The International success of Australian Speedway Solo youngster Chris Holder continued over the weekend when he claimed back-to-back Welsh Opens and was part of the Isle of Wight winning team alongside Jason Bunyan in the latest round of Premier League Pairs Championship.
Holder has hit a purple patch after recently winning the World Under 21 Championship semi-final, and the 19-year-old from the South West of Sydney NSW continued to taste success in what can only be described as truly remarkable run.
Last Friday night (June 29) in Somerset for the latest round of the Premier League Pairs Championship Holder and his team-mate Bunyan were unstoppable and claimed the top honours, and on Sunday night (July 1) Holder managed to carry on his winning form.
After scoring a lucky victory in last year's Welsh Open, Holder was looking to prove that his success of last year was no fluke. In his five heat races, Holder managed a win, two third places and a pair of third places, and only just managed to scrape into the four rider final in fourth spot.
Due to being the fourth highest point scorer, with a total of ten, Holder was forced to the last gate choice for the final and it was a blessing in disguised after he used the high line to great effect in the four lap final and after some nervous moments on the opening lap, due to some close brushes with the fence. By the second lap Holder managed to take control of the race and from there he managed to pull away from his rivals and claim a comprehensive victory.
"To successfully defend the Welsh Open is naturally a wonderful feeling, even more so, considering I had to do it the hard way after just scraping into the final in the first place after being the fourth and final qualifier," Holder remarked.
"I considered myself pretty lucky to win last year's Welch Open as a number of things fell in my favour, but this time around I well and truly had to work hard for it and lay everything on the line."
Holder continued on by saying that his opening lap heroics in the final paved the way for his success.
"There is no doubt about it, I had to really chance my hand there in the final on the opening lap," he explained.
"Once the tape dropped for the start I just stayed up high, and there were a few times on the opening lap where I brushed the fence, but thankfully my daring move paid off."
In other good news for Holder, he was recently selected as part of the Australian World Cup squad, and he will join Jason Crump, Leigh Adams, Ryan Sullivan and Rory Schlein.
There is little rest for Holder, as next weekend (July 7 - 8) he will contest the 2008 World Speedway Grand Prix Championship semi-final qualifier in Italy.
