Max Fricke

{{Infobox Speedway rider

| name = Max Fricke

| image = Max_Fricke Cardiff.jpg

| caption =

| nationality = Australian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|03|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Mansfield, Victoria, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| career1 = Great Britain

| years2 = 2013–2014

| career2 = Edinburgh

| years3 = 2015–2020, 2022

| career3 = Belle Vue

| years4 = 2023–2025

| career4 = Leicester

| career8 = Poland

| years9 = 2015–2017

| career9 = Rybnik

| years10 = 2018–2020

| career10 = Wrocław

| years11 = 2021–2022

| career11 = Zielona Góra

| years12 = 2023–2024

| career12 = Grudziadz

| career15 = Sweden

| years16 = 2015

| career16 = Gnistorna

| years17 = 2016–2019

| career17 = Rospiggarna

| years18 = 2020–2023

| career18 = Indianerna

| years19 = 2024

| career19 = Västervik

| career20 = Denmark

| years21 = 2014

| career21 = Esbjerg

| years22 = 2014–2016

| career22 = Region Varde

| years23 = 2019

| career23 = Grindsted

| SGP No = 46

| SGP starts = 55

| SGP finals = 5

| SGP win = 2

| indivyear1 = 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017

| indivhonour1 = Australian Under-21 Champion

| indivyear2 = 2015

| indivhonour2 = Czech Golden Ribbon

| indivyear3 = 2016

| indivhonour3 = World Under-21 Champion

| indivyear4 = 2019, 2020, 2022

| indivhonour4 = Australian Champion

| teamhonour1 = 2022 Speedway of Nations

| teamyear1 = 2022

| teamyear2 = 2014

| teamhonour2 = Premier League Pairs

| teamyear3 = 2016

| teamhonour3 = Danish Speedway League

| teamyear4 = 2016

| teamhonour4 = Elitserien

| teamyear5 = 2022

| teamhonour5 = British champions

}}

Max Fricke (born 29 March 1996) is an Australian speedway rider. He is a World team champion, three time Australian champion and four times Australian Under-21 Champion.

Career

Fricke competed in junior levels of motocross and speedway in Australia, competing in the 2011 and 2012 FIM Youth Gold Cup tournaments, and finished in fourth place in the Australian Under-16 125cc Championship and second in the 125cc Team Championship in January 2012."[http://www.fullnoise.com.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_full&news_id=11700&Ntitle=Speedway%3A%20Perfect%20Kurtz%20claims%20second%20Australian%20Under%2016%20125cc%20Solo%20Speedway%20Championship Perfect Kurtz claims second Australian Under 16 125cc Solo Speedway Championship]", fullnoise.com.au, 13 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013"[http://www.fullnoise.com.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_full&news_id=11712&Ntitle=Speedway:%20Kurtz%20and%20Holder%20lead%20NSW%20to%202012%20Aust%20Under%2016%20125cc%20Teams%20Speedway%20Championship Kurtz and Holder lead NSW to 2012 Aust Under 16 125cc Teams Speedway Championship]", fullnoise.com.au, 16 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013

Fricke moved up to senior level in the 2012/13 season. In December 2012, he was signed by Edinburgh Monarchs for their 2013 British Premier League team on a five-point assessed average, having spent the previous two summers in Britain gaining experience.Kinvig, David (2013) "[http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/speedway/speedway-monarchs-at-max-strength-after-snatching-fricke-from-tigers-lair-1-2720840 Speedway: Monarchs at Max strength after snatching Fricke from Tigers’ lair]", Edinburgh Evening News, 5 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013"[http://www.speedway365.com/index.php/premier/premier-league-news/3507-monarchs-snap-up-fricke Monarchs Snap Up Fricke] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316084342/http://www.speedway365.com/index.php/premier/premier-league-news/3507-monarchs-snap-up-fricke |date=16 March 2013 }}", speedway365.com, 30 December 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2013

In January 2013, he won the Australian Under-21 championship at the Loxford Park Speedway in Kurri Kurri, becoming the youngest winner of the title since Leigh Adams in 1988.Oakes, Peter (2013) "New Champ Keeps Cool", Speedway Star, 26 January 2013, pp. 6-7"{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130216194950/http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/2201/fricke-flies-to-aussie-crown Fricke Flies to Aussie Crown]}}", speedwaygp.com, 19 January 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013 On 25 January 2014, Fricke won his second straight Australian Under-21 Championship at the Gillman Speedway in Adelaide. Fricke finished the heats with 13 points before winning the final.[http://www.gillmanspeedway.com/results/results-gillman-speedway-meeting-number-7-on-saturday-25-january-2014/ Fricke Wins Thilling U/21 Title][https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYDe9EIr2as 2014 Australian U/21 Championship Final]

Together with Sam Masters, Fricke won the 2014 Premier League Pairs Championship for Edinburgh at Somerset Rebels.{{cite web |url=https://www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk/news-centre/article/2014-06-29/its-sam-and-max-for-the-pairs |title=IT'S SAM AND MAX FOR THE PAIRS |website=Edinburgh Speedway |access-date=30 May 2023}}

Fricke fishing equal third on 48 points with Justin Sedgmen in the four round 2015 Australian Championship (his best result to date) before winning his third straight Australian U/21 Championship at Loxford Park on 17 January, defeating Jack Holder and Brady Kurtz in a closely fought final.[http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/story/2823339/max-fricke-wins-third-straight-australian-under-21-speedway-title-video-photos/?cs=175 Frick wins 3rd straight Aussie U/21 title] Fricke contested his first Under-21 World Championship in 2015, finishing the three round series held in Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic in 6th place with 28 points scored.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150922092445/http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/4461/zmarzlik-world-u21-champ 2015 World U-21 Championship]}}

Although he did not get to ride on the night, Fricke was named as a reserve rider for the 2015 Speedway Grand Prix of Australia held on 24 October at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. A week after the SGP in Melbourne, Fricke was part of the Australian Under-21 Team alongside Nick Morris, Jack Holder and Brady Kurtz that finished in third place in the 2015 Team Speedway Junior World Championship final held at Olympic Park in Mildura, the first time the U/21 World Cup Final had been held outside of the UK or Europe. Fricke scored 6 of his team's 29 points as they finished behind winners Poland and runner-up Denmark.[http://internationalspeedway.co.uk/wjtc15.htm 2015 Under-21 Speedway World Cup]

On 13 December 2015, Fricke finished second in the 2015/16 South Australian Solo Championship at Gillman in Adelaide behind NSW rider Rohan Tungate.[http://www.gillmanspeedway.com/news/rohan-tungate-wins-his-first-state-championship/# 2015/16 SA Solo Championship] Fricke would go on to finish the championship in 3rd place having scored 52 points to finish behind winner Brady Kurtz and runner-up Sam Masters.

On 20 August 2016, Fricke, along with reigning Australian Champion Brady Kurtz, Jake Allen, Jack Holder and reserve rider Cameron Heeps finished in 2nd place in the 2016 Team Speedway Junior World Championship in Norrköping, Sweden.[http://worldspeedway.com/speedway-junior-world-cup-poland-crowned-2016-champions-in-sweden/ 2016 Junior World Cup] On 2 October 2016, Fricke won the 2016 World Under-21 Championship becoming the 5th Australian rider to win the title.[http://www.fim-live.com/en/article/fricke-on-top-of-the-world/ Fricke on top of the world]{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161006033455/http://www.speedwaygp.com/news/article/5292/fricke-grabs-dream-world-u21 Fricke grabs dream World Under-21 win]}}

Fricke was named first reserve for the later rounds of the 2016 Speedway Grand Prix{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161006035712/http://speedwaygp.com/news/article/5297/masters-gets-melbourne-spot Fricke first reserve in SGP of Australia]}} and following a broken chain to wild card rider Brady Kurtz before the start of heat 11 of the SGP in Melbourne, Fricke got his first start in the senior World Championship and became the 200th rider to race in the series since its inception in 1995.

On 28 January 2017, Fricke won his fourth Australian U/21 Championship at Loxford Park in Kurri Kurri. By winning the title, Fricke joined Leigh Adams and Chris Holder as a four-time winner of the event. He also equaled Leigh Adams' five podium finishes in the title with the same four wins and one 3rd-place finish record.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170202044852/http://speedwaygp.com/news/article/5492/title-no4-for-fricke Title No.4 for Fricke]}}

On 12 January 2019, he won the Australian Solo Championship, a second place in the fifth round enough to secure the title ahead of Rohan Tungate and Chris Holder."[https://gazetawroclawska.pl/fricke-indywidualnym-mistrzem-australii-w-nagrode-pojedzie-w-grand-prix/ar/13803117 Fricke indywidualnym mistrzem Australii! W nagrodę pojedzie w Grand Prix]", Gazeta Wrocławska, 12 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019 He won his first Grand Prix in 2020 at Toruń.

Fricke finished in 13th place during the 2022 Speedway World Championship, after securing 52 points during the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix, which included winning the Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw Grand Prix.{{cite web |url=https://fimspeedway.com/sgp/results |title=2022 Speedway Grand Prix results |website=FIM |access-date=5 October 2022}} He qualified for the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix by virtue of finishing 4th in the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification.{{cite web |url=https://fimspeedway.com/sgp/results |title=2022 Speedway Grand Prix results |website=FIM |access-date=5 October 2022}} However, the highlight of his season was winning the 2022 Speedway of Nations for Australia with Jack Holder.{{cite web |url=https://www.mcnews.com.au/aussies-win-2022-fim-speedway-of-nations/ |title=Aussies win 2022 FIM Speedway of Nations |website=MC News |date=31 July 2022 |access-date=5 October 2022}}{{cite magazine |author= |title=Awesome Aussies |url=|magazine=Speedway Star |pages=3–10 |location= |publisher= |date=6 August 2022 |access-date=}} In addition, he won a league title with the Belle Vue Aces during the SGB Premiership 2022.

He signed for Leicester Lions for the SGB Premiership 2023{{cite web|url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/premiership/fricke-heads-to-leicester/ |title=Fricke heads for Leicester |website=British Speedway |date=19 November 2022 |access-date=20 November 2022}} and for GKM Grudziądz for the 2023 Polish speedway season.{{cite web |url=https://www.gkm.grudziadz.net/kadra-pge-ekstraliga/ |title=THE STAFF OF ZOOLESZCZ GKM GRUDZIĄDZ |website=GKM Grudziądz Speedway |access-date=6 March 2023}} In 2023, he was part of the Australian team that finished fourth in the 2023 Speedway World Cup final.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurosport.com/speedway/poland-win-speedway-world-cup-ahead-of-great-britain-as-maciej-janowski-claims-victory-in-decisive-h_sto9723229/story.shtml |title=POLAND WIN SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP AHEAD OF GREAT BRITAIN AS MACIEJ JANOWSKI BEATS ROBERT LAMBERT IN DECISIVE HEAT 20 |website=Eurosport |access-date=31 July 2023}}

He finished in ninth place during the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix and can be considered unlucky not to have earned a place for the 2024 Speedway Grand Prix.{{cite web|url=https://www.fimspeedway.com/news/nine-nations-represented-as-2024-speedway-gp-line-up-is-confirmed |title=Nine nations represented as 2024 Speedway GP line-up is confirmed |website=FIM Europe|access-date=5 October 2023}} He re-signed with Leicester for the 2024 season.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/sports-insure-premiership/lions-announce-fricke-return/|title=Lions announce Fricke return |website=British Speedway |date=30 November 2023 |access-date=30 November 2023}}

His 2024 season started well after he finished second in the 2024 Australian Championship, following a tight battle with Rohan Tungate.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/miscellaneous/tungate-champion-in-aussie-drama/ |title=Tungate champion in Aussie drama |website=British Speedway |date=13 January 2024 |access-date=14 January 2024}} Following an injury to fellow Australian Jason Doyle before round 4 of 2024 Grand Prix season, Fricke was called up as a replacement. Fricke ended his 2024 season by qualifying for the 2025 Speedway Grand Prix by finishing fourth in the 2025 GP Challenge.{{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 }}