AUSTRALIAN SOLO CHAMPIONSHIP: FRICKE WINS OPENING ROUND

Triple Australian Champion Max Fricke launched his bid for title number four with victory in round one at North Brisbane on Thursday, but second place was enough for Rohan Tungate to top the standings.

Fricke won the final, passing former champion Tungate for victory, with 2020 World Under-21 Champion Jaimon Lidsey third and Josh Pickering fourth.

Victory in the final gave Fricke four points – added to the 11 he scored in the heats – as he left Mick Doohan Raceway with 15 in total. But with Tungate scoring 13 in the heats and three more for finishing second in the final, the Oxford signing leads the championship standings on 16 as he heads to home track Kurri Kurri for round two on Sunday. 

Lidsey also raced to 13 in the heats, meaning third place and two points in the final were enough to leave him tied on 15 overall with Fricke.

Brothers Chris and Jack Holder both fell short of the final, leaving them joint fifth overall. Despite scoring 10 apiece in the heats, they both finished fourth in their respective semis, with Brady Kurtz and Ryan Douglas also missing out on the final, having tallied eight apiece in the heats, leaving them level in seventh.

Speedway GP star Jack Holder now heads to his local event at Kurri Kurri determined to close the gap to top spot, as he bids to defend the national title that he won for the first time in 2023.

After Sunday’s showdown at Kurri Kurri, the championship heads to Albury-Wodonga on Tuesday, before moving to Mildura next Thursday and concluding at Gillman on January 13.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND 1/5): 1 Rohan Tungate 16, 2 Max Fricke 15, 3 Jaimon Lidsey 15, 4 Josh Pickering 12, 5 Chris Holder 10, 6 Jack Holder 10, 7 Brady Kurtz 8, 8 Ryan Douglas 8, 9 James Pearson 7, 10 Sam Masters 7, 11 Ben Cook 6, 12 Keynan Rew 5, 13 Tate Zischke 5, 14 Zach Cook 4, 15 Fraser Bowes 1, 16 Michael West 1. 

NORTH BRISBANE HEAT SCORES: 1 Jaimon Lidsey 13, 2 Rohan Tungate 13, 3 Max Fricke 11, 4 Josh Pickering 11, 5 Chris Holder 10, 6 Jack Holder 10, 7 Brady Kurtz 8, 8 Ryan Douglas 8, 9 James Pearson 7, 10 Sam Masters 7, 11 Ben Cook 6, 12 Keynan Rew 5, 13 Tate Zischke 5, 14 Zach Cook 4, 15 Fraser Bowes 1, 16 Michael West 1, 17 Declan Kennedy DNR, 18 Flynn Nicol DNR.

SEMI-FINAL 1: Fricke, Lidsey, Kurtz, C Holder.

SEMI-FINAL 2: Tungate, Pickering, J Holder, Douglas

FINAL: Fricke, Tungate, Lidsey, Pickering.