World champ wins Aussie title(U21)
From Mildura's Sunraysia Daily and Motorcycling Australia.
QUEENSLANDER Darcy Ward added a second Australian Under 21 Speedway title
to his world championship with victory at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway on
Saturday night.
The 17-year-old beat talented local rider Justin Sedgmen in a thrilling final,
with Sedgmen fighting back from a poor start to push the defending World Under
21 champion all the way.
Ward didn’t have things all his own way at Olympic Park, suffering a heavy crash
in his second race. In his second ride he wheelied down the back straight,
falling in turn three. He was third qualifier for the final, ie Ward had third
choice of gate (11 points). Sedgmen scored 12.
Josh Auty (UK) earned 10 points after being a non-stater in his first race. He
won the B Final ahead of 16-year-old Queenslander Tyson Nelson, who also crashed
during the heats.
NSW’s Sam Masters had first choice of gate in the final, beating Darcy Ward in
the heats (14 points). Master's only defeat came at the hands of Englishman Auty.
Masters worked the track well, using his good starting and good corner speed to
advantage.
A solid mixture of ego, gamesmanship and nerves had many of the riders in the
wrong frame of mind at the start of the Championship, but after the second round
of heats, all riders knuckled down and the meeting became one of high quality
with some excellent racing being witnessed.
The “B” final turned out to be a cracker. The rider who had impressed most
spectators, the Queenslander with a Dirt Track background, Tyson Nelson had been
like lightening from the gate and had used his good starts for 10 points for the
night. Against Richard Sweetman and Hugh Skidmore, the experience of Josh Auty
worked his way underneath Nelson and eventually won, giving him a place in the
main event.
Ward, Sedgmen, Masters and Nelsen continue on in the World Under 21 Qualifying
rounds during this coming European summer.
HEAT SCORERS: Masters 14, J.Sedgmen 12, Ward 11, Nelson 10, Auty 10, Sweetman 9,
Skidmore 7, Josh Grajczonek 7, Dakota North 7, Jake Anderson 6, Michael Penfold
5, Todd Kurtz 5, Mason Campton 5, Taylor Poole 5, Robert Branford 4, Ryan
Sedgmen 2.
B Final: Auty, Nelson, Sweetman, Skidmore A Final: Ward, Sedgmen, Auty, Masters.
|
