Tungate shooting for back-to-back glory in 2026 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship

The 2026 CBS Bins FIM Oceania Speedway Championship will be held at Adelaide’s Gillman Speedway on Sunday, January 11, where defending champion Rohan Tungate will face a double assault from not only a gaggle of Aussie stars but also riders from New Zealand, the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

The event will be held two days after the final round of the 2026 Australian Speedway Championship at the same venue, where Tungate will be backing up alongside Reid Battye, Ben Cook, Jaimon Lidsey, Mitchell McDiarmid, Keynan Rew and Justin Sedgmen.

The other Aussies in the FIM Oceania championship are Jordy Loftus and Noah Grabham, while the international riders are New Zealanders Jake Turner and Ben Whalley, Americans Luke Becker and Nicolas Hohlbein, and UK trio Scott Nicholls, Luke Harrison and Leon Flint.

Becker, Flint and seven-time British champion Nicholls already have some strong local form to draw upon – first, second and fourth in the recent South Australian title – while Harrison is the 2025 British U19 champion.

Of the local brigade, Cook, Tungate and 2020 world U21 champion Lidsey will be looking to continue their strong momentum from the 2026 Australian Speedway Championship – which continues with round three in Mildura on January 7 – while 2022 national U21 champion Rew is another leading contender.

Lidsey finished second behind Tungate in the 2025 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, also held at Gillman, and in 2024 he was the victor after edging out three-time Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) world champion Tai Woffinden in a thriller.

As well as individual glory in the 2026 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship, the highest placed Australian rider will also receive a guaranteed spot in a 2026 SGP qualifying event – the goal to make it to the FIM SGP Challenge where the top four will earn qualification for the 2027 SGP series.

2026 FIM Oceania Speedway Championship riders:

• Noah Grabham (NSW)

• Reid Battye (NSW)

• Luke Becker (USA)

• Ben Cook (NSW)

• Leon Flint (UK)

• Luke Harrison (UK)

• Nicolas Hohlbein (USA)

• Jaimon Lidsey (Vic)

• Jordy Loftus (Qld)

• Mitchell McDiarmid (WA)

• Scott Nicholls (UK)

• Keynan Rew (Qld)

• Justin Sedgmen (Vic)

• Rohan Tungate (NSW)

• Jake Turner (NZ)

• Ben Whalley (NZ)

Reserves:

• Alexander Adamson (1st)

• Lachlan Russell (2nd)

• Dayle Wood (3rd)

• Anika Loftus (4th)

• Tayla Street (5th)

ALL THE 2026 FIM OCEANIA NUTS AND BOLTS

Venue: Gillman Speedway (‘Ray White Gawler’ Stadium), 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Gates open: at 4.00pm. Free spectator access to the pits until approximately 5pm.
Parking: free.
Admission: Adults $30, age pension and student concession $25, children under 16 free. EFTPOS available at both entrances, the canteen, bar and souvenir shop.
Racing: from 7pm.
Livestreaming: The meeting will be livestreamed at www.spacequakesports.com. The cost is $A30 Australian. Viewers outside of Australia can choose between Spacequakes and the British Speedway Network (https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk/).
Seating: Free grandstand seating, terracing suitable for deck chairs, and large grassed viewing mounds.
VIP area: The Bob White VIP area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view in the stadium. Contact Ivan Golding on 0417 138 378 for more details.
Food and drink: Full bar and catering available.
Weather: Sunday maximum 27.

Images: Judy Mackay