TWENTY-year-old Troy Batchelor won the South Australian Solo Championship at Gillman Speedway and, in so doing, became the first Queensland rider to win the title.
Batchelor won his four heats relatively easily. The only time he was challenged was when Cameron Woodward and Cory Gathercole led him briefly in his third ride, but when he powered around them both down the back straight, most spectators correctly predicted the final would be his.
Again, in the final, he led all the way but it wasn't an easy win. As you would hope in a final, the other three participants were snapping at his heels throughout. He held about a one-to-two bike length lead so the others were not challenging for the lead, but were ready to power through had he made a mistake — which he didn't.
At the finish it was Batchelor by about twenty metres from Woodward, with a further five metres to Tom Hedley and Robert Ksiezak, who crossed the line side-by-side. Ksiezak got the judge's nod for third.
HEAT POINTS:
Troy Batchelor (Qld), 12 (maximum), Tom Hedley (Vic) 11, Cameron Woodward (Vic) 9, Cory Gathercole (Vic) 9, Robert Ksiezak (SA) 8, Matthew Wethers (SA) 7, Aaron Summers (SA) 6, Jake Anderson (Vic) 5, Arlo Bugeja (SA) 4, Brock Gates (Vic) 0, Jackson Milne (Vic) 0, Ben Turner (SA) 0, Mark Mitchell (SA, res) 1.
