AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIPS: B FINAL AGONY FOR JACK

Returning Pirate Jack Holder was left cursing his luck after a fall in the B-final denied him a possible place in the A-final of the opening round of the Australian Championships, held at Gillman, Adelaide today (Thursday)

Jack, with eleven qualifying points to his name - a tally that had gained Jordan Stewart the right to a direct route to the A-final under countback - found himself up against brother Chris, Sam Masters and Jaimon Lidsey in the repercharge for the grand final. But the youngster, who spent last season with the Somerset Rebels, fell on the second lap of the B-final but quickly cleared the track allowing the race, led by Chris, to continue uninterrupted.

Chris, who had opened with a first ride retirement, went on to finish in third place in the final behind winner Max Fricke and second placed Rohan Tungate with Stewart disqualified at the first attempt after crashing.

Brady Kurtz was in the running for a shot at the final until a fourth ride fall restricted him to a final tally of 8 points after winning his first ride, finishing behind Jack in his second, third to Stewart and Fricke in his third and then runner-up to Chris in heat 20. 

This was the opening of five rounds to determine the Australian Solo Champion for 2019 and the second round takes place at Mildura on Saturday (January 5th)

Heat Details

Ht 1 M.Fricke, N.Morris, S.Masters, C.Holder (rtd)
Ht 2 B.Kurtz, R.Tungate, B.Cook, K.Thompson
Ht 3 J.Stewart, Z.Keleher, Z.Cook, J.Sedgmen
Ht 4 J.Lidsey, T.Kurtz, J.Holder, R.Douglas
Ht 5 J.Holder, B.Kurtz, N.Morris, J.Sedgmen (rtd)
Ht 6 M.Fricke, R.Tungate, T.Kurtz, Z.Keleher (fell)
Ht 7 J.Lidsey, S.Masters, Z.Cook, K.Thompson
Ht 8 C.Holder, J.Stewart, B.Cook, R.Douglas
Ht 9 R.Tungate, R.Douglas, N.Morris, Z.Cook
Ht 10 J.Stewart, M.Fricke, B.Kurtz, J.Lidsey
Ht 11 B.Cook, S.Masters, T.Kurtz, J.Sedgmen
Ht 12 J.Holder, C.Holder, J.Pickering, K.Thompson
Ht 13 J.Stewart, N.Morris, T.Kurtz, K.Thompson
Ht 14 J.Holder, M.Fricke, Z.Cook, B.Cook (fell exc)
Ht 15 S.Masters, R.Douglas, Z.Keleher, B.Kurtz (fell exc)
Ht 16 R.Tungate, C.Holder, J.Lidsey, J.Sedgmen
Ht 17 J.Lidsey, Z.Keleher, N.Morris, B.Cook
Ht 18 M.Fricke, R.Douglas, K.Thompson, J.Sedgmen
Ht 19 R.Tungate, S.Masters, J.Holder, J.Stewart
Ht 20 C.Holder, B.Kurtz, T.Kurtz, Z.Cook
B Final C.Holder, J.Lidsey, S.Masters, J.Holder (fell)
A Final M.Fricke, R.Tungate, C.Holder, J.Stewart (fell exc)

Championship Standings: 1. M.Fricke (17); 2. R.Tungate (16); 3. J.Stewart (12); 4. C.Holder (12); 5. J.Holder (11); 6. S.Masters (10); 7. J.Lidsey (10); 8. B.Kurtz (8); 9. N.Morris (7); 10. T.Kurtz (6); 11. R.Douglas (6); 12. B.Cook (5); 13. Z.Keleher (5); 14. Z.Cook (3); 15. J.Pickering (1); 16. K.Thompson (1); 17. J.Sedgmen (0)