FREDDIE READY FOR MALILLA PARTY

Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren looks forward to “a good party in Malilla” as he gets ready for the Holmgrens Bil FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on July 15.

Lindgren heads back to his homeland for Sweden’s biggest speedway event, placed third in the Speedway GP World Championship on 68 points – one behind Jack Holder in second place and 22 short of series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik with five rounds to race.

While the Pole has topped the podium in Malilla three times, Lindgren also won the Swedish round there in 2019 and spent a number of seasons racing for Dackarna club Malilla in the Bauhaus Elitserien.

This should give Lindgren a good idea of track conditions, but his biggest advantage will be having a sizeable Swedish crowd behind him.

He said: “I always look forward to racing in front of my home fans. I hope this year we are going to have a good crowd. They have a good date in the middle of summer – Swedish people are on holiday and camping. I am sure we will have a good party in Malilla.”

Lindgren raced to third place at the KGHM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow last Saturday, beaten by Zmarzlik and Leon Madsen in an epic final.

The Orebro-born racer led very briefly at the start of the race, before his rivals got the better of him, with Zmarzlik taking the win with a big move under Madsen on the final turn.

Lindgren was pragmatic after missing out on his second Speedway GP win of 2023. He said: “I think that was my best. My best was a third on that night. I could not beat those two guys, Bartek and Leon. They were better and faster than me. Sometimes you just have to take a bow and know that. I gave it everything I had and this time it was a third.”