Australia’s newest Grand Prix rider to race at Gillman Speedway - September 2014

September 25, 2014 by Gillman Media

Australia’s newest Grand Prix rider, Jason Doyle, has advised Gillman Speedway manager Dave Parker he wants to ride in this season’s South Australian Solo Championship.

The Championship is being held at Gillman Speedway on Sunday, 28 December, just a week before the first round of the 2015 Australian Solo Championship (4 January), and Doyle is keen to get some track time at Gillman to improve his chances of making a good start in the national championship.

Doyle won the first round last season (at Kurri Kurri), and that set him up well to take the overall victory but unfortunately he crashed while leading the dramatic final race of the series at Gillman. He still scored sufficient points to finish second overall – two points behind former World Champion Chris Holder – but wants to go one better this season.

Doyle’s second place meant qualification for the Speedway Grand Prix qualifying rounds, and last Saturday in Italy he finished in the top three to book his World Championship debut in 2015.

In Italy Doyle was the only unbeaten rider after three rides each, then dropped points in heats 16 and 17 to current Grand Prix rider Matej Zagar and Chris Harris, to finish equal first with those two riders on 13 points each. He then finished second to Zagar, who is currently fifth in the SGP standings, in a run-off to decide the final placings.

“Hopefully I don’t wake up in the morning and think this is a dream” Doyle said. “It’s one of those things you dream of when you’re little as a speedway rider – making it into the Grand Prix.”

Photo: Jason Doyle in action during last season’s Australian Championship. Photo by Dave Payne.