Gillespie, Uitentuis take sidecar title

He's won just about every gong going but Fraser Gillespie had to earn the Burt Munro Challenge sidecar title the hard way on Saturday night.

Gillespie, 55, has been competing in speedway since his early 20s and has won South Island, national, longtrack and grass titles during the past three decades.

Last year he and swinger David Uitentuis finished runner-up at the Burt Munro speedway spectacular to Oreti Park clubmates Shaun Kerr and Robin Poole.

On Saturday night he had to force his way into the final via the repechage system, eventually grabbing the fifth spot on the line.

The combination of Russell Stuart and Andy Parker, ranked second in the country, was runner-up, with Brent Tomkins and swinger Nigel Cuckow third.

Cuckow was Tomkins' third partner of the night after injury earlier dealt to Arnie Marshall and Darryn Fox.

There was plenty of drama amid the grit, the grunt and the goatees at the Oreti Park speedway.

Among the hard-luck stories on the night was that of local hope John Tuffley, who blew a tyre when he was leading in his first race in the solos, then pulled up short with a mechanical problem in his second race.

Meanwhile, Grant Tregoning was virtually faultless on the way to defending his solo A category.

The three-time New Zealand under-21 champion had just returned from his first season racing in the United Kingdom where he was based in the Welsh town of Newport.

It was a successful first overseas jaunt, too, with the Christchuch-based Oreti Park club member winning the national league pairs title.

He was unbeaten on Saturday night but had to overcome a hairy moment on the final turn of the second race when he had a major flirtation with the unforgiving concrete wall.

"It was pretty close. It was just a slight mistake that I made and the track caught me out a bit. I just hit one of those ruts and it was a close call but I was lucky to hold on to it."

Tregoning said the race fitness he had earned overseas was a major factor in the speed he was able to produce at the Burt Munro Challenge.

Dale Finch finished second in the points series after a run-off against Andy Alridge, another rider who has just returned from the UK.

Oreti Park will host the New Zealand under-21 solo championships and the Peter Blick memorial trophy for sidecars on Saturday, December 12.

RESULTS Solo A: Grant Tregoning, 15 points, 1; Dale Finch, 13, 2; Andy Alridge, 13, 3. Solo support: Chopper Bagshaw 9 points, 1; Mathew Heenan 7, 2; Aaron McIntyre 6, 3. Solo classic: Pete Stenning, 18 points, 1; Graham Wedlock, 12, 2; Ryan Terry-Daley, 10, 3. Junior Solo A: 1 Connor Spriggs, 9 points, 1; Peleti Woods, 6, 2; Hayden Sims, 3, 3. Junior Solo B: Adam Shuttleworth, 5 points, 1; Zane Pay, 4, 2. Sidecars: Fraser Gillespie/David Uitentuis, 1; Russell Stuart/Andy Parker, 2; Brent Tomkins/Nigel Cuckow, 3; Aiden Thwaites/Bruce McLean, 4; Jamie Pockington/Daniel Gillett, 5.

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