2004 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship - Round 1

The three-round 2004 Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship commences on the Gold Coast this Saturday night (January 10), strengthened by the return of a quartet of 2003 world championship campaigners.

Leigh Adams, Ryan Sullivan, Todd Wiltshire and Jason Lyons will all line up at the 390-metre Gold Coast Silkolene Speedway, with the indefatigable Adams gunning for an unprecedented eighth title victory in 13 years.

Mildura-bred Adams and 28-year-old Sullivan won three of the nine world championship speedway grands prix in 2003, with the former eventually finishing fourth overall for the second year in succession. Sullivan was ninth, followed by Wiltshire (19th) and Lyons (20).

Adams, 32, is the defending Australian speedway champion – he defeated Wiltshire, Craig Watson and Mick Poole at last year’s one-off meeting in Gosford (NSW) – and is again feeling sanguine about his 2004 prospects – notwithstanding the sheer depth of talent in the 16-rider field.

“I’ve had a great time since coming home from the UK late last year – I’ve been water skiing and trail riding a lot – but now I’m really looking forward to getting back into some racing,” said Adams. “I reckon a multi-round series is the way to go, and the tracks we are going to race on are all great. It’s just a superb product all round – and people will be able to see it all on free-to-air television.

“The field for this year’s title is awesome – not only the world championship riders, but some of the local guys are really fast too. I can’t wait to get into it – and the finale in my hometown of Mildura on the long weekend (January 24) will be something else.”

Sixteen riders will race off in a roster of 20 heats on the Gold Coast, followed by a B Final (for riders who finished from 5-8 in the heats) and the headline A Final (1-4). Ten riders will back up from the 2003 championship, including the likes of Mark Lemon, John Jorgensen, Queenslander Scott Smith, Kevin Doolan, Travis McGowan, and reigning national under 21 champion Rory Schlein. Lemon and Jorgensen were fifth and sixth respectively in 2003.

Adams, with his seven national championships, holds the honour as the most successful local speedway rider in history – since 1954 at least -- one ahead of the late Billy Sanders, who won the last of his six titles in 1985. Prior to 1954, more than one national championship was sanctioned each year, which saw Aub Lawson win eight titles over a five-year period.

In the current era, only five riders have won the national title since 1990: Western Australian Glenn Doyle, Craig Boyce, Adams, Jason Crump and Wiltshire.

Practice commences at 3.00pm this Saturday night, with racing kicking off at 7.00pm. The Gold Coast Speedway is located on Captain Cook Drive in the suburb of Labrador.