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MANSFIELD speedway motorcycle racer Max Fricke and his Australian teammates lifted the 2022 World Cup at the Speedway of Nations World Championships at Vojens in Denmark on Saturday night.
At the end of an epic four days and 90 heats of racing, the Aussie team of Max Fricke, Jack Holder, Jason Doyle and team manager Mark Lemon topped the podium by beating runners up Great Britain and third placed Sweden.
Lemon took the decision to make Speedway Grand Prix duo Max Fricke and Jack Holder his starting pair throughout the final and the duo repaid him spectacularly.
A fine start from Fricke and Holder left the Lions pair trailing, delivering Australia's first team triumph since they won the 2002 FIM Speedway World Cup Final at the British track Peterborough.
Lemon has been managing the Australian side since 2012 and was ecstatic to end his decade–long wait for Aussie gold.
"We have worked hard for a number of years and there have been some guys who have been chipping away and not got to appreciate this feeling, so I really feel for them," said Lemon.
"The guys have done their country proud and done themselves proud.
"Now they can call themselves world champions and it's a fantastic achievement."
26–year–old Fricke won the World Under–21 Championship in 2016 to add to the four Australian Under–21 Championships he had under his belt.
Fricke also won the Senior Australian Solo Championship in both 2019 and 2020 and recently won the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland in front of 50,000 fans in May of this year.
"Wow what a night," said Fricke after the final.
"A huge performance from the team and we were able to bring it home.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported us and everyone back home in Australia, this win is sweet."
Fricke contests the FIM Speedway GP Series around the world where he currently ranks 13th on the championship table and also competes across various European speedway leagues as a full–time professional speedway racer.
But this was especially sweet, considering it was the first in 20 years when the Australian team last topped the podium.
"20 years since Australia's last win in the teams championship," added Fricke.
"I'm very proud to be part of the team and put the Aussie flag back on the top of the podium.
"A big thank you to the boys, Jack, Jason, Lemo and Shannon.
"What a team."





