Leigh Adams Tribute Meeting

[BigFatDave]

Axelent / Speedway Racing News Leigh Adams Benefit Meeting Line-Up - from Gillman Speeedway.

 

Gillman Speedway manager, David Parker, has today announced the names of the riders who will compete in the Axelent / Speedway Racing News Leigh Adams Benefit Meeting at the Gillman Speedway on Saturday night, 26 November.

 

Speedway fans have been waiting quite some time, since the meeting was first announced, to find out exactly who would be riding but Parker explained the delay was because some of the international riders were unable to confirm their availability earlier.

 

We have sixteen top Solo riders, who have been hand-picked by Leigh, and comprise of current Speedway Grand Prix riders, riders who currently compete in the British, Polish and Swedish Elite Leagues, plus some of Leigh's close friends. More importantly they are all riders who really wanted to ride for Leigh.

 

The biggest name in the line-up is twice World Under 21 Champion, Darcy Ward, who is the most talked about rider in Australia at the moment, and has recently been offered a full-time place in next year’s World Championship Grand Prix series.

 

The riders will be competing for the Jack Young Cup and the riders most likely to challenge Ward for victory are his team-mate at Poole in England, Dave Watt, and Eastbourne rider Cameron Woodward. Watt and Woodward were the captains of their respective teams in this year’s British Elite League play-offs, won by Poole.

 

Tyron Proctor (Wolverhampton) is another British Elite League rider in the line-up, while Sam Masters, from NSW, is the current Premier League champion.

 

Mark Lemon, Cory Gathercole, Justin Sedgmen, Mark Jones, Robert Ksiezak, Robert Branford and Jake Anderson are the other Premier League riders in the line-up which is completed by 16-year-old rising stars Cameron Heeps and Joe Jacobs, from National League Mildenhall, and veterans Jason Stewart and Nigel Sadler.

 

While it comes as no surprise these Solo riders have been keen to help Leigh, it is pleasing to see that eight of the World’s best sidecars, headed by five-times Australian champions Glenn O’Brien and Darrin Treloar, and twice World Track Racing Champion Mick Headland.

 

The current Australian Champion, Glenn O'Brien from WA, said: "Leigh was and still is the man that every speedway rider, be it solo or sidecar, aspires to be as good as. His professional approach, his attention to detail, and the manner he went about his business is just second to none and no other rider in the history of speedway has come even close. This meeting means so much to me to be able to compete in it and I am truly honoured to be a part of the show."

 

The other riders on the main programme are Australia #3 Mark Plaisted, Australia #4 Chris Pascoe, former Australian Champion Mark Mitchell, Victoria's Warren Monson, and multiple Australian championship winning passenger Justin Plaisted who has returned to the handlebars this season.

 

This star-studded meeting is a fund raiser to send the ten-times Australian Champion, and Grand Prix Star, Leigh Adams, to a World-renowned clinic in America called "Project Walk" to try to get Leigh back on his feet. Leigh is very appreciative of all the riders who have been willing to give their time and effort to ride for him.

 

The main event will start with the rider introduction, and an interview with Leigh Adams, at 6pm, but will be preceded at 3 pm with a full programme of support solos, sidecars and 125cc juniors.

 

Really looking forward to this one, and hopefully Dave Parker will return in one piece from Perth where he's attending Johnno's 40th this weekend, although I have my doubts.