Holder retains under 21 title.

Teenage tearaway Chris Holder has retained his Australian Under 21 Speedway Championship with a superb performance at Gillman (SA) on February 4.

For the second year in succession, Holder whitewashed the under 21 program, winning his five heats before cruised home in the four-lap final ahead of the duo which was always going to cause him the most concern - Queenslander Troy Batchelor and New South Welshman Jason Doyle.

"I've been riding a lot more aggressively this year, and it all came together at the right time," said Holder. "I also had some clutch problems when I rode at Gillman in the open title, but that was all sorted in time for the under 21 battle.

"I suppose I was a little luck that the final was re-stared, because in the first attempt I got boxed in at Turn One, and I would have struggled to win from there."

Holder, an apprentice motorcycle mechanic for Sydney City Motorcycles in Liverpool (NSW), now becomes just the third rider to win successive under 21 titles since it all began at Undera (Vic) in 1987. Holder's forebears are Victorian Leigh Adams (1990-1991) and South Australian Rory Schlein (2003-2004). Adams also won again in 1992 before he moved into the senior ranks full-time.

And that's exactly where Holder is heading in 2006 - to a career among the 'big' boys. The Appin (NSW) rider recently signed with the Isle of Wight to compete in the UK Premier League alongside Doyle, while he will also chase world under 21 glory again this year after reaching the semi-final stage in 2005.

"I am really aiming to give the world under 21s a nudge in 2006," confirmed Holder. "To be honest, I was surprised to get past the first round last year, but my expectations are far higher in 2006. I would love to make the final of that."

At Gillman, Holder was brutal in the preliminaries, finishing on a maximum 15pts ahead of Batchelor (14pts), Doyle (12pts) and Cameron Woodward (12pts). Matthew Wethers (11pts) and Mark Jones (10pts) were the only other riders in double figures.

The results from the heats left three of the same four finalists from the 2005 Tamworth (NSW)-hosted finale: Holder, Doyle and Woodward. Meanwhile, Batchelor 'replaced' Schlein as the new entry.

In the first attempt at the final, Holder's momentum evaporated in one fell swoop when he got boxed in at the start from the inside gate one, leaving Doyle (gate three) as the pacesetter from Woodward (gate four) and Batchelor (gate two).

However, Woodward fell on lap two after losing his "steel shoe", and was excluded from the re-start.

In that one, Holder and Batchelor weren't prepared to give an inch at Turn One, but the arm-wrestle finally gave way to the former gaining the upper hand - and a successive championship. Doyle finished third, by only a very small margin.

A night earlier, also at the well-prepared Gillman circuit, 16 riders battled for six spots in the championship meeting, and with Ricky Barney, Michael Slade, Tyron Proctor, Arlo Bugeja, Aaron Summers and John Oliver progressing.

Summers, the 2004 under 16 national champion, performed the best of the sextet on Saturday night, finishing eighth overall on 7pts, behind Cory Gathercole (9pts).