07/04/2026
BAIRNSDALE MAN DILLON SIELY WINS GARY BOWDEN CUP CLOSING OUT LOCAL SPEEDWAY SEASON
A terrific afternoon and evening on Easter Sunday warmed motorsport fans who arrived to watch the last Bairnsdale Speedway Association event of the season, with the Wingless Sprints Gary Bowden Cup the headlining event producing a local winner in Dillon Siely. Other winners included Dillon’s father Mal claiming a win in Limited Sportsman, Trafalgar woman Bree Walker winning Ladies Standard Saloons, Alex Vanduren a winner in Junior Standard Saloons, another local Daniel Argoon won the final in Open Standard Saloons and Victorian champion Beau Stuchbery was a winner in Division 2 Hot Rods.
With the late Gary Bowden being honoured with the annual Wingless Sprint Cup race, the Bairnsdale Speedway announcing team took the opportunity to explain Gary’s involvement in both Wingless and Limited Sportsman and the Bairnsdale Club and talk to the likes of Dillon Siely and Darren Adams about Gary’s influence. Siely shared the story that just before Bowden’s accidental passing, a conversation had taken place where Siely was going to step into Gary’s Wingless Sprint to cut his teeth in the class.
Whilst the driver for Siely in the number eighteen care that Bowden raced never happened, Siely was keen to win the feature event honouring the man on the last night of the Bairnsdale season. This started on track for Siely winning the first of two heat races for the night by over two and a half seconds from Scott Cole, and Siely’s teammate Marcus Fraser. Jack Regan won heat number two, and whilst Siely worked his way to second across the line, the Stewards had different plans putting him back two spots behind Ricky Mills and Scott Irons. A time trial to qualify on pole then took place with Siely the fastest and securing the pole starting position for the twenty-lap final.
Siely initially led Regan and Irons before Fraser passed Irons around lap three. Regan connected with the concrete wall and suffered front end damage exiting the race around lap seven and at the halfway mark Siely led Fraser, Irons, Tyler O’Leary, and Mills. Nothing changed for the next five laps before O’Leary dropped out of the race and Siely maintained a buffer at the front of the field to beat Fraser, Irons, Mills and Cole.
In Division 2 Hot Rods, Keven Stoopman was able to secure a win in heat one before his car missed the next two races with mechanical issues stopping him in his tracks. Troy Wilson & Beau Stuchbery won the next two qualifiers before the twelve-lap final. Wilson led the final for seven laps before Stuchbery flew past on the high side of the track to secure the front spot and ultimately the win. Wilson finished second Stoopman, Mel Tatterson and Chris Greaves rounding on the top five.
Bree Walker won all three heat races by large margins before doing the same in the final for Ladies Standard Saloons. Rookie Brooke Mills finished second on her first weekend as a race driver whilst Kate Stuchbery passed Breanna Lee for third.
Daniel Argoon won three of the four heat races for Open Standard Saloons with Kane Gibson winning the other. Argoon then was aiming for a clean sweep in the final and despite a terrific effort from Gibson in keeping the pressure on Argoon and trying to find his own way to the front of the final, Argoon maintained his composure and won from Gibson, Bree Walker, Andrew Cormack, and Kieran Mills.
In Junior Standard Saloons Jayden Curtis won the first of three heat races before Alex Vanduren won the next two and then the final after Curtis wobbled out of turn four allowing Vanduren to pounce back into the race lead and go on to win from Curtis and Tailen Wells.
Another to run a race night sweep was Mal Siely in the Limited Sportsman. Siely won the three heats and the final after he held off Darren Adams, Tannah Lee, and Sean Axnick. Siely’s son Dillon was chasing and challenging however a crash involving Dan Hurley and Jayden White seen the field stop and whilst under red a suspected fire started under Siely’s car. He was able to restart however he was soon out of the race in the infield leaving his dad to march on with it.
Bairnsdale Speedway Association is now in their off season until around September 2026. Fans should follow the social media presence of the association to keep up to date with maintenance at the racetrack site and news on the new seasons race dates when they come to hand.
This weekends new track records;
DIVISION 2 HOT RODS
12 LAPS – BEAU STUCHBERY – BAIRNSDALE – 3:52.025 – 5/4/2026
VSC LADIES STANDARD SALOONS
12 LAPS – BREE WALKER – ROSEDALE – 4:08.789 – 5/4/2026
Bairnsdale Speedway Association wish to acknowledge and thank these wonderful supporting businesses.
A1 Building Designs
Active Sound Services
Assist A Lift
Aussie Septic Solutions
Bairnsdale Automotive and Transmissions
Bairnsdale Bearings and Industrial
Bairnsdale Radiator
Bairnsdale RSL
Bairnsdale Trophy Centre
Bridgestone Service Centre Bairnsdale
Buchan Towing
Bunnings Bairnsdale
Burson Auto Parts Bairnsdale
Club Eastwood
Dahlsens
Dennison Quality Roof Restorations
Eastern Signs and Designs
East Gippsland Lock and Keys
East Gippsland Shire Council
East Vic Hydraulics
EGEE Printers
Eureka Garages and Sheds
Eye Care Plus
Gippsland Critical Mines
Gippsland Grain Store
Gippsland Treated Pine
Gippsland Truck Centre
Goodman’s
Granite Rock Quarries
Hine Transport & Stock feeds
JD Automotive
Kennedy Trailers
Lake Land Ice
Lakes Hydraulics
Lakes Tile and Carpet
M & S Laity Hay Contractors
Mitchell Valley Excavations
Paint Right Bairnsdale
Patties Food
Phaselink Electrics
Razor Images Print. Sign. Clothing
Repco Bairnsdale
Riviera Automotive
Riviera Concrete
Riviera Trailers
SS Auto Wholesalers
SSM Asbestos
Starys Earthworks and Landscaping
Tambo Waste
Tim Bull MP
Todd Plumbing Supplies
TRFM and GOLD 1242
Wayne Trinder Plumbing & Gasfitting
Westpoint Motors
WGI Earthmoving and Heavy Haulage
Written by
Dean Thompson
Dean Thompson Media
for Bairnsdale Speedway Association
Photo credit:
Club President Jason Hurley
