MILDURA SPEEDWAY: PLAISTED AND PITT WIN VIC SIDECAR TITLE

All photography by: Judy Mackay

A five heat maximum score came the way of three times Australian Sidecar Champions, Mark Plaisted and Ben Pitt, before the drama struck in the Outback Lawncare & Rubbish Removal 2025 Victorian Sidecar Title final, which had two starts before the Championship was decided at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway.

The Championship finals were both full of drama where Broken Hill’s, Max Howes / Riley Commons won the “B” final ahead of only other finisher, Josh Pascoe / Greg Black after local star, Byren Gates / Mick O’Loughlin retired at half race distance and Goulburn Valley charger, Mal German / Cam White, were excluded for an infield excursion.

That set the scene for the excitement which was to follow in the evening’s main event which saw top points men, Plaisted and Pitt select the second gate for their title chase. Second points scorers, Queensland’s dual Champion, Tyler Moon and Adam Lovell could not risk leaving gate one to the others in the field and chose the inside line. Mick Headland / Brenton Kerr selected gate three, leaving the outside gate to the winners of the ”B” final, the lads from Broken Hill.

First time away was a good contest with Plaisted / Pitt leading nicely

with Headland / Kerr dicing for second place with Moon / Lovell when, on the exit of turn four on the first lap, Headland just got a little wobble which loosened Kerr’s grip on their machine and he fell to the ground just before the start line. Referee, Cam Woodward, correctly stopped the race immediately and unfortunately for Headland, he had to be excluded for causing the stoppage.

On the second time of asking, as often happens in re-run events, the best of the start was with Moon and Lovell, who charged to the lead, ahead of Plaisted / Pitt, who had the better of Howes / Commons from the line. Moon covered all possible opportunities which were tried by Plaisted, who continued to try to move on the Queensland pair, but always to no avail. The pace was furious and Howse and Commons were not out of contention for the whole journey, but patrons were enthralled at the speed of the two lead riders, who both attacked and defended fearlessly. Coming down the back straight for the last time it looked as though Moon and Lovell might steal the win, but Plaisted / Pitt had one last effort and set up for a possible “outside pass” opportunity. Plaisted positioned himself well and as the crowd roared in disbelief, Plaisted continued his assault on the leaders and drove hard to the line, taking the win by a small margin and securing the Victorian Sidecar Championship, but equally important for all contesting riders, winning the Warren Monson Memorial Shield, which is now the perpetual Trophy for theVictorian Sidecar winners.

It is always interesting to see the crowd react to excellence and this final was one of those occasions, when the contest was hot for the entire journey. The well-educated Mildura crowd were delighted to see the top standard of the contest which brought the Championship to a level with which Warren Monson would be proud. The fight at the front of the field was worthy of any title event and many spectators agreed that the final was “probably worth the entrance money alone,” given the standard of the riding, especially between Moon and Plaisted for the entire four laps.

Plaisted and Pitt were elated with their win and were so proud that their names will be inscribed on the trophy in memory of their colleague, fierce competitor and friend, the late Warren Monson, nine times Victorian Champion.

Next event at Olympic Park will be the Mildura Solo Masters to be held on the Australia Day weekend, January 26.