A summer of supremely entertaining speedway action will continue in Gillman (SA) on Saturday, January 27 when the 2024 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship welcomes a three-time world champion to take on a star-studded local roster.
The multiple FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) champion is Briton Tai Woffinden, who long ago pencilled in the Oceania Championship as one of the marquee events he’d compete in during his regular sojourn Down Under to escape the northern hemisphere winter.
As he prepares to head home for another intense SGP and domestic league season, the 33-year-old speedway powerhouse would love to complete his Aussie trek on a high, but it won’t be easy with the likes of Sam Masters, Brady Kurtz, Justin Sedgmen, Jaimon Lidsey and Josh Pickering awaiting him.
For the local contingent, the event also holds extra significance with the FIM Track Commission recently awarding a 2024 SGP qualifying spot for the first-placed Australian rider (with a Motorcycling Australia licence) in the Oceania showpiece.
Four 2024 SGP qualifying spots have already been awarded via the Australian Speedway Championship – Rohan Tungate, Max Fricke, Jack Holder and Lidsey the beneficiaries – which means the Oceania Championship is crunch time for seasoned campaigners such as Masters and Kurtz.
Once the Oceania qualifier is locked in, the five riders will begin the European-based SGP qualification process later this year – with the top three in the final-frontier SGP Challenge meeting added to the 2025 SGP roster.
However, the most pressing concern is getting the job done at Gillman, which has just come off hosting duties in the final round of the Australian Championship.
With the venue’s purpose-built 300-metre track again in pristine condition, the Oceania Speedway Championship is shaping as a battle royal from start to finish.
Gates will open at 4:00pm on Saturday, followed by practice between 5:15-6:15pm and racing at 7:00pm. For livestream details keep an eye on the official Gillman Speedway Facebook page.
Words and Feature Image by Australian Speedway Championship
