Masters wins Rd2, Watt still leads

Sam Masters won an explosive second round of the 2017 Australian Solo Speedway Championship at Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura on Saturday, January 7.

Masters’ four heat race wins were enough to gain automatic entry into the final, Masters defeated 2017 Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) reserve rider and reigning world U21 champion Max Fricke and round one winner Davey Watt.

Hometown hero Justin Sedgmen was excluded after the first attempt at the final saw him and Masters come down at turn one.

Masters, who has finished second in the past two championships, now moves to third overall in the 2017 title chase on 26pts, behind Watt (32) and Sedgmen (29) and in front of Fricke (25). Reigning champion Brady Kurtz is well back in seventh on 15pts.

“I do like this track; it’s one of my favourites. The track was very similar to last time I was here which is always nice,” said Masters. “It’s nice to come away with some points as we head into the back end of the event and we’ll see what we can do at the other tracks.”

Meanwhile, it was a sour night for 2013 Aussie champion and former SGP rider Troy Batchelor, whose bike went up in the flames in a heat race.

The championship now heads to Undera near Shepparton (Vic) for the penultimate round on January 11, where Nick Morris claimed the spoils in 2016.

Current standings (after two of four rounds):
1 Dave Watt 32
2 Justin Sedgmen 29
3 Sam Masters 26
4 Max Fricke 25
5 Nick Morris 22
6 Toy Batchelor 20
7 Brady Kurtz 15
8= Jack Holder 13
8= Josh Pickering 13
8= Rohan Tungate 13
11 Ty Proctor 12
12 Jaimon Lidsey 11
13 Todd Kurtz 9
14 Mason Campton 7
15= Cooper Riordan 6
15= Jordan Stewart 6