Sam Masters bags fourth spot at Australian Championship (From Bridgwater Mercury)

Sam Masters bags fourth spot at Australian Championship

4:00pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in Speedway

SOMERSET Rebels speedway ace Sam Masters has made an excellent start to the 2012 Australian Speedway Championship with a fourth-place finish in the opening round held at North Brisbane.

Consistency was the key for Masters, the 2011 Premier League Riders’ Champion, as, despite not winning a heat in his five qualifying rides, his nine-point tally was sufficient to take him through to the ‘B’ Final, the winner of which then progressed through to join the three top scorers from the 20 qualifying heats in the ‘A’ Final.

Although originally headed by ex-Rebel Justin Sedgmen in the ‘B’ Final, Masters found his way past to take the chequered flag and book his place in the ‘A’ Final.

He ultimately finished fourth behind defending champion Chris Holder, new Lakeside signing Davy Watt and Ipswich’s Rohan Tungate.

The three-round series continues with Round 2 at Kurri Kurri (NSW) on Saturday (January 14) with the third and final round being staged at Gillman (South Australia) a week later.