Chris Holder has wasted no time stamping his authority on the domestic Speedway season, winning the Round One of the 2012 Australian Solo Speedway Championship at North Brisbane on Saturday night.
The three-time winner and defending Champion was at brilliant best through the heats, top-scoring with 14 points before holding off the advances of Davey Watt and qualifiers, Rohan Tungate and Sam Masters to win the A Final and take a stranglehold on the 2012 series.
The winner of two Speedway GP rounds Holder was trumped by Watt in his second heat, giving the Queensland-native the edge, but a Heat Nine slip-up handed the first choice of gates for the A Final.
The night was not without controversy as Aussie Speedway World Cup Troy Batchelor finished his home event with two pints after a massive crash with Kozza Smith, which resulted in Smith being taken to hospital with a broken femur.
In his second heat of the night, Batchelor attempted a passing move on Smith but ended up clattering into his compatriot causing him serious injury and significant mechanical damage to his own machine.
Fresh from winning the Jack Young Cup late last year, Davey Watt continued to keep pace with Holder all evening and went on to finish second in the points tally with 13.
Joining Watt and Holder in the A Final was in-form qualifier Rohan Tungate, who carried his form over from the qualifying meet into the opening round, accumulating 12 points in the heats.
Tungate was a class above on Friday night, amassing 13 points from his five heats to win the meet and carrying momentum into the Championship proper.
The B Final was a hotly contested affair with Sam Masters showing the Queensland crowd why he was crowned British Premier League Rider Champion, taking honours ahead of Justin Sedgmen, Cameron Woodward and Taylor Poole.
2012 Australian Solo Speedway Championship
Round One Results
1 Chris Holder 20, 2 Davey Watt 18, 3 Rohan Tungate 17, 4 Sam Masters 16, 5 Justin Sedgmen 15, 6 Cameron Woodward 14, 7 Taylor Poole 13, 8 Cory Gathercole 12, 9 Daine Stevens 11, 10 Todd Kurtz 10, 11 Kozza Smith 9, 12 Robert Ksiezak 7, 13 James Holder 6, 14 Michael Dyer 4, 15 Jake Anderson 3, 16 Troy Batchelor 2.
B Final: Masters, Sedgmen, Woodward, Poole.
A Final: Holder, Watt, Tungate, Masters.
Round One Heat Scores
Chris Holder 14, Davey Watt 13, Rohan Tungate 12, Cameron Woodward 12, Justin Sedgmen 9, Taylor Poole 9, Sam Masters 9, Cory Gathercole 8, Daine Stevens 8, Todd Kurtz 8, Kozza Smith 4, Robert Ksiezak 3, James Holder 3, Jake Anderson 2, Troy Batchelor 2.
