Motorcycle fans received a treat last weekend when the 2021 Laurie Fox Memorial SA State Sidecar Championships and the Classic Master of Mac Park roared into action. Immaculately presented machines of all shapes and sizes graced the flowing 2.4km circuit.
With bikes ranging from distinctive 1930’s classics to sleeker 1990’s missiles, there was something to cater for everyone’s taste. One highlight was the spectacle created from the sidecars with many lifting one wheel up in the air on the exit of the penultimate corner, while the passenger threw themselves off the edge.
The biggest local hope was father-son pairing David and Stephen Jones. The duo have collected plenty of trophies over the years at Mac Park, but their debut outing in a newly-built 600cc F2 sidecar did not go to plan. The Jones’ did not make it to the feature race on Sunday afternoon after experiencing trouble between the second and third heats.
In their absence a thrilling battle for the lead took place on the F1 and F2 sidecars handicap feature. Although Mark Schuppan and Chris Panayi placed third on the opening lap, they stormed home by passing the Suzuki of Jamie Crass and Lee Menzies before snatching the win from Michael Cooper and David Whitfield on the final lap.
Kawasaki riders Schuppan and Panayi crossed the line just 0.278s ahead of Crass and Menzies, while Cooper and Whitfield heartbreakingly slipped from first to third. Adrian Van Uitert and Mark Halloway put on a masterclass in the Period 3, 4 and 5 Trails Sidecars feature race winning the five-lap encounter by almost nine seconds from Les Toohey and Chris Panayi.
The 125cc Classic Master of Mac Park was an all Coghill show with Tait and Andrew fighting for the lead in their Hondas. After Andrew Coghill got the early jump, Tait Coghill took control on lap two before crossing the line in first place, while David Short calmly rode to the final spot on the podium.
Robert Ruwoldt was not troubled towards victory in the Period 5 Classic Master of Mac Park in his green Harris Kawasaki. Ruwoldt led from lights to the flag and was followed home by Yamaha riders Chris Hayward and Brett Metcalf. Simon Cook could not be touched in the Period 4 event after he stormed into the distance with his Honda 1100 to win by the huge margin of 40 seconds.
John Inkster won the more competitive battle for second place, just ahead of Ken Ball and Clive Hughes. The Period 3 race gave fans a hit of nostalgia and Darren Trotter took the chequered flag in his Manx 650 by nine seconds from Russell Craddock, while there were four non finishers.
David Trotter’s Suzuki 750 could not be stopped from cruising to the Period 6 Classic Master of Mac Park title. He finished 15 seconds ahead of Ruwoldt and Shaw.
