KURTZ HITS MILDURA MAX TO EXTEND AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP ADVANTAGE

Speedway GP newcomer Brady Kurtz took a giant step closer to his second Australian Championship after racing to maximum points to win round two in Mildura on Sunday.

Kurtz triumphed in the final ahead of former SGP2 star Keynan Rew, Zach Cook and Josh Pickering to charge into an eight-point lead with two rounds to race at Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday and North Brisbane on Saturday.

Last year’s FIM SGP Challenge winner triumphed in the opening round at Adelaide venue Gillman and tightened his grip on top spot when he blazed through the Mildura heats with a 15-point maximum. 

He then won semi-final one ahead of Rew, Ben Cook and former world champion Chris Holder.

There was drama in semi-final two as reigning Aussie champion Rohan Tungate crashed out, with Jack Holder also suffering mechanical problems to exit the round with 14 championship points. Zach Cook won the rerun ahead of Pickering.

With Holder unable to add to his 29-point tally in the final, he has it all to do in second place if he is to regain the Aussie Championship trophy he won in 2023.

Meanwhile, it was a night to forget for Victorian racer Fricke, who crashed in heat one. Despite taking his place in his second race and scoring a point, he withdrew from the remainder of the meeting.

This leaves him 10th in the overall standings on 12 points and all but out of contention to win his fourth Aussie crown.

Second spot for Rew leaves him in the hunt on 28 in third, with Chris Holder still in touch with top spot on 26 as he chases title No.6.

The top two riders in the championship secure places in the 2025 Speedway GP qualification rounds for the 2026 Speedway GP World Championship. They are joined by the winner of the FIM Oceania Championship at Gillman on January 25.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER ROUND 2/4):

1. Brady Kurtz 37

2. Jack Holder 29

3. Keynan Rew 28

4. Chris Holder 26

5. Rohan Tungate 20

6. Zach Cook 18

7. Josh Pickering 17

8. Jaimon Lidsey 17

9. Ben Cook 15

10. Max Fricke 12

11= Mitchell McDiarmid 8

11= James Pearson 8

13. Harrison Ryan 7

14. Michael West 6

15. Patrick Hamilton 5

16. Mitchell Cluff 4

17. Dayle Wood 1

MILDURA HEAT SCORES: 1 Brady Kurtz 15, 2 Jack Holder 14, 3 Keynan Rew 12, 4 Rohan Tungate 11, 5 Chris Holder 11, 6 Josh Pickering 9, 7 Ben Cook 9, 8 Zach Cook 8, 9 Jaimon Lidsey 8, 10 James Pearson 5, 11 Harrison Ryan 3, 12 Michell McDiarmid 3, 13 Michael West 3, 14 Patrick Hamilton 3, 15 Mitchell Cluff 2, 16 Max Fricke 1, 17 Dayle Wood 1, 18 Harry Sadler 0.

SEMI-FINAL 1: Kurtz, Rew, B Cook, C Holder.

SEMI-FINAL 2: Z Cook, Pickering, Holder (exc), Tungate (exc).

FINAL: Kurtz, Rew, Z Cook, Pickering.