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Mildura Motorcycle Club to host 2015 FIM Speedway Under 21 World Cup Final
MILDURA’S Olympic Park Speedway will make history in October next year when it becomes the first venue outside Europe to host the World Team Speedway Under 21 Championships.
Speedway Team Australia manager and former Sunraysia solo speedway rider Mark Lemon, FIM Track Racing Commissioner Armando Castagna, and Mildura Motor Cycle Club president Gavin Sedgmen sign off on the documents confirming Mildura as the location for the Team Speedway Under 21 World Championship final next year.
Speedway Team Australia manager and former Sunraysia solo speedway rider Mark Lemon, FIM Track Racing Commissioner Armando Castagna, and Mildura Motor Cycle Club president Gavin Sedgmen sign off on the documents confirming Mildura as the location for the Team Speedway Under 21 World Championship final next year.
Director of governing body FIM (Federation of International Motorsports), and Track Racing Commission, Armando Castagna, and Mildura Motorcycle Club president Gavin Sedgmen this week signed the official contract that will see Mildura host the event.
Sedgmen was attending the final round of the Speedway Grand Prix in Poland, and the pair were joined by Motorcycle Australia Speedway team manager Mark Lemon.
After qualifying events in Europe, the top four teams will travel to Mildura for the championship final. The Australian team has earned automatic qualification due to its host nation status.
The finals on Saturday, October 31, will come just one week after the final Speedway Grand Prix of 2015 – to be held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne.
“The FIM Track Racing Commission have been developing the FIM Youth Project in speedway, and are delighted that the Speedway Under 21 Championships is getting stronger,” Mr Castagna said.
Mr Castagna said he had “great memories” of riding at Olympic Park against home town speedway legend Phil Crump, saying Crump had been one of the driving forces behind FIM’s decision to host the event in Mildura after he had relayed news of Olympic Park’s recent $85,000 refurbishment, and its elevation to a FIM-standard track.
Mildura Motor Cycle Club had undertaken major works, thanks in part to significant Victorian Government funding, with upgrades including installation of a unique tyre-suspended, rubber belt safety fence – complete with a FIM homologated AirFence – new lighting, pit areas, public address system and new power reticulation.
Mr Sedgmen said hosting a significant FIM Championship meet was “reward for effort,” and testimony to the many hours of volunteer work put into the project over six months to October last year.
“Our club will welcome teams, officials, FIM representatives and a large contingent of international spectators to Australia for the Speedway Grand Prix in Melbourne, with many to then make the trip to Mildura for the Under 21 event a week later.”
The best of world speedway’s junior talents will be on show at the Mildura championships, with many countries beginning to see better results from riders through their respective junior development programs.
Mildura Motorcycle Club officials have proposed an extensive schedule for the world championships, with an official practice planned for Thursday, October 29.
A rider and team presentation dinner – open to the public – will be held on the Friday