WIDE OPEN AUSSIE TITLE SHOWDOWN

CHANCES IN AUSTRALIAN SOLO TITLE

Nearly half the riders in Saturday night’s Coomealla Memorial Sporting Club’s 2017 Australian Solo Championship, Round 2, could expect to be on the podium at the completion of the twenty heats and two finals at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway.

The 2017 Title field is as even as there has been for many years, with no absolute “stand out” in the entire field. Riders are evenly matched and the four round Series will be hard fought at each venue, with some riders having a distinct advantage at some tracks, but yet, seem to struggle at other venues.

The Championship began at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway on Wednesday night with Queensland’s Davey Watt (13 + 4) and Mildura Star, Justin Sedgmen (14 + 3), coming away level on seventeen points each. Sedgmen top scored in the heats with fourteen points, but the wily Watt took and early lead in the Main event and was never headed, going on to win ahead of Justin Sedgmen, SA’s, Troy Batchelor (10 + 2) and Queenslander, Nick Morris (13 + 1), who finished in fourth place.

Riders who were beaten by Batchelor in the “B” Final were Rohan Tungate (10), Max Fricke (9) and Sam Masters (10), who would have all been disappointed that they did not go on to the Main event. Batchelor, with his third place in the “A” Final, added two more points to his ten heat points, which all riders will carry through the four rounds. Next in line were Jack Holder and Ty Proctor on six, defending Champion, Brady Kurtz, his older brother Todd and Jaimon Lidsey and Josh Pickering on five points with Cooper Riordan on four, Mason Campton on three and Jordan Stewart on two.

Riders move to Mildura for a Saturday night “showdown” and then on to Shepparton for a mid week contest next week and then on to the Hunter Valley for the Final a week from this Saturday.

The “A” Finalists from last Wednesday will come to Mildura brim full of confidence as Watt is fresh from a win in the Jason Lyons Trophy just a week ago at Olympic Park. Batchelor rode very fast in the Lyons event and Sedgmen has been collecting track records at every major venue all this season. Nick Morris will remember well his good form here at Mildura where he led the Team Under 21 Australia team in such an authoritative way back in October 2015. Morris is a skilled performer and will match it with Sedgmen, Batchelor and Watt around Mildura as we also expect last year’s Champion, Brady Kurtz to stand out along with Max Fricke, Rohan Tungate and the very fast, Sam Masters.

All top eight riders will trouble the scorer and will be vying for a podium place and the major score line which goes with a podium position. Local speedway fans will be the beneficiaries of these riders individual performances.

Both Kurtz boys, Todd and Aussie Champ, Brady, along with Masters, Fricke and Tungate all have work to do, but they meet some strong local talent in Jordy Stewart, Cooper Riordan and the “in form” Jaimon Lidsey, who came away from the Gillman round equal on points with last year’s Aussie Champ, Brady Kurtz and his brother Todd, so we are immediately talking about a dozen riders, who, if luck rides with them, could be a real podium chance at Olympic Park.

The Championship format will see twenty heat rides, being five riders for each rider, with the top three points scorers going straight into the “A” Final. Riders who finish from 4th to 7th place on points will then contest the “B” Final, where only the winner will go on to contest the Main event and a chance to win the bonus points. Bonus points are only given on the result of the “A” Final.

At Gillman last Wednesday, it would seem that Watt was able to use his vast experience to get a great start in the “A” and go on to win over, the higher heat scoring Sedgmen, with Batchelor edging out Morris for the minor placing. Olympic Park will provide opportunities for those riders who are willing to “chase the dirt” and be bold with their decisions trackside.

The heat expected at Mildura on Saturday night of 41° might play with the minds of some of the Title riders, but conditions will be the same for all. The away riders have had a few days to acclimatize to Mildura conditions, but psychologically some of the lads may struggle.

A strong division of support riders, which will include the meeting Reserves will add to the events in each round of heats, so patrons will be well entertained. It seems that there is a good travelling contingent of speedway fans following the Series, which give the riders some heart to perform.

Gates will open at Olympic Park at 4:30pm, with Practice set to commence at 5:00.

It is most doubtful that there will be any Junior Program, as the Mildura Club Heat Policy will be invoked, given the 41° temperature predicted.

Olympic Park has great catering services and has plenty of Free Grandstand accommodation available. Alternatively, Patrons are also invited to bring a chair or rug and avail themselves of a spot on the grassy banks which surround the Stadium. Patrons are reminded that there must be No BYO by law, but that plenty of good quality food and drink is available from the MMCC concession holders.

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