WAUCHOPE’S Mick ‘Rubberman’ Kirkness has finished 9th in the fourth round of the Singles Series in the Grand National Flat Track Championships, held in Billings Montana on Saturday night.

In doing so, became the first Australian ever to qualify in the AMA Grand National Flat Track Championship.

In Heat 3 (of 4), Mick found himself stuck between brothers Jethro and Sam Halbert for the final transfer position (3rd) for much of the 10 laps.

Mick made the move on lap 7 and held on to finish behind 7 time Champ Chris Carr, and Dave Burks Motorsports team mate Glen ‘JR’ Schnabel.

18 riders lined up for the 25 lap Main, in the opening laps Mick would swap from 7th to 8th before holding 7th place where he battle with Sam Halbert and Joe Kopp from lap 9 to 21 where Halbert was able to push past, two laps later Kopp would do the same.

This result came off the back of two consecutive Expert Twins Wins at Greenville Ohio, and Hagerstown, Maryland. Riding a Suzuki SV650, Mick has been having fun racing against Pennsylvania’s Brandon Robinson and Californian Chad Cose for much of the year.

The Expert class, along with acting as a feeder to the Grand Nation Twin Series, has its own Championship status.

After racing five finals (of 8) Mick is fourth with 92 points, and is hoping to move into third by series end, after Robinson has first sewn up amassing 5 wins and 169 points already.

The next ‘Singles’ round will be at Peoria Illinois on August 17, a venue and track layout that played a huge roll in Mick wanting to race in the USA in the first place.

Last year Kirkness actually finished in 5th, which was a direct transfer to the Main Event, sadly the sky opened and the event was rained out.

Fellow Aussie, Luke Gough had a shot in Heat 2 and lead for two laps before being regulated to fifth, sending him to the Semi’s.

He made the Main Event after moving from fourth to second behind Kawasaki’s Henry Wiles in the second Semi. Brake troubles would play a part in his race leaving him in 16th place in the 18 rider field.

He now sits in 29th overall in the Singles Series with 3 points.