Australia national under-21 speedway team

The Australia national under-21 speedway team is the national under-21 motorcycle speedway team of Australia and is controlled by the Motorcycling Australia. Like the senior Australian team, the Under-21s are managed by former rider Mark Lemon.

Australia
AssociationMotorcycling Australia
FIM codeMA
Team managerMark Lemon
Team captainBrady Kurtz
SWC Wins0
Squad
World Championships
Team U-21 — 2 1
 Best result2nd (2012, 2016)
Individual U-21 6 4 4
 Best result1st - last one in 2016 (Max Fricke)

The team has qualified to the Under-21 World Cup Final on four occasions, though they only raced in the Final three of those times. These came in 2008 when they finished fourth, 2011 when they won their Semi-final but were forced to withdraw due to travel cost and visa problems, 2012 when the team finished in second place, and again in 2013 when they finished fourth.

The Australian team was guaranteed a place in the 2015 World Championship Final due to it being held at the Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura on 31 October. It was the first time that the Under-21 Team Championship Final was held outside of Europe or the UK and was held just one week after the 2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Australia was run in the Victorian state capital Melbourne.[1] The Aussie's finished third on the night behind winners Poland and runner-up Denmark.[2]

Australia has produced four Under-21 World Champions: Leigh Adams (1992), Jason Crump (1995), Darcy Ward (2009 and 2010) and Max Fricke (2016). In 1983, Steve Baker won the European Under-21 Championship open for riders from all continents. The European Championship was renamed as the World Championship in 1988.

Crump would go on to win the Speedway World Championship in 2004, 2006 and 2009. Adams has won a record 10 Australian Championships and jointly holds the record for Australian Under-21 Championships with four wins with 2012 World Champion Chris Holder, while Ward is also a triple Australian Under-21 Champion. Baker won the South Australian Championship in 1985 and second in the Australian Championship in 1987.

The current Australian Under-21 team (at the 2016 World Championship Final) was reigning Australian champion Brady Kurtz (c), triple Australian Under-21 champion Max Fricke, Jack Holder, Jake Allen and reserve Cameron Heeps. The team finished in second place on 37 points in Norrköping, Sweden behind winners Poland who scored 44 points. Denmark and host nation Sweden finished in 3rd and 4th places respectively.

Competition
Team Speedway Junior World Championship
YearPlacePts.Riders
2005——Withdrew from Qualifying Round Two and was replaced by Denmark B
2006Did not enter
2007——3rd place in Qualifying Round One
Chris Holder, Troy Batchelor, Trevor Harding, Cory Gathercole, Robert Ksiezak
2008433Chris Holder (16), Troy Batchelor (7), Tyron Proctor (7), Robert Ksiezak (2), Kozza Smith (1)
In Qualifying Round started also: Aaron Summers
2009——3rd place in Qualifying Round One
Darcy Ward, Richard Sweetman, Justin Sedgmen, Mitchell Davey, Josh Grajczonek
2010——2nd place in Qualifying Round One
Darcy Ward, Richard Sweetman, Sam Masters, Justin Sedgmen, Josh Grajczonek
2011*——Won Semi-final Two
Darcy Ward, Richard Sweetman, Sam Masters, Justin Sedgmen, Josh Grajczonek
2012244Darcy Ward (14), Nick Morris (11), Dakota North (8), Sam Masters (6), Alex Davies (5)
2013420Darcy Ward (14), Alex Davies (4), Nick Morris (3), Tyson Nelson (2)
In Semi-final One started also: Todd Kurtz
2014——2nd place in Semi-final One
Max Fricke (10), Mason Campton (10), Nick Morris (9+2), Ryan Douglas (8)
2015[3]329Host nation
Nick Morris (12), Brady Kurtz (7), Max Fricke (6), Jack Holder (4)
2016237Jake Allen (13), Jack Holder (9), Max Fricke (8), Brady Kurtz (7), Cameron Heeps (Res - DNR)

* Due to cost of travel and visa problems, Australia withdrew from the 2011 Final,

Honours

Individual Under-21 World Championship

* Steve Baker's win in 1983 was when it was known as the European Under-21 Championship

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See also

References
  1. Mark's Mildura Delight
  2. 2015 Team U/21 World Championship
  3. 2015 Junior World Cup
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