Queensland V New South Wales

[whowasthatberntpersson]

State Teams Racing comes to the Gold Coast Speedway this Saturday night. With some of the best home based Aussies taking part.

 

Its Queensland v New South Wales, with seven man teams doing battle, they will be using the British 15 heat format.

 

Also on the programme is the Barry Brigden Memorial for Under 16's, which will take place prior to the main programme (3-5pm)

 

Preview Courtesy of the Gold Coast website http://goldcoastspeedway.homestead.com/

 

Interstate Match to End Season - Posted 6 April, 2009

 

by Gavin Elmes & photo by Shane Bell

 

Queensland takes on New South Wales in a "State of Origin" solo clash on

 

Saturday, 18 April. When the sides met last October, the home side scored a

 

comfortable win, with Darcy Ward scoring double figures. This time Qld will be

 

without Ward and two other local riders. More than half of the team comes from

 

Townsville and Ayr.

 

Scott Smith again captains Qld, with Sam Taylor and Harley Horwood the other

 

southern based riders. Joining the team from the north are Steven Reid,

 

Ashley Cathcart, Damien Koppe and Clinton Dennis. Sixteen year-old Dennis

 

makes his Gold Coast debut on a 500cc machine, but has learnt the Gold Coast

 

"ropes" on a 350cc.

 

New South Wales also sport a rookie in 16 year-old Daniel Begley. It will be

 

Begley's first time around the Labrador circuit. Promising Newcastle youngster

 

Sam Masters captains the Blues and has put in some very fast times here in the

 

past. Michael Penfold, Alex Davies and Taylor Poole are familiar faces who have

 

knocked up many Gold Coast race wins and should notch up respectable scores.

 

Tim Heffernan was a member of the last NSW team, and Ricky Wallace returns after his only appearance three years ago.

 

Support solos on the main programme bring together Kurt Palmer and Mitchell Weismantel (both of Townsville), Todd Groves, Geoff Tomkins and Guy Mallett.

 

Nick Morris will be out to maintain his winning ways in the 350cc division, with Jayden O'Malley, Jake Moore and Harley Brigden providing the opposition.

 

Sidecars see the return of Darren Cafe/Don Morris from New South Wales, who face Silver Sash winners Ross Brown/Steve Kelly, Jeff Barth/Dave Oliver, Robbie Wilson/Cameron Bell, Paul & Daniel Newman, Peter Wilken/Kelly Cooper, Jason Kenyon/Jo O'Brien and Antony Schofield/Les Tighe.

 

The afternoon programme starting at 3pm features the Barry Brigden Memorial Trophy for junior solos, encourage solos and evos.

 

Main programme starts at 6pm. Admission $20 adults, $15 concessions, with free entry for children under 12.

 

[BigFatDave]

Sounds like a pleasant arvo coming up!

[BigFatDave]

Courtesy of Gavin Elmes:

 

 

Queensland and New South Wales finished on 41 points each in what was regarded

as the hardest fought solo teams match seen at Labrador. The racing was

ferocious and many crashes highlighted a contest which was close throughout,

with each side taking its turn in the lead. The scores were level with one heat

to go and Scott Smith's narrow win over Taylor Poole and Sam Masters in the last

race kept the result at a tie. Poole made a dash to the flag, which didn't quite

pip Smith at the post.

The first of many frightening crashes occurred before a lap of the match had

been completed. Poole shot away to pass Smith in Heat 1, but came through pits

bend too fast and had to lay down, with both rider and machine shooting into the

fence with force. Poole bounced up and went on to top score for his side.

After breaking a chain while leading the last lap of his first outing, Michael

Penfold careered into the pits fence in avoiding leader Steven Reid, who fell in

front of him. Penfold received ambulance attention, but was able to limp back to

the pits and took no further part.

Heat 9 produced just one finisher. Smith had engine failure while leading. Alex

Davies took over the lead only to break a chain, and Ricky Wallace fell. Damien

Koppe went on to a lonely finish. Three heats later, Koppe again was the only

finisher after hitting the fence, falling and remounting. Wallace and Clinton

Dennis had fallen by the wayside and Daniel Begley managed to ride his bike over

the back straight fence!

We then had two consecutive races with just two finishers. In the first of

these, Davies fell, then leader Smith fell and was hit by Masters who also came

down. Reid won the rerun from Masters. Then came an horrific looking crash as

race leader Koppe went wide on pits bend, taking the NSW pair Begley and Tim

Heffernan into the fence as he fell. Begley, who had been most impressive and

the NSW top scorer at that stage, suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Begley and Poole were the outstanding performers of the match, with Dennis

putting up a praiseworthy effort for his first time on the track and his first

"proper" meeting at senior level. Davies, after winning his first race, was

beset with engine problems and did not finish in his remaining three races.

Scores:

Qld 41: Damien Koppe 10, Scott Smith 9, Clinton Dennis 9, Ashley Cathcart 7,

Steven Reid 5, Harley Horwood 1, Sam Taylor did not ride - rider replacement

used.

NSW 41: Taylor Poole 11, Daniel Begley 10, Tim Heffernan 8, Sam Masters 7, Alex

Davies 3, Ricky Wallace 2, Michael Penfold 0.

 

[chopper]

 

Sounds like a really good meeting.

Its funny how sometimes a meeting with no established stars produces great racing.

Certainly a lot of up and coming riders at the moment.

 

Chopper

[whowasthatberntpersson]

Sounds like a really good meeting.

Its funny how sometimes a meeting with no established stars produces great racing.

Certainly a lot of up and coming riders at the moment.

 

Chopper

 

 

It was a very good meeting despite lots of crashes. The youngsters were going for it again. There were a couple of very serious looking falls, however no long term injuries. Danny Begley in particular is very fortunate, I was standing right by where he ploughed into the tyre wall at full speed.

 

NSW were slightly the better team, but lost points due to engine mishaps and falls. I think Alex Davies stopped three times and was leading in at least two of them.

 

A couple of changes to be made to both teams for the next meeting at Gladstone, a different format is being used, so six riders instead of seven, Queensland loose Scott Smith and I think Harley Horwood will be replaced too, he was very dissapointing at the Gold Coast and did himself no favours by clearly giving up and pottering round in a couple of heats. I think Kurt Shields comes in for NSW but I'm not sure who he will replace.

 

Some good support racing on the night, with a couple of the North Queenslanders fighting for a team spot when the tour reaches their kneck of the woods.

 

Shame we can't get SA and Vic involved in a series like this, during the off season.