FRICKE: AUSTRALIA'S GOLDEN GENERATION

Returning Speedway GP racer Max Fricke can’t wait to face lifelong rivals Jack Holder and Brady Kurtz in the 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series.

Fricke came through a tense final heat at the FIM SGP Challenge in Pardubice last Friday, securing fourth place to make an instant return to the Speedway GP line-up after being forced to settle for the first reserve berth in 2024.

He is joined in representing Australia by 2017 Speedway GP world champion Jason Doyle, who received a permanent wild card. Holder secured his spot by finishing sixth in this year’s SGP World Championship, while Kurtz topped the podium at the FIM SGP Challenge to qualify alongside Fricke.

Holder, Kurtz and Fricke were born within six months of each other in 1996 and grew up competing against each other at youth and junior level Down Under.

Next year sees all three face off on world speedway’s biggest stage, and Fricke believes their rivalry has brought the best out of them as they have gone wheel to wheel around the world.

He said: “It’s awesome to have Jack, Brady and myself in the series. We have raced each other since we were nine years old. We are all the same age and have come through the ranks together.

“I was talking to Brady about it. It’s pretty cool that we have raced each other our whole lives and we have made it all the way to the GPs.

“We are all competitive people, and we have raced each other for a long time. Of course, there is going to be a little bit of pushing each other along. We are all trying to do our best individually, but even in the juniors, we were always pushing each other and that probably helped us to improve.”

Doyle was the last Aussie to be crowned world champion seven years ago. Asked if one of his golden generation could reach those heights in the coming years, Fricke replied: “I would like to think so. 

“All the riders in the GP are super talented. But just to think we have all grown up together and raced together and helped each other to get where we are is great. I definitely think there is the opportunity there for one of us to reach that goal of being world champion.”