Pelaw Main's Rohan Tungate overcame a poor start to claim the NSW Speedway Solo title at Kurri Kurri Speedway Club on Saturday night.
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Tungate defeated fellow NSW rider Todd Kurtz, Victoria’s Justin Sedgmen and Queenslander Jake Allen in the A-final to continue his dominance at Kurri Kurri.
Tungate was virtually unbeatable at Kurri Kurri last season winning every event he rode there including the first leg of the 2016 Australian title.
But it appeared his hometrack advantage had deserted him when he had just five points from his first three heats.
“It wasn’t the best start to the night. I was struggling to get my bike right and only had five points from the first three heats,” he said.
“But we got the settings right for the next race and I won the next two heats to make the B-final.”
Tungate blew the start in the B-final, but in typically tenacious style clawed his way back from the rear to win and claim the final spot in the A-final.
“Thankfully things went better in the A-final and I was able to win the title,” he said.
“Looking back it gives me a fair bit of confidence for the Australian titles.
“I was able to overcome problems and get the bike right and to win from the rear of the field in the B-final shows that I’m racing well.”
Tungate earned his spot with a second place in Friday night’s qualifying series, which was won by Sedgmen.
In a signal to the future 16-year-old Matthew Gilmore, the world junior speedway champion, qualified third.
Local riders Josh MacDonald and Jye Etheridge also qualified for the main event.
Tungate said the form of riders at the meeting showed it was going to be another tough Australian series.
“Todd Kurtz, (Australian under-21 champion) Jack Holder, Jake Allen, Justin Sedgmen and Mason Campton were all in really good form and will be ,” he said.
“Sam Masters didn’t ride but he’ll definitely be in the mix for the Australian titles,
Tungate has not decided on his Australian racing commitments beyond the Australian championships, for which he will be a favourite along with Newcastle’s Masters, reigning champion Brady Kurtz, from Cowra, 2016 World under-21 champion Max Fricke, Sedgemen, Campton and Queensland’s Josh Grajczonek .
The 27-year-old is coming off his most successful year, starring in Europe with a top-three ranking in the UK Premier League and contracts in the UK Elite League, Denmark, Poland and Sweden for 2017.
“I was really pleased with how I went in Poland. I had a really good average across the season,” he said.
“I had 20 meetings in Denmark and from that I got interest from Sweden and have just signed a contract with a Swedish team for 2017.”