Mansfield flyer Max Fricke seized the lead in the 2024 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship after winning round three in Wodonga on Tuesday, January 9.
Fricke, shooting for Aussie title No.4, won the Wodonga final ahead of Ryan Douglas, Ben Cook and Rohan Tungate, the latter relinquishing his championship lead in the process.
After three of five rounds, Fricke is now on 43pts, ahead of Tungate (41), Jaimon Lidsey (36), Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) star Jack Holder (35) and Douglas (29).
Just 19pts separates Fricke from 10th-placed Sam Masters, with the top four riders in the Aussie championship awarded spots in the 2024 SGP qualification process – the ultimate carrot a permanent spot on the 2025 SGP roster.
The Wodonga decider: (L to R) Douglas, Tungate, Fricke and Cook. Image: Judy Mackay
Holder, the reigning SGP No.4, doesn’t have such qualifying concerns at the moment, and he was in sparkling form during the Wodonga heats as he finished his five races on 13pts alongside Lidsey.
However, his campaign ended in the second semi-final when he finished third behind Douglas and first-time finalist Cook, while Tungate and Fricke progressed from the first semi. Chris Holder, Lidsey and Masters were the other riders elimnated during the semi-finals.
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Tungate gets the early jump in 2024 Australian Speedway Championship
On a beautifully prepared Albury-Wodonga Motorcycle Club track, the final was then a Fricke benefit as he won his second decider in two rounds after also claiming the honours in the North Brisbane opener.
It was as close to a ‘home’ round as Fricke will get in the 2024 championship, with the 27-year-old’s beloved Mansfield about 170km from Wodonga – a dirt haven where he once competed in the Australian Four-Day Enduro!
The Wodonga podium: Douglas, Fricke and Cook. Image: Judy Mackay
The penultimate round of the 2024 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship will be held in Mildura (Vic) on January 11 before concluding in Gillman (SA) on January 13.
• MILDURA TICKETING AND LIVE STREAM INFORMATION
• GILLMAN TICKETING AND LIVE STREAM INFORMATION
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND 3 OF 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.