The 2019 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship is quickly becoming a dance between Max Fricke, Chris Holder and Rohan Tungate after Round 3 at Undera Park Speedway last night! In an evening with plenty of unexpected wins and crashes, Fricke took out top position overall with a lead ahead of Holder by three points!
As the sun set in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria, spectators were treated to a star-studded first four heats that saw Jack Holder go up against Fricke, Chris Holder up against Tungate, Brady Kurtz up against Sam Masters and Jaimon Lidsey against Justin Sedgmen. Sitting pretty in sixth position overall now in the 2019 Championship is Masters with a total of 29 points. Masters ran a strong campaign in Round 3, with one win two seconds, and two third place finishes. Sitting in fifth position ahead of Masters, also on 29 points, is Brady Kurtz who took out first place in his first heat, but cooled off across the remainder of the evening, with two second place and two third place finishes.
Jack Holder now sits in fourth position overall in the Championship, with 31 points. Holder battled through his competition to take out one win, three second places and a third during his heats, which qualified him into the B Final. Up against Tungate, Nick Morris and Sedgmen, Holder had a difficult run, crashing early in the race. Thankfully unhurt and as determined as ever, Holder returned to the start line to finish the B Final in second place hot on the heels of Tungate.
Now sitting on a total of 41 points and in third place in the 2019 Championship, Tungate blazed a trail throughout his heats, coming out on top with three wins and two third place finishes. After an exciting battle with Jack Holder right to the finish line in the B Final, Tungate took out the last spot in the A Final. Facing fierce competition against Fricke, Chris Holder and Lidsey, Tungate crashed out in lap one and did not return to compete in the re-run. Motorcycling Australia is pleased to confirm though that Tungate remains uninjured and will be raring to go in Round 4 tomorrow!
With a total of 45 points under his belt, Chris Holder now sits comfortably in second position in the Championship. Round 3 was a fantastic evening for Holder, who proved why he was the 2012 FIM Speedway World Champion, taking out two wins and three second places finishes. Holder’s efforts yesterday automatically qualified him into the A Final, where he tangoed with Fricke across all four laps to finish in second place. No doubt Round 4 will see Holder push himself and his bike as he itches for the winning feeling once again.
Remaining cool, calm and collected throughout the entire evening, Fricke took out first place overall in Round 3 with a staggering four wins and one second place finish! Fricke now sits atop the Championship leader board ahead of Holder on 48 points! Living up to the coined phrase “no brakes, no gears, no fear”, Fricke was a force to be reckoned all evening, setting the bar high ahead of the penultimate round in Albury, Victoria!
Winner now of two rounds at Gillman, South Australia and Undera, Victoria, Fricke reflected on his efforts since Gillman and his plan for the remaining two rounds, stating; “It’s exciting to be a leader again! After the first round it was a little bit daunting, but I had a good run in Mildura so I’m just trying to remain consistent. I think that consistency is key right now because that will be what wins the Championship. Right now I’m just handling it race by race and getting as many points as I can.
“The Grand Prix qualifying spot is the main motivator for me but we’re also here in the Championship and I want to win! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum and secure a spot in the top three!
“It’s close right now between me, Chris and Rohan, but there’s a little bit of a gap so hopefully we can try and secure that gap and get the best possible position in the lead up to the final rounds.
“Albury is a much bigger track, so there are a lot of changes in comparison to Undera, Mildura and Gillman. It’s going to be a great round, and no doubt a lot of the younger riders in the competition will do quite well as well!
“I just need to keep making good starts and get as many points as I can in the lead up to Kurri Kurri,” explained Fricke.
Watch a replay of the B Final by clicking below!
The second last round of the 2019 Championship will be held at the Albury Wodonga Motorcycle Complex Track on Wednesday 9th January. If you can’t make it to the track, don’t forget that free livestreaming will be available via the Australian Speedway Championships website and Facebook!