Kurri Kurri Speedway Club will host four Australian Speedway Solo Championships across four consecutive nights this long-weekend and local riders are keen to use “home track knowledge” to their advantage as they chase national honours.
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The championship carnival includes the Australian Under-21 solo title, the Australian Junior 250 solo title, the Australian Under-16 250 solo title and the Australian Under 16 125 Speedway Solo Teams Championship.
Two national titles will be held on Saturday night – the Australian Junior 250 Speedway Solo Championship and the headline event, the Australian Under 21 Speedway Solo Championship.
The Australian Under 21 Championship shapes as a world class event attracting current world and Australian title holders.
Victorian rider Max Fricke is the World Under 21 Speedway Solo Champion and Cowra’s Matthew Gilmore is the World Under 16 Speedway Solo Champion, while NSW’s Jack Holder will be defending his Australian Under 21 Speedway crown.
Former Australian Speedway Solo Champion Brady Kurtz takes his place in the field.
Following his impressive winning performance in the recent final round of the 2017 Australian Speedway Solo Championship at Kurri Kurri, he made it clear that he will be looking to repeat that performance.
Heddon Greta’s Josh Pickering is the only local rider to be contesting the National Under 21 title. Pickering finished fourth in the 2016/17 Queensland Speedway Solo Championship and was one of the 16 riders who contested the four rounds of the 2017 Australian Speedway Solo Championship.
Cessnock’s Isaac Hawes is the only local rider competing in the 2017 Australian Under 16 250 Speedway Solo Championship.
This will be Hawes’ last race meeting in this division as he then focuses on moving into the senior 500 solo class.
Two Australian Junior 125 Speedway Solo Championships will mark both the start and the finish of the championship carnival.
The first to be decided is the 2017 Australian Junior 125 Speedway Solo Individual Championship.
The Junior 125 solo event has attracted a big field of riders, requiring a qualifying night on Thursday.
The 16-rider qualifying event will feature Hunter youngsters Bradley Page, James Pearson and Aiden Phillip.
The top eight riders night move into the championship field on Friday night, which includes Jack Miles who has been seeded directly into the championship decider.
Twelve-year-old Miles, from Gilleston Heights, has been racing speedway for three years and his continued improvement has earned him a top seeding.
Miles will partner Cowra’s Maurice Brown as the NSW No.1 pair in the 2017 Australian Under 16 125 Speedway Solo Teams Championship on Sunday.
Local riders James Pearson and Aiden Phillip will partner as the NSW No.2 team.
“Without doubt this is the biggest Aussie speedway championship program undertaken by any club,” Kurri Kurris Speedway president Peter Campton said. “It is a big commitment but our cub has fantastic volunteers who will see the program go through.”
Gates will open at 3pm and racing is scheduled for 6.30pm on each day.
