Last Saturday, the 28th of September, Clare became the centrepiece of Reliability Trial action as Clare MCC hosted the sixth and final round of the Gawler Motorcycle Centre 2024 SA Reliability Trial Championship—the Beryl Pearce Trial. With anticipation building for one last charge to the finish line, the 6-hour, 2-lap event presented a final opportunity for the Championship titles to be decided for 2024, and everyone felt the excitement.
Windy conditions added an extra layer of difficulty to the final round, but die-hard reliability trial fans secured prime trackside spots to witness 28 Sidecars and 75 Solos tackle the tree-studded, dusty course. The Sidecars opened the day, breaking in the challenging terrain. Third off the rank and looking fast as ever, the duo of Shane Schiller and Steven Doecke took early control, overtaking teams Daniel Plowman/Bradley Brook and Shaun Blenkiron/Nathan Saegenschnitter on the first lap. Schiller and Doecke held their lead throughout, securing a commanding win and claiming provisional victory in the final round of the Championship.
The battle for the Beryl Pearce second and third was much tighter as Bradley Hunter and Adam Brook crossed the finish line in second place at the end of lap 2. However, Championship leaders Daniel Plowman and Bradley Brook answered back, reclaiming silver by a narrow margin of just 26 seconds to wrap up round 6, leaving Hunter and Brook to settle for third in the provisional standings.
After a close third-place finish in round 5, Toby Lewis claimed the Beryl Pearce honours by taking an early lead and holding off challenges from Championship leader Sam Nenasheff. Nenasheff, meanwhile, faced his own battle with Daniel Fraser, who made a stellar comeback in lap 2 but fell agonisingly short, settling for provisional third by just 4 seconds.
To catch up on all the Round 6 provisional results, click HERE.
SandPlow Photography, SkidMark Photos, and Team Thomas Racing were all present to capture the thrilling action. Visit their profiles to view all the photos and purchase your favorite moments from Clare. A special thanks to SkidMark Photos for the cover photo.
Rounding out the 2024 Championship, the Beryl Pearce Trial provided the perfect final outing to cement the overall standings, with results set to be confirmed by midnight on Thursday, October 3rd. Champions will be officially crowned at the 2024 Presentation Night, with plenty of Championship stories to share. Tickets are still available for purchase through Ridenet, so be sure to lock in your seats for a fantastic night to cap off the year. The success of the 2024 season would not have been possible without the incredible support of the Championship sponsor, Gawler Motorcycle Centre, along with the efforts of all the volunteers and the hosting clubs. With 2025 on the horizon, another thrilling year of competition awaits, and new Champions are sure to emerge.