mmg.com.au

Some of the best riders in Australia will descend on Undera tomorrow night for the Undera Park Speedway Best Solo Pairs.

World Speedway champion Chris Holder, Kialla’s Australian Senior Solo Speedway Championship runner-up Dakota North and Mansfield’s Australian under-21 Solo Speedway Champion Max Fricke are some of the headline riders competing in the annual event.

Each rider is partnered and each team of two will ride in five heats.

Four points are awarded to a rider for each heat win, three for a second and two points for a third and the two teams with the most points between the riders will advance to the final.

Holder has been partnered with Shepparton’s Jackson Milne, while Ardmona’s Jake Anderson will ride with Bobby Stoneham.

Undera’s secretary and track co-ordinator Alan Jones said the pairs element made it a great event for spectators because there was a lot of passing involved with this race strategy.

He said the club had recently redone the track to try and give riders the optimal surface to run on to allow for more passing.

‘‘It’s about getting the lead if you can and then the other guy has to protect you from behind so he’s got to stop the others from getting in front,’’ Jones said.

‘‘Sometimes the better rider will hang back and let his partner go ahead ... because generally he knows who he can beat in the race, so he might sit back and wait for his chance in the last lap.

‘‘Generally it’s an individual going out to win, whereas this one they have to ride as a team otherwise it doesn’t work.

‘‘It’s a case of protecting your position in the race and looking after your partner as well.’’

Jones said this was a more relaxed meeting for riders such as North who were preparing to leave for the European season.

Holder broke his leg while competing overseas last year and Jones said the meeting would test his recovery from the injury.

‘‘There’s no sheep stations based on this one, it’s a get together with the majority of their friends they race with and less competitive form, albeit they all want to win,’’ Jones said.

Gates open at 5pm, with practice at 6pm.

Racing will start at about 8.15pm depending on the sun.