FRICKE WINS AT ALBURY-WODONGA TO SNATCH AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Speedway GP first reserve Max Fricke stepped up his bid for Australian Championship No.4 by topping the overall standings with victory in round three at Albury-Wodonga on Tuesday.

Fricke won the opening leg of the series at North Brisbane last Thursday, before taking third place at the shortened Kurri Kurri meeting on Sunday.

With pre-meeting leader Rohan Tungate, who triumphed at Kurri Kurri, battling to fourth place in the final, Fricke took full advantage by topping the podium ahead of Ryan Douglas and Ben Cook to claim a two-point championship lead going into the last two rounds at Mildura on Thursday and Adelaide venue Gillman on Saturday.

Speedway GP star Jack Holder and former World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey looked nicely poised to reel in Tungate and Fricke at the top after they led the Albury-Wodonga heat scorechart on 13 points apiece after five rides.

But they were unable to add to these points in the final after Lidsey finished last behind Tungate, Fricke and 2012 Speedway GP world champion Chris Holder in a stacked semi-final one.

Jack Holder was then eliminated in semi-final two, with Queensland ace Douglas and first-time finalist Ben Cook springing a shock to bring the world No.4’s night to an end.

Fricke raced to 12 points from his five heats, while Tungate scored 10. With both making it through the first semi, they went into the final determined to claim the championship lead.

Tungate, champion in 2018, arrived at Albury-Wodonga defending a three-point advantage, but it’s now Fricke who leads the way on 43 points to 41 as he bids to add to the three Aussie titles that he lifted in 2019, 2020 and 2022. 

With 38 points still up for grabs over the final two rounds, Lidsey is still in touch with the leaders in third place on 36, while reigning champion Jack Holder is fourth on 35.

The top four riders will be guaranteed places in this year’s Speedway GP qualification rounds, meaning the likes of Douglas in fifth on 29 points and Chris Holder and Josh Pickering, tied on 27, still have plenty to race for over the final two rounds, while Brady Kurtz, Sam Masters and Ben Cook are chasing on 24.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND 3/5): 1 Max Fricke 43, 2 Rohan Tungate 41, 3 Jaimon Lidsey 36, 4 Jack Holder 35, 5 Ryan Douglas 29, 6 Josh Pickering 27, 7 Chris Holder 27, 8 Ben Cook 24, 9 Brady Kurtz 24, 10 Sam Masters 24, 11 Zach Cook 19, 12 James Pearson 15, 13 Keynan Rew 13, 14 Michael West 6, 15 Tate Zischke 5, 16 Fraser Bowes 4, 17 Jye Etheridge 4, 18 Jack Morrison 3. 

ALBURY-WODONGA HEAT SCORES: 1 Jaimon Lidsey 13, 2 Jack Holder 13, 3 Max Fricke 12, 4 Ryan Douglas 10, 5 Rohan Tungate 10, 6 Sam Masters 9, 7 Chris Holder 9, 8 Ben Cook 8, 9 Josh Pickering 8, 10 Brady Kurtz 8, 11 Keynan Rew 6, 12 Zach Cook 6, 13 James Pearson 4, 14 Jack Morrison 3, 15 Michael West 1, 16 Fraser Bowes 0, 17 Aden Clare 0.

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

SEMI-FINAL 2: Douglas, B Cook, J Holder, Masters.

FINAL: Fricke, Douglas, B Cook, Tungate.