Australia down to two in world speedway

Australia's full-time representation in the Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series has been trimmed to two, with Queenslander Troy Batchelor not retained on the 15-rider roster for 2016.

Batchelor's compatriots Jason Doyle and 2012 world champion Chris Holder were already automatic inclusions courtesy of top eight finishes in the 2015 championship — which concluded in Melbourne on October 24 — and Batchelor's only lifeline was being announced as one of the four permanent wildcards.

That faint hope has just been extinguished with the four spots awarded to Jaroslaw Hampel, Peter Kildemand, Andreas Jonsson and Antonio Lindback.

The other three full-time riders in the 2016 SGP, Bartosz Zmarzlik, Chris Harris and Piotr Pawlicki, made their way through from the 2015 GP Challenge.

In addition to Doyle and Holder, the other automatic qualifiers for 2016 are new world champion Tai Woffinden, Melbourne winner Greg Hancock, Nicki Pedersen, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Matej Zagar and Maciej Janowski.

The 2016 round in Melbourne will be held on October 22.

2016 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX RIDER LINE-UP IN RANKING ORDER:
1 Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
2 Greg Hancock (United States)
3 Nicki Pedersen (Denmark)
4 Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
5 Jason Doyle (Australia)
6 Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
7 Maciej Janowski (Poland)
8 Chris Holder (Australia)
9 Peter Kildemand (Denmark)
10 Andreas Jonsson (Sweden)
11 Chris Harris (Great Britain)
12 Jaroslaw Hampel (Poland)
13 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
14 Piotr Pawlicki (Poland)
15 Antonio Lindback (Sweden)
16 WILDCARD
17 TRACK RESERVE 1
18 TRACK RESERVE 2
SUBSTITUTE RIDERS
19 Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
20 Michael Jepsen Jensen (Denmark)
21 Vaclav Milik (Czech Republic)