March 6, 2023

VICTORIAN SIDECAR TITLE RECORD SETTERS

Australia, Koorlong (Mildura), Latest News, Sidecars, Victoria Australian Speedway

Media release by Mark Neale

All photos by: Steven Bloomfield Photography

Former World Champions Warren Monson and passenger Andrew Summerhayes created history at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway Saturday, Match 4, by winning the Victorian Sidecar Championship for a record ninth time.

They finished ahead of runner-up duo, South Australia/Victorian team of Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr, while Broken Hill team of Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien placed third and South Australia’s Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear finished fourth.

Monson and Summerhayes win was their fourth in a row as a team and Monson’s ninth title win of his career.

He won his first title way back in 2004 with Scott Cameron as his passenger at Undera, his second at Broadford with Deven Gates in 2011 and then three in a row (2012 to 2014) with Matt Morgan as passenger at three different venues (at Wangaratta, Mildura and Undera.)

Monson/Summerhayes broke the record held by three times Australian Champion and twelve times Australian title top four placegetters Andrew Cleave/David Power. (Monson/Summerhayes shared eight title wins at eight.)

Monson and Summerhayes were on fire during the meeting and were unbeaten on the night recording five wins from as many starts to finish with a perfect 15 point maximum score on the brilliantly prepared 300 metre circuit. On their way to a maximum score, they broke the track record in heat five from 59.542 seconds down to 59.168 seconds when they beat arch rivals and track record holders Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr.

Monson said after the win: “It’s good to have the record for most wins – good to be able to get my eye back in so quick after 11 months off the bike. It was a good night and a good track, dropping the race record by half a second.”

Four Times South Australian Champion Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr (who had a shocking night the previous week in the SA title) finished the twenty action packed heats with 13 points made up of thee wins and two seconds. They were beaten only by Monson/ Summerhayes in heat five and youngsters Max Howse/Riley Commons in heat twenty.

South Australia team of Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear were somewhat of a surprise packet of the night, qualifying directly through to the final with 12 points (made up of two wins and three seconds) behind the top two on the score chart and surprisingly by Victorian/South Australian team of Chris Walker/Eric Melton (heat 19)

Just missing out on the final (via a count back) was New South Wales number two duo Max Howse/Riley Commons from Broken Hill with 12 points (two wins and three seconds).

They dropped points in their five qualifying heats to Monson (heat 3), Niesche (heat 7) and Stephens (heat 14). It was the third state title they had competed in this season and the third time they have scored double figures.

Impressive first year team of Nate Headland/Jaxon Rayner (who won the Dash for Cash in the time trials prior to the start of the heats) and local team of Chris Walker/Eric Melton both finished with 11 points each (two wins,two seconds and a third).

Young Nate Headland is the son of former South Australian and Australian Champion Trent Headland, his grandfathers are former World Champion Mick Headland and five times Australian titleholder Glenn O’Brien (his mum is Glenn’s daughter Janelle).

The Headland/Rayner team finished third in last week’s SA title in their first attempt against some more seasoned riders.

Experienced team Rick Stephens/Nick O’Brien scored 9 points (a win,three seconds and a fourth) to get the seventh and final spot in the semi final.

They had one of the biggest crashes ever seen at Gillman Speedway last weekend during the SA title and burnt the midnight oil during the week getting the spare bike prepared for the title

Stephens/O’Brien started out of gate four in the semi and rounded up the field coming out of turn two then cleared out to take the win and transfer through to the final ahead of Headland/Rayner, Howse/ Commons after a great battle with fourth placegetters Walker/Melton.

Former Victorian Champions Byren Gates/Michael O’Loughlin won their opening heat and pulled out of the meeting after their second race due to bike problems, while former Australian finalist Malcolm German/ Matt Crundwell were the first to pull out due to engine trouble during practice

Riders from Victoria,South Australia, New South Wales (Broken Hill) contested the event

STARTING POSITIONS FOR THE FNAL WERE

RED 1 Mick Headland/Brenton Kerr

BlUE 2 Warren Monson/Andrew Summerhayes (first pick)

WHITE 3 Damien Niesche/Mitchell Spear

YELLOW 4 Rick Stephens/Nick O/Brien

Monson/Summerhayes flew out of the tapes and got into the first corner in the lead and they were never headed really challenged as they took the win ahead of Headland/Kerr, Stephens/O’Brien and Niesche/Spear.