Well the championships are now over and British fans can look forward to seeing the remarkable Chris Holder back in action with Poole this coming season.

Holder's clean sweep of all 5 rounds has confirmed what many already suspected - here is a World Champion in the making. This year's Aus. Championships may have lacked some of the old guard (the big guns) but those taking part certainly provided rich entertainment for listeners in the UK to Radio Fremantle and their commentators, Nev Riseley, Brendan Gledhill and UK speedway journalist and Blunsdon Blogger Chris Seaward.

December 29th Round 1 - Mildura - 9:00am British Time

Real buffering problems meant that listening was, at best, difficult. Chris Seaward, listening from Hong Kong airport on his way to Aus, reported coverage was OK there. After 5 rides each, Chris Holder topped the charts with 14pts followed by Travis McGowan and Cameron Woodward, both with 12.

B Final : won by Troy Batchelor from Filip Sitera, with Cory Gathercole third and Joe Screen 4th.

A Final : won by Chris Holder from Cameron Woodward and Travis McGowan and Freddie Lindgren. McGowan led from the gate but Holder blasted around him on turn 2. Lindgren was left in their wake. Woodward chased McGowan all the way, getting him on the line

January 2nd Round 2 - Adelaide - 9:00am British Time

The bandwidth was better but it would seem that the transmissions are so popular that there is still significant break up. The positioning of a PA system alongside where Chris and Co. were broadcasting and the break up of broadcasts meant that Heats 1 to 4 were pretty hectic. Chris got a chance to interview a very relaxed and refreshed Leigh Adams who is fit and raring to go when the British season gets underway.

B Final : Freddie Lindgren, Filip Sitera, Travis McGowan and Cameron Woodward.

A Final : Chris Holder, Joe Screen, Jason Doyle and Troy Batchelor

January 5th Round 3 - Mount Gambier - 8:30 British Time

Wins for Screen in heat 3 and Holder in heat 4 suggest that these two will be there for the A final at the sharp end of the meeting.

Holder chalks up second win in heat 5 with Doyle dropping back to last and losing valuable ground on Holder. Lindgren and Woodward battle hard in heat 6 while Gathercole toils at the back. Lindgren takes the win, his second of the night. The hitherto unbeaten Tom Hedley and Joe Screen clash in heat 7 but Headley jumps the start and is excluded for touching the tapes.

After two completed rounds leading scorers are Joe Screen, Freddie Lindgren and Chris Holder (6 points), Troy Batchelor and Filip Sitera (4), Cory Gathercole (3) and Jason Doyle (2).

Doyle gates superbly in heat 9 and wins from Joe Screen and Josh Grajczonek. Gathercole loses his steel shoe and has to pull out. Batchelor and Lindgren clash in heat 10. The Swindon lad pulls out a lead on lap 2 and then blasts away from the Swede in a very quick time. Sitera takes heat 11 from Richard Sweetman, the late replacement for Travis McGowan. Holder takes his third victory in heat 12 by quite some margin from Woodward and Tom Hedley.

After three completed rounds it's Holder on 9 from Screen and Lindgren (8), Batchelor and Sitera (7) and Doyle on 5.

Heat 13 and a surprise as Tom Hedley takes an early lead from Batchelor and Doyle. Batchelor goes very wide out into the dirt and then cuts back under Hedley who just holds on to take the 3 points.

Brilliant line up for heat 14 - Lindgren leads from Screen with Holder back in 3rd. Screen blasts around the outside, sparks coming up from the concrete wall on the back straight, and takes the win from Lindgren and Holder. Chris Seaward thinks it's the ride of the championship thus far.

Woodward takes a relatively easy win in heat 15 while Sitera just holds out a resurgent Lee Herne in heat 16.

Four rounds down and Screen (11), Holder,Sitera & Lindgren (10), Batchelor (9), Hedley (7) and Doyle (6).

Heat 17 sees Doyle win from Woodward and Harding in 61.80. Doyle and Woodward both finish on 9 points from their 5 rides.

Lindgren gates in heat 18 while Sitera blows an engine at the back. Hedley chases Lindgren but can't catch him. Lindgren to 13 points while Sitera ends on 10 and Hedley on 9.

Heat 19. Holder gates from Batchelor with Cathercole and Proctor battle out for third place. Holder wins from Batchelor and moves to 13 points whilst Batchelor ends with 11.

Heat 20 is halted when Lee Herne falls. Richard Sweetman was leading from Joe Screen at the time of the curtailment. Re-run ordered minus Herne. Screen gates well second time round but race halted when Sweetman crashes. Re-run. Paramedics are on the track treating Sweetman so thee will be a delay before the re-run. Screen wins a matchrace re-run from Robert Ksiezak.

B final : Filip Sitera, Tom Hedley, Jason Doyle and Cameron Woodward.

Even start then Hedley shows Woodard and Doyle with Sitera at the back. Woodward squeezes through a narrow gap at the start of the last lap to take the win from Tom Hedley, Jason Doyle and Filip Sitera.

A final : Joe Screen, Chris Holder, Freddie Lindgren and Troy Batchelor.

Screen off gate 1, Holder gate 2, Lindgren gate 3 and Batchelor, resplendent in Leszno kevlars, in gate 4. Great start from Holder from Screen and Batchelor. Screen is buzzing around behind Holder but can't find a way through. Holder wins, Screen second with Batchelor third and Lindgren 4th. It's the third successive round win for Holder.

January 9th Round 4 - Newcastle 7.30am British Time

Running totals going into round 4 are as follows : Holder 60, Batchelor 50, Screen / Lindgren / Woodward 47.

The Radio Fremantle team report a large crowd at the Newcastle track,

some two hours outside of Sydney, this evening. The track is similar to Peterborough, a large, open bowl with the crowd sitting or standing on the grassed banks. The Newcastle crowd is a very enthusiastic speedway crowd. The nearest track to Newcastle is some way away at Gosford in New South Wales so everyone takes maximum opportunity to see whatever speedway they can.

Richard Sweetman, who replaced Travis McGowan, has himself been forced to withdraw after injuries picked up at Mount Gambier. Latest reports suggest a fractured wrist and some back injuries. His place at Newcastle will be taken by James Holder, brother of series leader and favourite, Chris.

Everyone has been impressed by the form of Joe Screen. The Screen machine seems to be riding as well as ever and is fitter than he has been for some years. His leg trailing style is something that hasn't been seen in Aussie for some years and it certainly thrilled the crowds.

Heat 1. Gathercole goes through the tapes while Proctor blows an engine. Cathercole back in - referee reports a problem with the tapes. Woodward from Cathercole with Proctor third and Harding at back.

Heat 2. Sitera makes jump from the start but is overtaken on the back straight by Screen. Local hero Jason Doyle moves through on Sitera. All the action is behind Screen. Screen first then Sitera, Doyle and Josh Grajczonek.

Heat 3 brings Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor to the tapes. Holder takes relatively easy win from Batchelor with Lee Herne some way back. Rob Ksiezak is trailed off at back. Some rutting of the track mid corner causes Holder to lift dramatically on laps three and four.

Heat 4. Lindgren, James Holder, Tom Hedley. Lindgren eases off on line and is nearly caught by Holder, with Hedley right on his tail. Aaron Summers tailed off.

Running Totals : Holder, Woodward, Screen and Lindgren (3), Batchelor, Gathercole, Sitera, James Holder (2).

Heat 5 brings Sitera and Batchelor together with Hedley and Ty Proctor. Hedley takes early lead from Batchelor but Batchelor stalks him for three laps. Hedley from Batchelor and Proctor. Sitera retires with engine trouble. Batchelor drops two points in his first two rides when he really needs to be pulling in the points if he is to close in on series leader Chris Holder. Hedley certainly showing a continuation of his form at Mount Gambier. Outiside gates not working well at moment.

Heat 6. Gathercole rides around the field on lap 1 and disappears into the distance. Herne is second with James Holder third. Gathercole wins from Herne, James Holder and Josh Grajczonek at the back.

Heat 7 brings the big guns out : Chris Holder, Freedie Lindgren, Joe Screen and Cameron Woodward. Lindgren blasts around outside of Holder with Screen right on his tail. Holder tries inside line, Lindgren taking middle track line. Lindgren wins from Holder, Screen and Woodward. Plenty of drive out mid track on turn 2 gives Lindgren a victory. Inside line is OK to defend a position but there isn't much grip down low.

Heat 8. Doyle leads into turn 1 with Ksiezak second and then Harding. Harding gets Ksiezak and sets off after Doyle. Hometown hero Doyle takes the win from Trevor Harding with Aaron Summers third after Rob Ksiezak retires.

Running Totals after 2 rides : Lindgren 6, Chris Holder and Gathercole 5, Screen / Doyle / Batchelor 4.

Latest news from the track is that there is a lot of loose material, probably too much, and the riders are finding it difficult to get the bikes sideways. A hole has appeared halfway through turn 4. A lot of equipment is now out on the track - a blade, tractors, graders and a heavy water truck. Grading has fluffede up the inside but left the outside as it was. The blade has brought back material from half track back down to the white line and this is now being packed down. The extended track work suggest that some of the riders are unhappy with the deepness of the track.

Heat 9 brings Chris Holder, Grajczonek, Aaron Summers and Ty Proctor together. Holder looks sensational in front with Grajczonek and then Summers. Proctor looks in great difficulty at the back.

Heat 10. The unbeaten Lindgren comes out against the resurgent Gathercole with Sitera and Ksiezak. Sitera leads ahead of Ksiezak with Gathercole at the back. Sitera takes the win from Lindgren and Gathercole

Heat 11. Doyle takes lead from Woodward and Batchelor with James Holder at the back. Batchelor takes Woodward and closes in on Doyle. Side by side down the back straight with Batchelor blasting around the fence. The depth of the dirt on the outside actually slows Batchelor and Doyle just gets the victory on the line with Batchelor second and Woodward third.

Heat 12. Screen on the outside of the in form Tom Hedley. Herne fills third place from Trevor Harding in 4th. Screen is enjoying himself in the dirt and pulls out a significant lead, leg trailing in the dirt.

Running Totals after 3 rides : Lindgren and Chris Holder 8, Screen and Doyle 7, Gathercole / Batchelor / Hedley 6, Sitera 5

Heat 13. Screen takes the first corner from James Holder and Rob Ksiezak. Holder goes backwards and Ksiezak for second but Screen is riding mid track, right on the edge of the deep stuff. James Holder takes thrid place with a very disappointing Ty Proctor at the back again.

Heat 14 looks good with Chris Holder up against Jason Doyle, Tom Hedley and Cory Gathercole. Holder shows clean pair of heals with Doyle and Gathercole fighting for second place. Doyle takes second place just from a fighting Gathercole. Chris describes it as a "brilliant race" with the battle for second place bringing the large crowd to their feet.

Heat 15. Woodward and Sitera line up against each other with Herne and Summers. Delay at tapes. Woodward wins from Lee Herne and Filip Sitera in what was the race of the night. Woodward and Herne had a mighty battle on the first lap, side by side around the corners. So ferocious was the battle up front that Sitera hardly had a chance to make a move.

Heat 16 brings Lindgren and Batchelor together. Batchelor leads from Lindgren with Grajczonek in third. Batchelor takes to the dirt and pulls out a big lead from Lindgren to take his first win of the night. Lindgren picks up 2 points while Josh Grajczonek takes the final point. Harding suffers problems at the tapes and never makes any inroads into the race.

Totals after 4 rounds : Chris Holder 11, Joe Screen and Freddie Lindgren 10, Doyle and Batchelor on 9. Track has settled down after the last grading and the racing has improved accordingly.

The final set of rides for all the riders. Extensive track re-grade.

Heat 17. Jason Doyle comes up against Lindgren, Proctor and Lee Hearne. Doyle gates but has to fight off Lindgren. Doyle takes the win from Lindgren but Lee Hearne breaks down on line and Ty Proctor pinches the final point.

Heat 18 sees Screen take the outside line around Batchelor with Gathercole closing in. Batchelor blasts around Screen and opens up four bike lengths on Screen with Gathercole a comfortable 3rd ahead of Aaron Summers.

Heat 19. Cameron Woodward takes an early lead but Tom Hedley blasts from last to first in one dramatic sweep. Ksiezak is left in 3rd after Grajczonek packs in.

Heat 20 features the Holder brothers, Trevor Harding and Filip Sitera. Sitera takes early lead but Chris Holder blasts past him on the back straight. James Holder is 3rd with a lacklustre Harding way back in 4th. Holder draws out a lead of almost the main straight on Sitera.

Running Totals : Chris Holder 14, Jason Doyle 12, Freddie Lindgren 12, Joe Screen 12, Troy Batchelor 12, Tom Hedley 9, Cameron Woodward 9, Filip Sitera 8.

B Final line up : Hedley, Woodward, Sitera and Freddie Lindgren. Lindgren misses out on the A final place after each had finished with 2 heat wins but Batchelor had beaten Lindgren in heat 16.

Lindgren gates well from Woodward with Hedley and Sitera fighting out for third. Lindgren looks composed and is moving away from Woodward. Hedley seems unable to challenge Woodward. Fairly processional. Lindgren wins from Woodward, Heldey and Sitera.

A Final line up : Chris Holder, Jason Doyle, Joe Screen and Troy Batchelor.

Holder takes gate 1; Joe Screen takes 2; Jason Doyle takes 4 and leaves Batchelor with the nightmare 3rd gate. If Holder wins and Batchelor is last then only a mathematical miracle can deny Chris Holder the championship.

Tapes fly and Holder takes the lead from Batchelor and Screen. All four in line around first two bends. Doyle tries the inside line on Screen. Batchelor closes to a bike's length back from Holder. Holder wins from Batchelor, with Screen takes third from Doyle.

Total running points : Chris Holder 80 points.

January 11th Round 5 - Sydney Showground 7.30am British Time

Chris Holder was forced to come from behind to make it a clean sweep, five from five in the Australian Solo Speedway Championships held at the Sydney Showground in the last event of the Aussie Speedway Championship 2008.

Swindon fans will certainly have been pleased by the performance of young Troy Batchelor, who entered the A final with a maximum set of scores including a heat 20 victory over Holder. Another rider to shine on the night was exciting was Mildura rider Cameron Woodward who snatched a place in the A Final. Woodward's blast around compatriot Jason Doyle in the last lap to snatch third just failed and he finished 4th overall, but the third best Australian.

It was Batchelor who led in the A Final for the first two laps before Holder out manoeuvred him to take the lead and pulled away from the pack to a typical series win. That race also saw internationals Fredrik Lindgren and Filip Setera battle out third place with the win going to Lindgren, who then went on to win the B Final.

As with Newcastle there were no crashes in the heat rounds, except for a minor fall by Cory Gathercole early in the night. But in the B Final South Australia’s Aaron Summers was being challenged by West Australian Trevor Harding at the start of the final lap. Summers lost it and his bike skidded into the outside fence giving him a heavy spill but he escaped injury.

Woodward had edged out Englishmen Joe Screen for a place in the A Final midway through the night with a last minute dash to get third in the heat where he chased home the eventual contenders Holding and Batchelor.
 
A Final:
Chris Holder 1; Troy Batchelor 2;Jason Doyle 3, Cameron Woodward 4..

B Final:
Fredrik Lindgren 1; Joe Screen, Trevor Harding 3, Aaron Summers 4.
 
Heat points:
Troy Batchelor 15, Chris Holder 13, Jason Doyle 11, Cameron Woodward 11, Fredrik Lindgren 10, Joe Screen 10, Aaron Summers 8, Trevor Harding 6, James Holder 6, Robert Ksiezak 5, Josh Grajczonek 5, Cory Gathercole 5, Filip Sitera 4, Tom Hedley 4, Lee Herne 3, Tyron Proctor 2, Kozza Smith (reserve) did not ride
 
Sydney 5th round points:
Chris Holder 20, Troy Batchelor 18, Jason Doyle 17, Cameron Woodward 16, Fredrik Lindgren 15, Joe Screen 14, Trevor Harding 13, Aaron Summers 12, James Holder 11, Robert Ksiezak 10, Josh Grajczonek 9, Cory Gathercole 7, Filip Sitera 6, Tom Hedley 4, Lee Herne 3 Tyron Proctor 2
 
Final Championship Series points:
Chris Holder 100, Troy Batchelor 86, Joe Screen 78, Cameron Woodward 77, Fredrik Lindgren 77, Jason Doyle 73, Filip Sitera 57, Robert Ksiezak 48, Cory Gathercole 44, Tom Hedley 37, Aaron Summers 36, Josh Grajczonek 32, Travis McGowan 29, Trevor Harding 28, Tyron Proctor 27, Lee Herne 26, James Holder 20, Richard Sweetman 10

Riders for the Aussie Championship have been officially announced as follows :

1. Troy Batchelor (QLD)
2. Jason Doyle (NSW)
3. Cory Gathercole (VIC) 
4. Trevor Harding (WA)
5. Chris Holder (NSW)
6. Robert Ksiezak (SA)
7. Travis McGowan (VIC)
8. Aaron Summers (SA)
9. Cameron Woodward (VIC)
10. Tom Hedley (VIC)
11. Filip Sitera (CZE)
12. Joe Screen (UK)
13. Fredrik Lindgren (SWE)
14. Ty Proctor (VIC)
15. Josh Grajczonek (QLD)
16. Lee Herne (NSW)