'Carnage' for sidecar locals

FINALISTS: Clive Ireland and his swinger Kerwin Arnaboldi (56G) qualified for the final of the New Zealand sidecar Grand Prix down in Palmerston North on Saturday night but came to grief in race two of the finals series. Both suffered injuries but were OK. Picture by Go Slideways.

JUST about everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for Gisborne combinations at a New Zealand Sidecar Grand Prix meeting described as “carnage” in Palmerston North last weekend.

Clive Ireland (56G) and Kerwin Arnaboldi’s night ended in trip to hospital after a crash in the finals. Fellow Gisborne racers Rob Miller (8G) and stand-in swinger Bradley Solomon failed to even make the finals.

“Both combinations had a good first qualifying round, Clive got a second and we got a third,” said Miller. “In the second round my bike stalled on the start line and then I did a big wheel stand on the finish line, and Bradley came off and hit the wall.

“Clive and Kerwin got tangled up in a big crash in their second race but still managed second.”

The third qualifier was not much better for Miller, who said the track went “black” and he and Solomon spun out.

“Clive did much better than us and made three passes to get a first and enough points to make the final. Bradley and I missed out.”

Gisborne’s bad luck, however, continued in the finals.

“Clive’s gear lever broke in his first final race but he went from last to third,” Miller said. “In the second race, there was a big tangle and they were taken out. Clive went head-first into the wall and was knocked out and their bike rolled over Kerwin, who was taken to hospital for a check-up.”

Arnaboldi suffered bruising but was otherwise OK. Their bike, though, suffered significant damage.

“There were five rollovers and heaps of crashes in the series. It was carnage,” Miller said. “It’s up there with the worst meetings I’ve been to for accidents.”

The grand prix title was won by father and son combination Derek and Matthew Ramsey from Palmerston North.