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published 12-01-2015

Oreti Park Speedway - Southland Sidecar Champs

James Douglas and Ricky Pubben celebrate winning the Southland Sidecar Championship - Laben Photography

Oreti Park Crown New Sidecar Champs

By Daryl Shuttleworth

A packed house at the Russell Cunningham Properties Oreti Park Speedway witnessed history in the making as the club crowned James Douglas and Ricky Pubben the 2015 Southland Sidecar Champions for the very first time. The popular Southland duo have been threatening all season, winning a number of races but not being able to win a final, they were the dark horse in the 23 strong field for the Southland Championship.

Reigning champions Kevin McDonald and Karl Hosie had a tough start to the night, the pairing were second behind Shaun Kerr and Robin Poole in heat one and also had to settle for second in heat two when outclassed by Craig McMaster and James Dawson, they took a much needed win in heat three after a big accident between the combinations of Chris Earley and Nathan Davis and Clare Hartnell and Tracy Davidson forced a restart, Mcdonald and Hosie managed a win in that heat along with the fourth heat to make the semi final.

Top points scorer was Kerr and Poole who won all four of their heat races, and almost looked to have one hand on the championship, as the pairing looked untouchable, going through to the semi finals with maximum points, but the battle behind them was going to be fierce, with no less than six combinations tied on points for second place.

Wins in heats three and four went to Erwin Tree and Nigel Cuckow, Aiden Thwaites and Shane Twiss along with Lionel Green and Shane Breech of Christchurch, Jason Harpur and Mark George also claimed victory in heat four but their night was hampered with mechanical issues, all happening while leading the race.

Semi finals saw the top ten points scorers split into two heats of five, with the top two teams in each race advancing to the final, the top ten was made up of Kerr and Poole, McDonald and Hosie, Luke Thwaites and Neville Chalmers, McMaster and Dawson, Douglas and Pubben, Thwaites and Twiss, Green and Breech, Tree and Cuckow, Dallas Kelman and Chay McWilliam, and Bradley Sharp and Chris Chatfield, in semi final one Kerr and Poole kept thier winning form in tact to go directly through to the final along with Douglas and Pubben, and semi final two Canterbury's Green and Breech sounded a warning winning in a close battle from Thwaites and Twiss.


James Douglas and Ricky Pubben 44 lead Shaun Kerr and Robin Poole 48 in Southland Sidecar Final - Lindsay Withington Photography

Kerr and Poole were firm favorites heading into the final but contact off the start line with Green and Breech saw both teams end up on the infield and the officials called for a restart, deeming Green and Breech at fault for the incident ending in disqualification from the final, leaving three Oreti Park teams to battle it out.

From the restart Douglas and Pubben got the best start from the inside line and withstood immense pressure from Kerr and Poole who battled for the lead, but once Thwaites and Twiss started pressuring Kerr for second, Douglas and Pubben rode away with the win and claimed their maiden Southland Championship from Kerr and Poole and a solid third for Thwaites and Twiss.


John Tuffley 66 leads Daniel Shuttleworth 16 in the Solo's - Shuttleworth Motorsport Media

In support races John Tuffley had four wins from four in the Solos, fighting off a fast finishing Daniel Shuttleworth in second and Jake Gillespie third, Solo support was dominated by Zane Pay followed by Barry O'Brien and Noel Caulfield, Les Payne won Solo Classics, Hayden Brookland 125cc Solos, Devlin Joseph 200cc Solos and Cormac Buchanan placed first, Lachlan McIntyre second and Mason Coulthard in Peewees.

Next meeting for the club is January 24 when the Peewees will contest the Southland Champs and the Southland Outlaws host the Auckland Rhinos in the Solo league.