DOYLE MAKES IT THREE AS HOLDER CLOSES AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP GAP

Speedway GP icon Jason Doyle takes a three-point advantage into the Australian Championship decider after making it three wins on the bounce at Kurri Kurri on Monday.

Racing just 45 minutes from hometown Newcastle, Doyle took the fight to Sydney-born racer Jack Holder, who powered through the heats with a 15-point maximum.

Holder then won semi-final one ahead of Kurri Kurri local Rohan Tungate, Justin Sedgmen and Josh Pickering, while Doyle finished second to Brady Kurtz in semi-final two to take his place in the final, with reigning champion Max Fricke and 2012 world champion Chris Holder missing out.

Doyle then got the better of main title rival Jack Holder when it mattered most in the final, topping the podium to leave Kurri Kurri with 17 championship points.

But with Holder scoring 15 in the heats, the additional three he earned for second place in the final saw him claim 18 in total to close the gap on Doyle to three points.

With Doyle on 50 in total and Jack Holder on 47, a 17-point tally at the final round at North Brisbane would guarantee Doyle his second national title.

Tungate took third place in the final, moving him up to third in the overall standings on 38 ahead of Fricke, who now has 36.

The triple Aussie champion suffered a retirement in his second ride, scoring a win, two seconds and a third place in his other four outings. A costly third place in semi-final two then brought his night to an end, rendering the title fight a two-horse race between Doyle and Jack Holder.

But there is still much to race for as the competition is set to decide Australia’s entrants for this season’s Speedway GP qualification rounds. Fourth place at Kurri Kurri puts Kurtz firmly in contention for these as he stands fifth overall on 34, while Justin Sedgmen and Josh Pickering have 31 apiece and Chris Holder is on 30 in eighth place.

The title decider takes place at North Brisbane, promoted by former Speedway GP winner Darcy Ward, on Wednesday. The event is Queensland’s first Australian Championship event since 2012.

There will be live online coverage of the North Brisbane event on Wednesday from 17:45 Queensland time / 08:45 CET / 07:45 UK here. Fans can tune in here: https://livestream-australia-pty-ltd.cleeng.com/2023-australian-speedway-championship-round-4-final/E476149533_AU?fbclid=IwAR0TJ87sbRMwh323yCqv_Tfl0zFgGjv8pPcVhWFPqhvUXJshdhHYb6ortSI

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 Jason Doyle 50, 2 Jack Holder 47, 3 Rohan Tungate 38, 4 Max Fricke 36, 5 Brady Kurtz 34, 6= Justin Sedgmen 31, Josh Pickering 31, 8 Chris Holder 30, 9 Zach Cook 20, 10 Zane Keleher 14, 11 James Pearson 13, 12 Zaine Kennedy 9, 13= Sam Masters 8, Ben Cook 8, 15= Patrick Hamilton 5, Jye Etheridge 5, 17 Cooper Riordan 4, 18 Fraser Bowes 3, 19 Brayden McGuinness 2, 20= Maurice Brown 0, Michael West 0, Kane Lawrence 0, Jake Turner 0, Liam May 0, Harrison Ryan 0.

KURRI KURRI HEAT SCORES: Jack Holder 15, Jason Doyle 13, Rohan Tungate 12, Brady Kurtz 12, Josh Pickering 11, Chris Holder 9, Justin Sedgmen 9, Max Fricke 8, Zach Cook 8, Zane Keleher 6, Zaine Kennedy 5, Jye Etheridge 5, James Pearson 4, Patrick Hamilton 2, Cooper Riordan 1, Michael West 0, Kane Lawrence 0.

SEMI-FINAL 1: J Holder, Tungate, Sedgmen, Pickering (ret).

SEMI-FINAL 2: Kurtz, Doyle, Fricke, C Holder.

FINAL: Doyle, J Holder, Tungate, Kurtz.