Brady Kurtz
{{short description|Australian speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox speedway rider
| name = Brady Kurtz
| image = KEI 6253 Brady Kurtz.jpg
| caption = Kurtz in 2019
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1996|09|27}}
| birth_place = Cowra, New South Wales
Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| career1 = Great Britain
| career2 = Somerset
| years2= 2014–2015
| career3 = Plymouth
| years3 = 2016
| career4 = Poole
| years4= 2016–2019
| career5 = Belle Vue
| years5 = 2020–2025
| career6 = Sweden
| years7 = 2019–2021
| career7 = Vetlanda
| career8 = Dackarna
| years8 = 2022–2024
| career9 = Poland
| career10 = Piła
| years10 = 2016–2017
| career11 = Rybnik
| years11 = 2017, 2023–2024
| career12 = Leszno
| years12 = 2018–2020
| career13 = Rawicz
| years13 = 2018–2019
| career14 = Łódź
| years14 = 2020–2022
| career17 = Denmark
| years18 = 2016
| career18 = Esbjerg
| years19 = 2013, 2021
| career19 = Holsted
| SGP No =
| SGP starts =
| SGP podium =
| SGP finals =
| SGP win =
| indivyear1 = 2016, 2025
| indivhonour1 = Australian Champion
| indivyear2 = 2013/14, 2014/15
| indivhonour2 = NSW State Champion
| indivyear3 = 2010, 2012
| indivhonour3 = Australian U16 Champion
| teamyear1 = 2022, 2024
| teamhonour1 = British champions
| teamyear2 = 2023
| teamhonour2 = Premiership Pairs
| teamyear3 = 2023
| teamhonour3 = Swedish Eliserien champion
| teamyear4 = 2015
| teamhonour4 = British Div 2 KO Cup
| teamyear5 = 2014
| teamhonour5 = Premier Shield
| teamyear6 = 2014
| teamhonour6 = British Div 2 Fours
}}
Brady Kurtz (born 27 September 1996) is a motorcycle speedway rider from Australia.{{cite web |url=https://speedway.com.pl/riders/brady-kurtz/ |title=Brady Kurtz Australia |website=Polish Speedway Database |access-date=9 March 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=27 June 2023}}
Biography
Born in Cowra, New South Wales.{{cn|date=November 2024}} Brady's older brother Todd Kurtz is a fellow Speedway rider.
Brady got his first break into British Speedway riding in the Premier League with the Somerset Rebels. He was part of the Somerset team that won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, which was held on 3 August 2014, at the East of England Arena.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/2014fixtures.pdf |title=Fixtures and results |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=8 July 2023}}
After two impressive years with the Rebels, Kurtz was named in the Poole Pirates team to compete in the 2016 Elite League.{{cite news|url=http://www.poolepirates.co/news/1118_brady-kurtz-signing.html|title=KURTZ-AINS UP ON ELITE CAREER FOR BRADY|publisher=Poole Pirates|date=18 November 2015|access-date=24 November 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/14440887.PICTURES__Six_y_display_has_Poole_Pirates_thumbing_the_record_books/|title=PICTURES: Six-y display has Poole Pirates thumbing the record books|website=Bournemouth Echo|access-date=2016-04-22}} This news didn't come as a surprise, as Kurtz had already been the subject of interest from Poole for some time. The Poole promoter Matt Ford had gone on record lauding Kurtz as an "outstanding talent" that "every single club wants to snap up as an asset". Kurtz said of his future team "I have been looking up to the Poole Pirates since I was seven years old and used to watch them on TV all the time. To have Matt Ford looking at me and saying those things is like a dream come true."{{cite news|url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/13344455.Speedway__Up_and_coming_star_Brady_Kurtz_flattered_by_Poole_Pirates_interest/|title=Speedway: Up-and-coming star Brady Kurtz flattered by Poole Pirates interest|publisher=Bournemouth Echo|date=21 June 2015|access-date=24 November 2015}} Kurtz doubled up with Plymouth Devils and was part of the Plymouth team (with his brother) that won the Premier League Four-Team Championship, which was held on 23 and 24 July 2016, at the East of England Arena.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/2016fixtures.pdf |title=2016 fixtures and results |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=9 July 2023}}
Kurtz was the 2016 Australian Champion having won the 4 round series in January 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.mcnews.com.au/brady-kurtz-2016-australian-solo-speedway-champion/|title=Taking out the 2016 Australian Solo Speedway Championship is a dream come true for up-and-coming star Brady Kurtz.|website=MCNews.com.au|language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-22}} He is taking part in the qualifying rounds for Grand Prix entry.{{cite web|url=http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/sport/speedway/lambert-poised-for-gp-qualifer-on-king-s-lynn-soil-1-7344796|title=Lambert poised for GP {{sic|qual|ifer|nolink=y}} on King’s Lynn soil|website=www.lynnnews.co.uk|access-date=2016-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513113932/http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/sport/speedway/lambert-poised-for-gp-qualifer-on-king-s-lynn-soil-1-7344796|archive-date=13 May 2016|url-status=dead}}
In 2020, he signed for the Belle Vue Aces in the SGB Premiership.{{cite web|url=https://bellevue-speedway.com/the-teams-aces|title=Meet the Aces|website=Belle Vue Aces|access-date=17 June 2021|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031043422/https://bellevue-speedway.com/the-teams-aces|url-status=dead}} In 2022, he captained Belle Vue to the league title during the SGB Premiership 2022.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/results-scorers/thursdays-result-6/ |title=2022 Premiership Grand final results |website=British Speedway |access-date=13 October 2022}}
In 2023, he re-signed for Belle Vue again for the SGB Premiership 2023.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/premiership/bewley-back-as-aces-declare-team/ |title=Bewley back as Aces declare team |website=British Speedway |access-date=9 December 2022}} Kurtz along with Dan Bewley and Jake Mulford won the Premiership Pairs for Belle Vue in June 2023.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/event/premiership-pairs-2023/ |title=Premiership Pairs @ Leicester |website=British Speedway |access-date=30 June 2023}}
In 2024, he captained Belle Vue for their title winning season{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/sports-insure-premiership/aces-reveal-class-of-2024/ |title=Aces reveal class of 24 |website=British Speedway |access-date=9 December 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://cumbriacrack.com/2024/10/04/sensational-grand-prix-performance-from-west-cumbrias-dan-bewley/ |title=Sensational Grand Final performance from West Cumbria’s Dan Bewley |website=Cumbria Crack |access-date=5 October 2024 }} and helped Australia secure a silver medal at the 2024 Speedway of Nations on his home track in Manchester.{{cite web |url=https://www.fimspeedway.com/news/great-britain-wins-fim-speedway-of-nations-world-title-in-manchester-thriller |title=Great Britain wins FIM Speedway of Nations World Title in Manchester Thriller |website=FIM Speedway |access-date=14 July 2024}} Kurtz ended his season in style by winning the 2025 GP Challenge and subsequently qualifying for the 2025 Speedway Grand Prix.{{cite web |url=https://gorzowwielkopolski.naszemiasto.pl/i-oto-do-grand-prix-wraca-anders-thomsen-caly-na-bialo/ar/c2-9809115 |title=I oto do Grand Prix wraca Anders Thomsen. Cały na biało |website=Gorzów Wielkopolski Nasze Miasto |access-date=5 October 2024 }}
His 2025 season started with success as he secured a second Australian national title. Kurtz won the opening two rounds and finished 11 points clear of Jack Holder.{{cite web|url=https://www.cowraguardian.com.au/sport/kurtz-dominates-mildura-round-of-title |title=Kurtz dominates Mildura round of title |website=Cowra Guardian |access-date=12 January 2025 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/motorsport/6348707/kurtz-crushes-field-to-lead-national-title |title=Kurtz crushes field to lead national title |website=Sunraysia Daily |access-date=12 January 2025 }}
World final appearances
= World team Championships =
- 2024 Speedway of Nations - Runner Up
= Individual Under-21 World Championship=
- 2015 - 8th - 22pts
= Under-21 Speedway World Cup =
- 2015 - {{flagicon|AUS}} Mildura, Olympic Park Speedway - 3rd - 29pts (7)
- 2016 - {{flagicon|SWE}} Norrköping, Norrköping Motorstadion - 2nd - 37pts (7)