FRICKE HAILS MEDAL-WINNING ROOS
Aussie star Max Fricke hailed saluted his Monster Energy SON Finals team mates after the Roos roared to bronze medals in Togliatti.
22 / 07 / 2019, 12:44
Aussie star Max Fricke hailed saluted his Monster Energy SON Finals team mates after the Roos roared to bronze medals in Togliatti last weekend.
Skipper Jason Doyle raced into red-hot form, scoring a massive 30 points as Australia claimed their first World Championship podium finish since they bagged bronze at the 2014 Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Bydgoszcz.
The 2017 world champion was backed up by nine from Fricke and two from Lidsey as the Roos made it into the Final Qualifier, losing out to eventual champions Russia, who progressed with a 3-3 after finishing second on the scorechart over 42 heats.
It’s awesome for Australia to be up there and be able to get a medal. We haven’t had a medal for a couple of years now. Everyone is really happy. We couldn’t ask for too much more.
Max Fricke
Fricke was delighted with his side and paid tribute to Doyle’s heroics at No.1 and Lidsey’s support role.
He said: “It’s awesome for Australia to be up there and be able to get a medal. We haven’t had a medal for a couple of years now. Everyone is really happy. We couldn’t ask for too much more. Doyle was absolutely on fire last weekend. He scored an absolute bagful for us. That was great.
“Jaimon was awesome as the under-21 as well. We were lucky we had a really good under-21 reserve to help us out.”
Aussie champion Fricke is enjoying the season of his life after reaching his first SGP final in Hallstavik and Lidsey is also making rapid progress, suggesting this team’s best days are still to come.
“I think so,” Fricke said. “There is always room for improvement. Jaimon and I are just progressing; Jaimon even more so. It’s great to see.”
The action switches back to the individual World Championship now, which resumes with the Betard Wroclaw SGP on August 3. It’s unclear whether SGP second reserve Fricke will get an opportunity to race as yet, with Tai Woffinden and Greg Hancock, who missed out in Sweden, yet to withdraw.
With the event on Fricke’s PGE Ekstraliga home track, it would be a huge opportunity for the Victorian ace to make his mark.
He said: “Hopefully I get a few more opportunities throughout the year. We’ll just have to play it by ear and see how it goes.”