Australia enjoyed a historic weekend at the British Speedway Grand Prix in Manchester as Brady Kurtz emerged from the National Speedway Stadium with the World Championship lead following two memorable nights of action.
The Belle Vue Aces star claimed victory in Saturday’s ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester R4 after an incredible charge from the back in the final, while fellow Australian Max Fricke had already topped Friday night’s podium as Australia underlined its growing strength on the world stage.
The weekend began with one of the most memorable results in Speedway GP history as Fricke led an Australian clean sweep of the podium in Round 3. Fricke ended a four-year wait for a Speedway GP victory ahead of Kurtz and Jack Holder, making Australia only the second nation after Poland to lock out all three podium positions at a Grand Prix.
Having recovered from a last-place finish in his opening ride, Fricke remained unbeaten for the rest of the evening and mastered difficult rain-affected conditions to secure his third career Speedway GP victory.
The Leicester Lions racer described the moment as particularly special given he shared the podium with riders he has competed against since childhood.
Friday’s success moved Fricke into championship contention, but it was Kurtz who would leave Manchester with the biggest prize.
After finishing second on Friday, the Australian returned on Saturday determined to go one better. In a dramatic final, Kurtz found himself at the back of the field before capitalising as Michael Jepsen Jensen and Bartosz Zmarzlik battled for the lead. Spotting an opening, Kurtz swept through to snatch victory and send the Manchester crowd into celebration.
The win completed an outstanding weekend for the Australian, who scored 39 points from a possible 44 across the two rounds.
“I have been in all the finals in Manchester now and hadn’t managed to get the win before,” said Kurtz. “I learned a lot from Friday’s round and we were much better on Saturday.”
The result saw Kurtz move to the top of the Speedway GP World Championship standings on 65 points, three clear of reigning champion Bartosz Zmarzlik.
While Kurtz celebrated a dream weekend, Zmarzlik endured mixed fortunes. The Pole crashed out of Friday night’s final but bounced back to finish third on Saturday, ensuring he remains firmly in the title fight heading into the next round in Wroclaw.
Danish star Michael Jepsen Jensen also enjoyed his best result of the season with second place on Saturday. Racing his first full Speedway GP campaign since 2015, the former world champion moved up to fourth in the standings and continues to build momentum after an encouraging return to the series.
Jack Holder also leaves Manchester in a strong position after another consistent weekend. Following third place on Friday and a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s final, the Australian sits third in the championship on 55 points and remains firmly in contention.
With four rounds completed, the title race is beginning to take shape. Kurtz now leads the standings ahead of Zmarzlik, while Holder, Jepsen Jensen and Fricke have all strengthened their positions following a weekend that belonged to Australia.
For British fans, the Manchester double-header delivered everything expected from Speedway GP racing – dramatic weather, spectacular racing, championship twists and an historic Australian performance that will be remembered as one of the defining weekends of the 2026 season.
SEE THE FULL ROUND 3 >>RESULTS<<
SEE THE FULL ROUND 4 >>RESULTS<<
SEE THE CHAMPIONSHIP >>STANDINGS<<
Feature Image courtesy of Taylor Lanning –
