By Trevor Jackson
A HUGE weekend of racing at McNamara Park culminated with a host of feature races for classic solo bikes and sidecars.
The weekend featured the Laurie Fox Memorial SA State Sidecar Championships, in conjunction with the Classic Master of Mac Park solo events.
Classic Harley Davidsons. Indians, BSAs, Triumphs and various other creations graced the circuit, with the sounds of yesteryear combined with the excitement of the F1 and F2 sidecars.
Mount Gambier club members enjoyed a fair amount of success, up against some of the most exotic machinery on display at any race meeting across the country.
It all culminated with a two handicap sidecar features, also in honour of the club stalwart Laurie Fox, who was described as the legend of handicap events.
Titles were up for grabs in all categories, with the state sidecar title in the F1 class going to Mark and Kelly Schuppan aboard a 1000cc Kawasaki outfit.
The duo won all three legs over the weekend and the subsequent title.
The F2 championship went to Patrick Clancy and Stephen Bonney on a 600cc Suzuki, also with three victories for the weekend.
David Wain and Greg Ditchfield won Period 3, while Mount Gambier’s Geoff Grant and Craig Lawson claimed Period 4.
Period 5 went to Mount Gambier’s Adrian Van Uitert and Mark Holloway, while Antony Shanks and Jason Whitfield won the Trials category.
The much-anticipated handicap events were well contested.
The Period 3, 4, 5 and Trials handicap feature went to Van Uitert and Holloway on their P5 Suzuki 1166 machine.
Les Toohey and Chris Panayi crossed the line in second place on a 650cc Triumph, ahead of Grant and Craig on a 750cc Kawasaki.
The final event of the weekend saw the big F1 and F2 sidecars go head-to-head in the handicap feature.
Mark Schuppan and Chris Panayi claimed the honour, from Jamie Crass and Lee Menzies, with Michael Cooper and David Whitfield rounding out the podium.
The Classic Master of Mac Park feature races were equally anticipated, with Mount Gambier’s David Trotter claiming the first win in the Period 6 category on a 750cc Suzuki.
Fellow club member Robert Ruwoldt crossed the line in second on a 750cc Kawasaki, while Ben Shaw rounded out the podium on a 250cc Kawasaki.
The Period 3 feature went to another Mount Gambier club member in Darren Trotter on a 650cc Manx, ahead of Russell Craddick’s 700cc Triel and Stan Mucha’s Nordian 998.
Simon Cook claimed Period 4 aboard an 1100cc Honda, from the 500cc Suzuki of John Inkster and Ken Ball on the same type of machinery.
Ruwoldt claimed the Period 5 on a 1200cc Harris Kawasaki, from Chris Hayward’s 350cc Yamaha and Brett Metcalf’s 250cc Yamaha.
Across the weekend Mount Gambier club members performed well: Darren Trotter – three wins; David Trotter – two wins; David Short – two wins, one third; Ruwoldt – one win, one second, one third; Rob Day – one win; Iver Johnston – one win; Mike Engberg – one win; Ross Peters – one second; Warrick Biggs – one second; Martin Greenwood – one second; Dean Castleton – one second.
