Doyle wins in Wodonga however Fricke closes on factors

2023 Australian Solo Speedway Championship

Spherical Two – Albury Wodonga

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Albury Wodonga Motorbike Membership hosted the second spherical of the 2023 Australian Speedway Championship in a single day at their Diamond Park Speedway venue that just about straddles the NSW and Victorian borders close to the banks of an engorged Murray River.

The contents of the Murray and surrounds had seen the venue a metre deep in floodwaters till just a few weeks in the past.

The initially scheduled spherical two at Mildura had been cancelled because of the Olympic Park venue’s present standing as an island! Between the Albury Wodonga venue and Mildura the Murray River meanders its means one other 1238 kilometres and picks up many tributaries alongside the way in which, together with the key intersection with the Darling, which left the Mildura Motorbike Membership with no different selection than to cancel their spherical of the championship.

Issues had additionally been removed from plain crusing for the Albury Wodonga Motorbike Membership whose involvement within the sequence was additionally in nice doubt till just a few weeks in the past when waters tarted receding and an enormous clear up effort was undertaken as a way to maintain their first spherical of the championship after a COVID interrupted three yr break.

Whereas the monitor itself and the spectator mounds had been made prepared, the membership kitchen and another amenities had been nonetheless ready for the all clear from well being authorities put up clear up thus organisers had been compelled to make use of cellular catering providers and simply primarily ‘make do’ and get on on with it.

South Australia had hosted the opening spherical of the 2023 Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship at Gillman on Tuesday evening.

2017 World Champion Jason Doyle and present World Groups Champ Jack Holder each claimed 17 factors in what was a bruising opening encounter for some to the 2023 home season.

Former Below-21 World champ and three-time Aussie champ Max Fricke was third within the closing in South Australia however solely scored 11 factors for the spherical after struggling within the early heats, these issues put him behind properly credentialled long-time worldwide star Justin Sedgmen who bagged 13 factors at Gillman to go in to this Albury-Wodonga spherical fourth on factors.

Bettering them each on the factors tally in South Australia although was 2018 Aussie Champion Rohan Tungate. The 32-year-old completed forward of five-time Aussie Champion and 2012 World Speedway champ Chris Holder, who like Fricke left South Australia with a tally of 11 factors, and entered this second spherical third on the factors desk.

Former Below-21 World Champ Jaimon Lidsey didn’t even make spherical one after breaking his wrist final month and was changed at spherical one by Brayden McGuinness, who in flip withdrawn from this spherical to get replaced by Justin Sedgmen.

Ben Cook dinner had scored eight factors in South Australia however his place on the tapes for this spherical was taken up by Cooper Riordan.

Motorcycling Australia’s new speedway particular air-fence was deployed for the primary time on the Albury-Wodonga spherical and will likely be used for the rest of the championship. That is of the identical specification as utilized in Speedway GP.

Why the colouring?  Nicely it seems this air-fence order was initially positioned by Ukraine, however the Ukrainians at the moment they’ve their arms full with extra urgent issues…

Likewise 2017 champ Sam Masters had claimed eight-points at Gillman earlier than happening arduous and damaging his shoulder. The accidents unhealthy sufficient to pressure him out of the sequence, his alternative for this spherical Patrick Hamilton.

Diamond Park turned on a brilliant and sunny afternoon for the second spherical and whereas Max Fricke starred in his warmth races, profitable all however one, Jason Doyle stole his thunder within the closing to complete on the highest step of the podium and take the spherical win, regardless of bagging 16 factors for the spherical total to Fricke’s 17.

Josh Pickering took 14 factors and the ultimate step on the podium forward of Brady Kurtz. The latter of that pair had some nice warmth races and was battling by way of the ache of damaged ribs to earn his 13 factors for the spherical forward of Jack Holder on 12.

Rohan Tungate and Chris Holder each scored ten factors and completed sixth and seventh for the spherical forward of Justin Sedgmen and Zach Cook dinner whereas James Pearson rounded out the highest ten for the evening.

On the midway level of the 4 spherical sequence Jason Doyle leads the championship on 33-points to Jack Holder’s 29 and Max Fricke’s 28.

It’s nonetheless fairly huge open with two rounds to go although with Rohan Tungate on 24-points and Justin Sedgmen on 22 whereas Brady Kurtz and Chris Holder have 21 apiece. Josh Pickering at the moment ranks eighth on the championship desk with 20-points.

It was a really succesful evening with Diamond Park full to capability. A fantastic reward for all of the arduous work put in by membership members to prepared it for competitors after the entire venue was beneath a metre of floodwater just a few weeks earlier.

Australia’s greatest speedway riders at the moment are wending their means north for spherical three at Kurri Kurri, which occurs to be house turf for Tungate. Kurri Kurri hosts spherical three on Monday, January 9, earlier than the finale is staged at North Brisbane solely two days afterward January 11.

2023 Australian Solo Speedway Championship Spherical Two Scores

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2023 Australian Solo Speedway Championship Factors