Australian Under-21 Individual Speedway Championship
The Australian Under-21 Speedway Championship is a motorcycle speedway championship held each year since 1986, with the exception of 1994 and 1995, to determine the Australian Under-21 national champion. The event is organised by Motorcycling Australia (MA). The event was run as the Australian Under-18 Championship in 1986. This lasted just one year and was changed to the Under-21 Championship in 1987 to bring it in line with the Individual Speedway Junior World Championship which is also for Under-21's.
The inaugural Under-21 Championship in 1987 was held at the Undera Park Speedway in Victoria. Queensland riders scored a trifecta. The championship was won by Gary Allan from brothers Steve and Tony Langdon. It would take another 22 years (2009) before another Queenslander would step on the podium when Darcy Ward won the first of three straight titles. Victorian Nigel Tremelling won the single Under-18 Championship in 1986.
Leigh Adams from Mildura, and Sydney's Chris Holder, jointly hold the record for most wins in the Australian Under-21 Championship with four wins each. Adams would win the 1992 Under-21 World Championship as well as winning a record 10 senior Australian Championships while in 1992 he became the first reigning Australian U/21 Champion to win the senior title. Holder won the 2012 World Championship. Triple Australian Under-21 Champion Darcy Ward won the Under-21 World Championship in 2009 and 2010 while finishing second in 2011 while another triple Australian U/21 Champion, Max Fricke, won the Under-21 World Championship in 2016 after finishing 6th in the 2015 U/21 World Championship.
Leigh Adams, Darcy Ward and Max Fricke are the only Australian Under-21 Champions to have won the Under-21 World Championship.
No rider from Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory has won the championship, though 2003 and 2004 winner Rory Schlein from South Australia was born in Darwin (NT).
Jack Holder from New South Wales is the current (2016) Australian Under-21 Champion. Holder joined his older brother Chris Holder as an Australian U/21 Champion when he won his first title at Adelaide's Gillman Speedway on 23 January 2016.[1]
Placegetters since 1986
| Year | Venue | City/State | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986* | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Nigel Tremelling (Vic) | ||
| 1987 | Undera Park Speedway | Undera, Vic | Gary Allan (Qld) | Steve Langdon (Qld) | Tony Langdon (Qld) |
| 1988 | North Arm Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Leigh Adams (Vic) | Scott Norman (SA) | Craig Boyce (NSW) |
| 1989 | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Craig Hodgson (SA) | Scott Norman (SA) | Leigh Adams (Vic) |
| 1990 | Riverland Speedway | Renmark, SA | Leigh Adams (Vic) | Shane Bowes (SA) | Shane Parker (SA) |
| Year | Venue | City/State | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place |
| 1991 | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Leigh Adams (Vic) | Shane Parker (SA) | Jason Lyons (Vic) |
| 1992 | Riverview Speedway | Murray Bridge, SA | Leigh Adams (Vic) | Jason Hawkes (Vic) | Jason Crump (Vic) |
| 1993 | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Ryan Sullivan (SA) | Cory Alderton (Vic) | Jason Hawkes (Vic) |
| 1994 | not held | ||||
| 1995 | not held | ||||
| 1996 | North Arm Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Ryan Sullivan (SA) | Brett Woodifield (SA) | Nigel Sadler (SA) |
| 1997 | Undera Park Speedway | Undera, Vic | Adam Shields (NSW) | Nigel Sadler (SA) | Craig Watson (NSW) |
| 1998 | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Travis McGowan (Vic) | Chris Szauter (NSW) | Adam Shields (NSW) |
| 1999 | Gold Coast Speedway | Gold Coast, Qld | Nigel Sadler (SA) | Kevin Doolan (Vic) | Rusty Harrison (SA) |
| 2000 | Oakburn Park Speedway | Tamworth, NSW | Travis McGowan (Vic) | Kevin Doolan (Vic) | Scott Smith (Qld) |
| Year | Venue | City/State | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place |
| 2001 | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Rusty Harrison (SA) | Ashley Jones (Vic) | Ben Shields (NSW) |
| 2002 | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Travis McGowan (Vic) | Cameron Woodward (Vic) | Rusty Harrison (SA) |
| 2003 | Oakburn Park Speedway | Tamworth, NSW | Rory Schlein (SA) | Cameron Woodward (Vic) | Jaye Stevens (NSW) |
| 2004 | Undera Park Speedway | Undera, Vic | Rory Schlein (SA) | Robert Ksiezak (SA) | Matt Wethers (SA) |
| 2005 | Oakburn Park Speedway | Tamworth, NSW | Chris Holder (NSW) | Rory Schlein (SA) | Cameron Woodward (Vic) |
| 2006 | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Chris Holder (NSW) | Troy Batchelor (Qld) | Jason Doyle (NSW) |
| 2007 | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Chris Holder (NSW) | Troy Batchelor (Qld) | Robert Ksiezak (SA) |
| 2008** | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Chris Holder (NSW) | Tyron Proctor (Vic) | |
| 2009 | Gosford Speedway | Gosford, NSW | Darcy Ward (Qld) | Kozza Smith (NSW) | Aaron Summers (SA) |
| 2010 | Olympic Park Speedway | Mildura, Vic | Darcy Ward (Qld) | Justin Sedgmen (Vic) | Josh Auty ( ) |
| Year | Venue | City/State | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd place |
| 2011 | North Brisbane Speedway | Brisbane, Qld | Darcy Ward (Qld) | Richard Sweetman (NSW) | Josh Grajczonek (Qld) |
| 2012 | Loxford Park Speedway | Kurri Kurri, NSW | Taylor Poole (NSW) | Justin Sedgmen (Vic) | Alex Davies (NSW) |
| 2013[2] | Loxford Park Speedway | Kurri Kurri, NSW | Max Fricke (Vic) | Taylor Poole (NSW) | Justin Sedgmen (Vic) |
| 2014[3] | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Max Fricke (Vic) | Ryan Douglas (Qld) | Jack Holder (NSW) |
| 2015 | Loxford Park Speedway | Kurri Kurri, NSW | Max Fricke (Vic) | Jack Holder (NSW) | Brady Kurtz (NSW) |
| 2016 | Gillman Speedway | Adelaide, SA | Jack Holder (NSW) | Brady Kurtz (NSW) | Max Fricke (Vic) |
* 1986 run as the Australian Under-18 Championship.
** 2008 No third place awarded. Troy Batchelor fell & was excluded on lap 2, Robert Ksiezak suffered engine failure in lap 2 of the re-run Final leaving Chris Holder and Tyron Proctor as the only finishers
Medals classification
| Pos | Rider | Total |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Leigh Adams | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2. | Chris Holder | 4 | 4 | ||
| 3. | Max Fricke | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| 4. | Travis McGowan | 3 | 3 | ||
| Darcy Ward | 3 | 3 | |||
| 6. | Rory Schlein | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 7. | Ryan Sullivan | 2 | 2 | ||
| 8. | Nigel Sadler | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jack Holder | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10. | Rusty Harrison | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| 11. | Taylor Poole | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| 12. | Nigel Tremelling | 1 | 1 | ||
| Gary Alan | 1 | 1 | |||
| Craig Hodgson | 1 | 1 |
References
- ↑ Two New Australian Champions
- ↑ "Fricke Flies to Aussie Crown", speedwaygp.com, 19 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013
- ↑ "Max Fricke wins thrilling Aussie U/21 Title
- Books
- Loader, Tony (1991). Loader's International Speedway Annual 1991. Tony Loader. p. 66. ISSN 1036-4404.
- Articles
- Oakes, Peter (2013) "New Champ Keeps Cool", Speedway Star, 26 January 2013, pp. 6–7