work to put on meetings such as this. Olympic Park has been held up as an example of leading as the safest track in the World, which makes the Club very proud. I am delighted with the amazing support of our many and valued sponsors this season, who contribute so well to the running and success of our Club.” Sedgmen went on to say “that this meeting was a wonderful way to bring the best ever season of speedway at Mildura to a close.”

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