BRITISH SPEEDWAY: KURTZ EXTENDS AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

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KURTZ EXTENDS AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

BELLE Vue skipper Brady Kurtz put in a faultless display in the second round of the Australian Championship at Mildura on Sunday, January 5.
Kurtz reeled off a 15-point maximum in the qualifying races and then won his semi-final and the Final to make it two victories in two rounds so far.

And he now has a comfortable eight-point lead in the series overall as some of his main rivals hit trouble, with Sheffield’s Jack Holder blowing an engine in his semi-final whilst Leicester’s Max Fricke withdrew in the early stages after a crash in his first ride.
Birmingham newcomer Keynan Rew was an impressive second at Mildura with Zach Cook (Belle Vue and Poole) third, whilst Sheffield’s Josh Pickering fell in the Final whilst battling with Rew.
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ADAM Roynon has been named as captain of the combined Scunthorpe/Sheffield team in this season’s WSRA National Development League.
The full line-up has been confirmed with Luke Harrison and Mickie Simpson returning from 2024, along with Jamie Etherington who came into the side in the latter stages last year.

They are joined by Luke Muff, who makes the switch from Belle Vue, 17-year-old newcomer Harrison Rogers and speedway returnee Luke Harris, who is back in the sport for the first time since 2019.
Manager Simon Lambert said: “We had a few difficulties putting the team together, but I’m very happy with the side that we have – there’s a good mixture of youth and experience within the team.

“Adam feels he still has a lot to give, and there’s so much that he can pass onto the rest of the side. He’ll form a strong spearhead with Luke Harrison. 
“As I told our riders last season, it’s not about winning or losing at this level, it’s about them giving their all in every ride and developing as riders.”

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WOLVERHAMPTON promoter Chris Van Straaten says his efforts to secure a new venue for the return of the club are continuing.
The Black Country outfit have been unable to compete since the end of 2023 when the owners of their Monmore Green venue, Entain, opted to end their tenancy and instead operate as a greyhounds-only stadium.

Van Straaten said: “My enthusiasm to find a new location for Wolverhampton Speedway is undaunted, but it has however been tempered by realism.
“Having investigated every suggested existing stadium within a 30-mile radius of Monmore, I have been unable to find one suitable to include speedway.

“This of course meant that the search for a site suitable to develop a speedway track became necessary, but it makes a much larger area necessary to incorporate other motorcycle disciplines.
“This takes time and patience, and you may recall that Middlesbrough had no speedway following the closure of Cleveland Park for a decade, until the opportunity arose to install a speedway track at Redcar Motorsports complex – which was a project in which I was heavily involved.”