TOP ROO-HAN WITH BEN MAKING SEMI'S AGAIN

The 2024 Australian Champion was ultimately determined in the first semi-final of the fifth round of the series when Rohan Tungate took victory.

It was a race that featured himself and Max Fricke, both of whom had amassed 67 Championship points at that stage. With Fricke, who had struggled for the best part of the meeting,  finishing last in the semi-final his night came to an end and meant that Tungate would overhaul him with the minimum of a point on offer in the Grand Final.

Tungate went on to finish second in that final to regain the crown he had last won in 2018, whilst  Brady Kurtz took victory in the round.

Ben Cook reached the semi-finals with a ten point haul that included a heat nine race win, but brother Zach had to settle for just six points from his heats to give him a championship total of 28 points in overall eleventh place.

Ben had to face his fellow Belle Vue teammates Jaimon Lidsey and Kurtz in the second semi-final, where he finished third to the pair of them and concluded his championship total with forty two points equal to that of Chris Holder as the pair finished joint sixth in the series.

The second semi-final  win for Lidsey also gave him a chance to steal overall third place from Jack Holder, whom he trailed by one point in the standings at that stage, with both riders making the final four.

Lidsey passed Holder on the opening lap to claim third place on the night at the ex-Poole rider's expense, an outcome that forced a third-fourth place  run-off for the championship standings. 

In that match race, reigning champion Holder delivered a tapes to flag win to ensure that he had a bronze medal to add to the gold he won in 2023 and the silver from 2020.

Final Standings (showing points per round) R.Tungate 70 (16-14-11-13-16), M.Fricke 67 (15-12-16-16-8), J.Holder 61 (10-12-13-13-13), J.Lidsey 61 (15-8-13-12-13), B.Kurtz 57 (8-8-8-16-17), B.Cook 42 (6-8-10-8-10), C.Holder 42 (10-8-9-4-11), J.Pickering 41 (12-7-8-7-7), S.Masters 41 (7-8-9-10-7), R.Douglas 40 (8-8-13-7-4), Z.Cook 28 (4-9-6-5-4), K.Rew 22 (5-2-6-4-5), J.Pearson 18 (7-4-4-0-3), M.West 14 (1-4-1-1-7), F.Bowes 11 (1-3-0-4-3), J.Sedgmen 9 (DNR-DNR-DNR-9-DNR), T.Zischke 5 (5-DNR-DNR-DNR-DNR), J.Etheridge 4 (DNR-4-DNR-DNR-DNR), J.Morrison 3 (DNR-DNR-3-DNR-0), J.Turner 1 (DNR-DNR-DNR-DNR-1)