AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RETURNS FOR SPORT'S 100TH YEAR

The 2023 Australian Championship series returns for the first time since 2020 and will be staged as a five-round competition this January as the sport celebrates its 100^th birthday Down Under.

The first-ever speedway event took place at West Maitland Showground in New South Wales in 1923, and Aussie bosses are keen to bring the championship back in time to celebrate that sensational centenary.

Speedway GP rider Max Fricke remains the Australian champion after winning his second title in January 2020 – just months before the pandemic brought the sport to a halt around the world.

The 2021 edition of the championship was not staged and the 2022 champion will be decided in a one-day final at Adelaide track Gillman on December 10.

The race for the 2023 crown begins less than a month later, when Gillman hosts next year’s opening round on January 3. The action moves across the Barossa Valley to iconic Victorian venue Mildura on January 5.

Racing then heads to Victorian track Albury, which is located halfway between Melbourne and Aussie capital Canberra, on January 7.

New South Wales circuit Kurri Kurri – two hours from Sydney on the edge of the Hunter Valley wine region – plays host to round four on January 9. Kurri Kurri is located a stone’s throw from Maitland, making it a fitting place to race in the sport’s centenary season.

Racing legend Darcy Ward then promotes the final round of the series as North Brisbane Speedway and the state of Queensland stages its first Australian Championship round since 2012.

Motorcycling Australia Event Manager, Sam Redfern, is excited to have a full Championship back up and running, commenting: “It’s fantastic to have the Australian Speedway Senior Solo Championship back in full swing just in time to celebrate 100 years of speedway!”