DOYLE EXPECTING AUSSIE TITLE TEST

Former Speedway GP world champion Jason Doyle believes he’s up against “one of the strongest line-ups we’ve had in the last 15 years” as he launches his Australian Championship challenge at Adelaide track Gillman on Tuesday.

Doyle is competing for his national title for the first time since 2015, and he’s up against Speedway GP rivals and fellow FIM Speedway of Nations world champions Jack Holder and Max Fricke. They are joined by the likes of 2012 world champion Chris Holder and former champions Brady Kurtz, Rohan Tungate and Sam Masters.

After launching at Gillman, the series heads to Victorian track Albury on Saturday, before moving to New South Wales circuit Kurri Kurri next Monday and concluding at North Brisbane on January 11.

Fricke is bidding to extend his run of three straight Aussie title triumphs to four. Doyle will be one of the favourites to end his winning streak, but he knows topping the podium over four rounds will be no easy task.

He said: “I think it’s definitely one of the strongest line-ups we’ve had in the last 15 years. It’s not going to be easy.  There are boys who have ridden in Australia for the last few years, and they know the ins and outs of these tracks, so it’s going to be tough.

“There isn’t one rider in the field who isn’t capable of winning a round. The 16 riders they have picked for the series are all very good riders.

“I am looking forward to a very tough series, and hopefully we can have a little bit of fun in between.”

There isn’t just an Aussie Championship up for grabs this month as the series will decide Australia’s entrants for the Speedway GP qualifying rounds.

Doyle has not contested these since 2014, when he finished second at the FIM GP Challenge in Lonigo, Italy to book his place in the Speedway GP series for 2015.

But after falling short of the top-six automatic qualification places over the past two seasons, he isn’t ruling out taking up the option this year.

Asked if he planned to enter the qualifiers, Doyle replied: “Who knows? I always want to get into the GPs on merit and qualify. Over the last two years, that hasn’t been the case. We will see in the next couple of months what will happen and how good my speedway will be.”

GILLMAN LINE-UP (not in riding order): Fraser Bowes, Ben Cook, Zach Cook, Jason Doyle, Max Fricke, Chris Holder, Jack Holder, Zane Keleher, Brady Kurtz, Sam Masters, Brayden McGuinness, James Pearson, Josh Pickering, Justin Sedgmen, Rohan Tungate, Michael West.