2021 AUSSIE CHAMPIONSHIP DATES REVEALED

The 2021 Australian Speedway Championship is set to be staged on December 3 and 4.

The competition’s official Facebook account confirmed the new dates, although a venue for the rescheduled championship is yet to be arranged.

This year’s Aussie champion was due to be crowned over a five-round series in January, but the championship was postponed until after the European season. The change was made because of inter-state travel restrictions in some parts of the country to guard against the spread of Covid-19, as well as the fact a number of top riders have opted against travelling home to Australia for the summer due to the cost of flights and the 14-day hotel quarantine.

It is rumoured the 2021 championship will be staged as a one-off final on Saturday, December 4, which would be the first time the champion has been crowned via a single meeting since Leigh Adams triumphed at Gosford in 2003. A qualifier could take place on Friday, December 3 to finalise the field, unless organisers opt for a two-round final.

It is unclear where the championship will be staged, but the one-off weekend format could hand one of Australia’s more far-flung venues a golden opportunity to stage the meeting as riders would not then have to travel on to another round just days later.

North Brisbane Speedway, where former SGP star Darcy Ward promotes racing, was due to stage the final round of the postponed series and could be a contender for its first national senior round since 2012.

Motorcycling Australia bosses could even consider handing Perth’s Pinjar Park its first Australian Championship Final – the first to take place in the city since Billy Sanders won at Claremont in 1982. But there’s no doubt the cost of transporting riders, teams and bikes the vast distance to Western Australia would be a major hurdle to overcome.

Regular Aussie Championship hosts Gillman, Mildura, Kurri Kurri and Albury will also be in contention, or potentially even a new track being opened on the outskirts of Sydney.

Next year’s Australian Championship is still said to be scheduled to take place in its usual slot in January 2022.

No new dates have yet been confirmed for the delayed 2021 FIM Oceania Championship or the Australian Under-21 Final.

Photo: Taylor Lanning