JJJ

I reported on Max's win of the Aust U21 in 2013 at 17 years of age. This bloke has the full kit and could be anything. It is pleasing to see the way he is developing his craft.

This is wonderful news. Jason is a great rider and a fine ambassador for the sport of Speedway. He is a top bloke as well.

Just noticed on Twitter, that Darcy spent a day with Jason Crump concentrating on focus and gating. A master class no doubt. An important point about Chris Holder and the Oz Champs. He gated poorly and was forced to come from behind on many occasions. At Underra, we saw outside lines that had never been seen before. I also think you are being unkind to the other riders. There was some great quality on show and speaks well of the Australian speedway talent pool. I also thought that Josh Grajczonek was outstanding and looks to have a big future.

I saw a barely fit Chris Holder, battle his way through the Australian Championship. He showed skill, guts and determination. He looked every inch a World Champion. Anyone who beats him, will know they have been in a tremendous Speedway contest. Emil, Tai and Wardy are all very, very good and can win. Chris Holder is just better.

B Final 1st - Mason Campton 2nd - Jack Holder Fell- Joey Ringwood Fell (excluded) Brady Kurtz A Final 1st - Mason Campton 2nd - Sam Masters 3rd - Tyler King 4th - Michael Penfold Very pleased to see Taylor Poole return to racing as a reserve. He had two starts for two wins and looked great on the bike. After his severe injuries, the bloke could do with some luck and some opportunities to show his immense talent.

Can we give a BIG thanks to crazysue. The updates are a great source of information for all the fans in Australia. Just back from Gillman. It is a long way. Round 3 was great. I had not seen Gillman before, but it is without doubt, Australia's best speedway venue. It is a credit to the club and supporters. What is left to say about Chris Holder? Courageous, fast, furious, and all the other superlatives. Jason Doyle won more races than anybody. He deserved better than his crash in the A final. His second placing in the Championship shows what a great talent he is. Josh Grajczonek secured third place and won a lot of admirers. He has a big future and a big bag of talent to go with it. Rohan Tungate won the third round. A flat tyre at Kurri, no doubt cost him a podium finish. He rode well at all the venues. It was good to see Mason Campton get a third finish at Gillman. No one tried harder thoughout the series and he was always good to watch. I was not surprised that Troy Batchelor did not start at Gillman. It was a big smash at Undera. We watching about 20 yards away, and it was a sickening crash. The quality of riders is a pleasing sign for this year's World Cup. If these blokes can stay fit and healthy, plus the addition of a certain D.Ward, makes for a team, that will do well.

Report from Undera. I have reached Adelaide and have managed to hook up to the hotel's internet. A great crowd was on hand to witness some great racing. You can see the results above, but that don't really tell he story. In his first heat, Chris Holder came unstuck on turn 2 and hit the deck. Rohan Tungate dropped his bike and avoided a real problem. Chris caught his leg under the fence, and there was some injury concerns which proved unfounded. The big crowd erupted in heat 9, when Chris Holder and Dakota North exchanged the lead on a number of occasions. North won on the line by about an inch. It was a tremendous speedway race. Chris Holder raced like a demon all night and was rewarded with a B final win. The final included Justin Sedgeman who rode well all night. Jason Doyle was almost unstoppable and showed his usual impeccable style. As always, Troy Batchelor was fast and rode well to come from behind on a few occasions. The A final was marred by a nasty crash in turn 2, when Troy Batchelor hit Chris Holder, while contesting the lead and both riders came down. Batchelor was excluded and limped away from the scene. Chris Holder took a few minutes to get to his feet and a hushed crowd were thrilled when it was announced that Chris would take his place in the re-run. Jason Doyle was running inside and missed the crash. Sedgeman dropped his bike and avoided hitting the fallen riders. Chris Holder recontested the final and won thanks to his resilience and mental toughness. We now go to Gillman on Saturday for the final. This has been a great series.

Something I did not mention in my report on the round at Kurri, was the performance of Chris Holder. His gating on the night was very ordinary, which meant he had the pressure of constantly coming from behind. I did notice however, that his own special brand of menacing intensity was returning. This is a characteristic of only the very best riders. He looked like the the fabulous World Champion that he is.

Fantastic night of racing. The standouts at the meeting were the four finalists and Josh Grajczonek. There wasn't a lot between them. Chris Holder looked really fast at the close of the meeting, but Doyley had him covered - just. Heat 19 saw a nasty fall following a clash between Chris Holder and Dakota North. Fortunately, both riders got up quickly and took part in the re-run. In heat 20, Kurt Shields ran into Cam Woodward on turn 4 and came down heavily. He walked away after a few minutes. Hard luck story was Rohan Tungate, who looked to be on winning charge in heat 18, when he was forced to withdraw due to a flat rear tyre. His body language indicated he was not happy. He looked to have lost his chance for at least a B Final appearance. We now go to Undera on Wednesday, with the title wide open. It's a 10 hour + drive, but I am sure it will be worth it.

Less than 3 hours to start time. Weather is fine. Current temp is 28 degrees C. A big crowd should turn out for this one.

From what I saw, he was a special. For those who do not know, this has been one of the hottest summers ever recorded in Australia. In the desert areas yesterday, temperatures reached 50 degrees C. That temperature is hard to imagine. Queensland is also severely affected. No wonder equipment is breaking down.

Spot on Ned. Morris was a no show. I didn't hear any explanation given at the track. I will admit though, we were having a good time and may have missed something. The usual suspects qualified. The standouts were Mason Campton, Sam Masters and Tyson Nelson. Max Fricke was good too. Looking forward to tomorrow. The racing will be awesome.

I have seen Nick race a few times this year. I expect he will be the top qualifier. He is in great form.

Good news. I have a fellow traveller, so we will be going to Gillman. So it is Friday and Saturday at Kurri. Wednesday will be at Undera and on to South Australia for the Saturday round. It will be a week where, too much speedway is barely enough. The winners will come from the seeded riders. Only Nick Morris stands out among the qualifiers and his form has been good. Undera is again the key to a top result. The top four will be Chris Holder, Troy Batchelor, Jason Doyle and Cameron Woodward. Last year, Doyley only managed 7 points at Undera, but an improvement can be expected and will be needed if he is to break through. Cameron Woodward is a classy rider and goes well everywhere. Chris Holder after his comeback, is improving with every ride. At his best he should win, but he will be tested by the others. Troy Batchelor especially will exploit any weaknesses. There will not be any of this going through the series undefeated. If you are looking for a dark horse, try Josh Grajczonek. At his best, this bloke can beat anybody. He just needs that consistency that the best riders have. It should be a great series.

Just got back from Kurri. After 5 Rides: B Final - Ryan Douglas , Rohan Tungate, Dakota North, Nick Morris. Result: 1- Ryan Douglas 2- Nick Morris 3- Rohan Tungate Titanic struggle between the top 3. A Final - Chris Holder, Brady Kurtz, Ryan Douglas, Jason Doyle Result: 1- Chris Holder 2- Jason Doyle 3- Brady Kurtz Jason Doyle led for the first couple of laps, but Chris Holder passed on the inside of turn 3. There was very little between them