Sidecars made their return as the featured race entertainment last Saturday, February 3rd, at Gillman Speedway, hosted by the Speedway Riders Association of SA for the 2024 Bowes Family Sidecar Cup. The event always holds special significance as it celebrates the contributions of a family spanning three generations of racers. As a highlight, all three generations of the Bowes family – Len, Shane, and Fraser – were present, reminiscing on the memories of the night. With three Australian Champions among the lineup, the atmosphere was electric, offering plenty for spectators to enjoy.
With a history of three Australian Championships under their belts, Mark Plaisted and Ben Pitt were poised for a perfect streak of wins. However, an infield exclusion in heat 5 saw them entering the finals behind points leaders Dean Hobbs and Daniel Low, tied on 12 points with Kym Menadue and Shane Dolan.
Determined to secure victory for the night, Plaisted and Pitt launched a final charge, leading all the way to claim the win. Competition for the second-place podium spot was intense, with Hobbs/Low and Menadue/Dolan battling it out. Ultimately, Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan clinched second place by a mere 0.096 of a second ahead of Hobbs & Low. Trent Headland/April Cottrell, the semi-final winners, rounded out the fourth position.
Congratulations to all the riders who participated in the Bowes Family Sidecar Cup and support classes of the night. For a comprehensive review of the night’s action, check out Gillman’s Speedway article HERE and browse through the fantastic photographer’s albums below for a visual journey through the event.
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2024 Bowes Family Side Car Cup
| Name | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | TOTAL | SEMI-FINAL | FINAL | PLACING |
| Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Xi | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 2 | |
| Dean Hobbs/Daniel Low | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 3 | |
| Trent Headland/April Cottrell | 3 | 2 | 2 | Xi | 3 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Chris Walker/Eric Melton | 2 | Xi | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 5 | |
| Nate Headland/Jack Spear | 3 | 2 | Xi | 2 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 6 | |
| Nathan Fleet/Cameron Diwell | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 7 | |
| Aaron Silvy/Jaron Silvy | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | ||
| Josh Pascoe/Greg Black | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | ||
| Justin Plaisted/Damian Egan | 3 | 3 | N | N | N | 6 | 10 | ||
| Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 | ||
| Shane Rudloff/Scott Morris | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 | ||
| Wayne Lethbridge/Grantley Simounds | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | ||
| Stephen Fowler/Jeremy Sherwood | 0 | R | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||
| Thomas Adams/Cameron White | Xi | 2 | Xpf | Xpf | N | 2 | 15 | ||
| Byron Mordaunt/William Lepoidevin | FX | N | N | N | N | 0 | 16 |
FX – Fell Excluded
N – Non Starter
Xi – Excluded infield
Xpf – Excluded Passenger Fell
Flat Track Solo Scratch Races
| Name | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | TOTAL | CONSOLATION FINAL | FINAL | PLACING |
| Kyle Machin | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| Seane Chapman | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 2 | |
| Dale Knights | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | |
| Graeme Eberhard | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | |
| Greg Laanekorb | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | |
| Matt Paterson | 1 | 1 | 2 | F | 4 | 6 | 6 | |
| Kristy Schultz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | |
| Con Twist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| Troy Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | |
| Stuart McKenzie | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | |
| Mingyu Zhao | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 |
Under 16 125cc Junior Solo Scratch Races
| Name | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | TOTAL | CONSOLATION FINAL | FINAL | PLACING |
| Ryliegh McGregor | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1 | |
| Hayden Pascoe | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | |
| Hayden Kuchel | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |
| Connor Machin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | |
| Riley Stout | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5 | |
| Ruby Chapman | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
| William Nicol | R | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |
| Owen Chapman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
R – Retired
Junior Demonstration Riders of the Night