NATE HEADLAND / BYRON MORDAUNT WIN SIDECAR CUP AT GILLMAN

Story by: Mark Neale

Photos by: Judy Mackay

Talented first year rider Nate Headland (with stand in passenger Byron Mordaunt) won the Paintmasters SA Sidecar Cup final at Gillman Speedway on Saturday March 25.

This was the final meeting of the 2022-23 Gillman season.

Headland/Mordaunt won the four rider, four lap final ahead of Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris, Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low and Nathan Fleet/Eric Melton.

The meeting was run over twelve heats, a semi final and a final between a small field of nine competitors. The format was four heats each with the top three point scorers progressing straight through to the final and scorers four to seven contesting a sudden death semi final with the winner qualifying for the final.

Eleven teams had nominated for the meeting, but by the time the tapes went up for the first, heat two teams had withdrawn.

Sitting at the top of the score chart after the twelve heats on 11 points each out of a possible 12 points were both Nate Headland/Byron Mordaunt (beaten by Aaron/Jaron Silvy in heat 1) and Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris(beaten by Headland/Mordaunt in heat 8) combinations after recording three wins and a second each from their four heats.

The third direct qualifier for the final was last year’s Australian Championship qualifying star Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low on 10 points (two wins and two seconds – beaten only by the top two teams above them on the scorechart when they Clashed)

Nathan Fleet and new passenger for the night Eric Melton (5 points – a second and three third) were somewhat surprise winners of the semi final to qualify for the final.

Brian Silvy/Dean Cottrell (9 points a win and three seconds) were excluded for an excusrion on to the infield and Josh Pascoe/Matt Crawford (4 points) were also excluded in the semi.

Kane Golding/Isaac Amos (2 points) and Adam Pascoe/Axel Brereton (0 points pulled out of the meeting after their first heat) were the only other teams to compete

The meeting started off with the Paintmasters SA $500 1 lap flying start Dash for Cash which was won by Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris  with a time of 14.53 seconds.

Paintmasters SA is owned by former South Australian and New South Wales champion David Adams.

POINTS AFTER THE TWELVE QUALIFYING HEATS WERE

Nate Headland/Byron Mordaunt  11pts

Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris           11

Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low                 10

Brian Silvy/Dean Cottrell                 9

Araon Silvy/Jaron Silvy                     5

Nathan Fleet/Eric Melton                5

Josh Pascoe/Matt Crawford            4

Kane Golding/Isaac Amos                2

Adam Pascoe/Axel Brereton           0

NON STARTERS

Mark Mitchell no passenger

Tim Bichard/Seth Pascoe injuried

SEMI FINAL

1^ST Nathan Fleet/Eric Melton

EX Brian Silvey/Dean Cottrell

Ex Josh Pascoe/Matt Crawford

FINAL

1^ST Nate Headland/Byron Mordaunt

2^ND Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris

3^RD Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low

4^th Nathan Fleet/Eric Melton