MAX FRICKE FAVOURITE TO WIN FOURTH AUSTRALIAN SOLO CHAMPIONSHIP

By: Mark Neale

Three times Australian champion Max Fricke holds a handy five point lead going into the fifth and final round of the 2024 500cc Australian Solo Championship to be held at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide this Saturday night January 13.

Photo by: Judy Mackay

Fricke from Mansfield in Victoria has been consistent during the four rounds to date finishing on the podium in all of them recording two wins,a   second and a third for a total of 59 points-five points clear of opening round winner and former National champion Rohan Tungate from New South Wales with 54 points-a win,a second a third and a fourth.No final was held in round three due to dangerous track conditions and points were only counted after the twenty qualifying heats after all riders had met each other.

Fricke,who holds a handy lead is now favourite to win his fourth National crown in six years with no title being held in 2021 due to the Covid 19 restrictions.

Defending Champion and World number 4 Jack Holder from New South Wales and former World Under 21 champion Jaimon Lidsey from.Victoria are equal third with 48 points- both within striking distance to overcome Tungate for the minor medals the way the points are added up through out the meeting.All three are hoping they can maintain their consistent form and finish in the top four which will see them progress through to the Grand Prix qualifying rounds in Europe later in the year with series leader Max Fricke who looks like getting his name engraved on the Duke of Edinbury Trophy for the fourth time which will be presented by TEN TIMES Australian Champion Leifh Adams at the presentation at the end of the Grand Final.

In fifth place with 40 points is former Australian Title holder and surprise winner of round four at Mildura Brady Kurtz.Kurtz is an outside chance on sneaking into the top four,but will need to have a bit of luck.

The 2024 five round series began in North Brisbane and then moved to Kurri Kurri,Albury  Mildura and concludes with the CBS sponsored Grand Final at Gillman Speedway on Saturday January 13.

POINTS AFTER FOUR ROUNDS ARE

Max Fricke         (Vic)    59 pts

Rohan Tungate (NSW) 54 pts

Jack Holder       (NSW) 48 pts

Jaimon Lidsey   (VIC)   48 pts

Brady Kurtz        (NSW) 40 pts

Ryan Douglas    (QLD)  36 pts

Josh Pickering  (NSW) 34 pts

Sam Masters     (NSW) 34 pts

Ben Cook           (NSW)  32 pts

Chris Holder      (NSW)  31 pts

Zach Cook         (NSW)  24 pts

Keynan Rew      (QLD)    17 pts

Josh Pearson   (NSW)   15 pts

Fraser Bowes   (SA)          8 pts

Michael West   (NSW)      7 pts

WILD CARDS RIDERS.All COMPETED IN ONE ROUND DURING THE SERIES SELECTED BY THE VENUE ORGANISERS.

Justin Sedgmen (VIC)     9 pts

Tate Zischke       (QLD)    5 pts

Jye Etheridge     (NSW)   4 pts

Jack Morrison    (VIC)     3 pts

The wild card for the Grand Final at Gillman Speedway will be former three Times New Zealand Under 21 champion Jake Turner(who has been based in adelaide for the last few years and has finished on the podium in the last two South Australian Titles)

Triple champion Max Fricke took a stride closer to Australian Championship No.4, while former champion Brady Kurtz topped the podium at round four in Mildura on Thursday.

Kurtz saw off Fricke in second place and Kurri Kurri winner Rohan Tungate in third to triumph in the final at Olympic Park.

Victory pushed the Belle Vue Aces star up to fifth place in the overall standings as he collected 16 points on the night. But Speedway GP first reserve Fricke gathered 16 of his own to extend his pre-meeting championship lead over Tungate from two points to five.

Fricke raced to 13 points in the heats with Tungate registering 11 after the Oxford signing failed to score in his opening ride. And two-time Speedway GP winner Fricke extended the advantage in the final, collecting a further three points for second, with Tungate having to make do with two for third.

World No.4 Jack Holder was in the hunt for victory after topping the heat scorechart on 13 points. But disaster struck in the final when he fell on the opening lap and was excluded, meaning he did not even collect the consolation championship point for fourth place.

Fricke heads to the title decider at Adelaide track Gillman this Saturday on 59 points overall, requiring 15 championship points to be certain of his fourth Aussie title.

Tungate, second on 54, is the only rider with a realistic chance of denying him, but he will need a near-perfect performance at Gillman, coupled with a stumble from Fricke, to add to the Aussie title he won in 2018.

Holder and Lidsey, tied on 48 points in third and fourth respectively, appear likely to fight over the bronze medal – unless Kurtz continues his late surge – and they will be determined to capitalise on any slip-ups from Tungate, who has a six-point advantage in the race for second place.

The top four riders will be guaranteed places in the 2025 Speedway GP international qualifying rounds this May, where riders will compete for a spot in the FIM GP Challenge at Czech track Pardubice on October 4. The top three riders there secure a pass into the 2025 Speedway GP line-up.

Fricke is just one point away from being mathematically certain of a Speedway GP qualification place, while Tungate needs six and Holder and Lidsey can guarantee their places with 12 points in Gillman.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND 4/5): 1 Max Fricke 59, 2 Rohan Tungate 54, 3 Jack Holder 48, 4 Jaimon Lidsey 48, 5 Brady Kurtz 40, 6 Ryan Douglas 36, 7 Josh Pickering 34, 8 Sam Masters 34, 9 Ben Cook 32, 10 Chris Holder 31, 11 Zach Cook 24, 12 Keynan Rew 17, 13 James Pearson 15, 14 Justin Sedgmen 9, 15 Fraser Bowes 8, 16 Michael West 7, 17 Tate Zischke 5, 18 Jye Etheridge 4, 19 Jack Morrison 3.

MILDURA HEAT SCORES: 1 Jack Holder 13, 2 Max Fricke 13, 3 Jaimon Lidsey 12, 4 Brady Kurtz 12, 5 Rohan Tungate 11, 6 Sam Masters 10, 7 Justin Sedgmen 9, 8 Ben Cook 8, 9 Ryan Douglas 7, 10 Josh Pickering 7, 11 Zach Cook 5, 12 Chris Holder 4, 13 Keynan Rew 4, 14 Fraser Bowes 4, 15 Michael West 1, 16 James Pearson 0, 17 Jack Morrison DNR, 18 Dayle Wood DNR, 19 Jake Turner DNR.

SEMI-FINAL 1: Tungate, J Holder, Lidsey, Sedgmen (ret).

SEMI-FINAL 2: Kurtz, Fricke, Masters, B Cook.

FINAL: Kurtz, Fricke, Tungate, J Holder (f exc).