JACK HOLDER TAKES OUT AUSTRALIAN TITLE ROUND

Holder Wins

Joint leaders heading into final round

The Australian Solo speedway championship is tied going into the final round at Gillman Speedway on Sunday night after round three was completed at the Mildura Olympic Park track on Friday night. A little rain after a very warm Thursday night and Friday morning resulted in a track described by riders as being both tricky and testing. The meeting was won by Kurri Kurri rider Jack Holder who jumped to the front and rode a perfect line to beat the outstanding Brady Kurtz, who is now level on points in the series with the title to be decided at Gillman. Holder admitted that Mildura was not one of his favorite tracks but he had come here with a positive mind and just went out there to ride as best he could. “I got a good start and once I led I was determined to stay there.” Kurtz was terrific and in each batch of heats he clocked the quickest time which saw him finish with five heat wins and 15 points. His first ride was in a track record time of 58.31 seconds in heat three and 20 minutes later he set a new record with a time of 57.75 seconds. His third heat win was in 59. 23 seconds then 58,53 seconds and in heat 20 he clocked 59.05 seconds. Kurtz picked gate one in the final but it was Holder from gate two who won the start and scored a one bike length victory over Kurtz in the final. “I was happy because I rode well all night – it was not easy out there and the track was quite tricky, Kurtz said. At Kurri Kurri and Undera, where rounds one and two were held, Kurtz had made the final but did not finish in the race and gained no additional points. While Kurtz was perhaps the star of the show, it was Rohan Tungate who put up the ride of the night in the B Final. Tungate did not handle the Mildura track convincingly and in his round 20 heat finished behind Kurtz, Holder and Josh Pickering. At the end of 20 heats Tungate, who had gone into the Mildura round with a lead of eight points over Kurtz, had secured only eight points. Also on eight points were Josh Pickering and Jai Etheridge, who had both defeated Tungate in the heats they had encountered him. But Tungate scrapped into the final as Pickeirng fell in heat one and failed to gain a point while Jye Etheridge was cut out of contention by finished third with Mildura riders Jordan Stewart and Jaimon Lidsey ahead of him. Tungate had two seconds which put him ahead and into the last available spot in the B Final and started from the outside gate. But from his wide gate Tungate stormed out and swept right around the field at the first bend and Victorian Max Fricke was simply unable to gather him up. Mildura Championship Round Three (points after 20 heats); Brady Kurtz 15; Jack Holder 13, Sam Masters 13, Mason Campton 12, Max Fricke 12, Jordan Stewart 9, Rohan Tungate 8, Jye Etheridge 8, Josh Pickering 8, Jaimon Lidsey 6, Cooper Riordan 5, Declan Knowles 3, Robert Medson 3, Joel Coyne 2, Mathew Gilmore 2, James Davies 1. B Final: Rohan Tungate 1; Max Fricke 2; Mason Campton 3, Jordan Stewart 4. Time 59.42 A FINAL: Jack Holder 1; Brady Kurtz 2, Rohan Tungate 3, Sam Masters 4. Time 59.4 Championship Points aggregate (one round to go)  Rohan Tungate and Brady Kurtz each with 45 points; Max Fricke 38, Sam Masters 37, Jack Holder 36, Mason Campton 30, Josh Pickering 28, Jordan Stewart 25, Jaimon Lidsey 21, Jye Etheridge 21, Mathew Gilmore 16, Cooper Riordan 14, Robert Medson 12, Declan Knowles 8, Joel Coyne 8, James Davies 4.