HOME DOUBLE IN GORZOW FOR DANISH STAR THOMSEN?

Danish racer Anders Thomsen insists he won’t get too comfortable on his Polish home track as he bids for back-to-back KGHM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow wins on Saturday.

The sport’s best riders head to Edward Jancarz Stadium – one of the world’s finest purpose-built track racing stadiums for part two of an epic FIM Speedway double-header following Friday’s KGHM FIM SGP2 of Poland – Gorzow.

Stal Gorzow rider Thomsen raced to his first-ever Speedway GP victory at Edward Jancarz Stadium a year ago, leading an unforgettable one-two-three for the host club as Martin Vaculik finished second, and their then Gorzow teammate Bartosz Zmarzlik took third place.

While last season’s Stal Gorzow dominance of the podium places suggests their riders enjoy considerable home advantage at Edward Jancarz Stadium, Thomsen says he won’t assume the track will be the same as it normally is for a PGE Ekstraliga match.

He said: “The tracks are always different in the Grand Prix. It can be your home track, but in the Grand Prix, it can go the other way – where everything you normally use doesn’t work out. Being at home can be a big advantage, but it can be really bad as well.

“I am not looking at it like a normal meeting. If I prepare like it’s a normal league meeting, it’s not going to work out. The track is going to be different for sure.

“But I love to race here. I have been racing in Gorzow now for over four years and I know it pretty well. I know the setups that work out really well for me. When you have been racing here for many years, you know the good lines for passing. It’s a really great racing track.”

Thomsen missed the semi-final cut in the opening three Speedway GP rounds this season, scoring 12 points in total across the events in Croatia, Warsaw and Prague. But he reached the semi-finals, scoring 11 at the Wölk FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Teterow last time out on June 10.

He hopes to bring this momentum to Gorzow as he seeks a repeat of his heroic 2023 win. He said: “It’s special when you do it on your home track in front of your home crowd. That was a special night for me. It’s something I will never forget. Hopefully it will be special again on Saturday. 

“It will be a tough one, but I feel like I have a good rhythm at the moment. I can’t say too much. We will see what happens on Saturday.”

Triple world champion Zmarzlik returns to his boyhood club this weekend as a Lublin rider for the first time, having spent his entire career up to 2022 in Gorzow blue and yellow. He leads the Speedway GP World Championship on 70 points – 12 clear of second-placed Aussie star Jack Holder, who has 58, with 2017 world champion Jason Doyle in third spot on 54.

Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren is fourth on 52, with Thomsen’s Gorzow teammate Vaculik fifth on 48.

Thomsen holds 12th place in the standings on 23 points and was pleased to find some form at round four in Teterow.

He said: “It’s a little bit late, but I feel like at the moment I have a good rhythm with myself and my team. I am enjoying my racing and I think that’s the main key for being good.”

2023 KGHM FIM SPEEDWAY GP OF POLAND - GORZOW LINE-UP (in FIM ranking order with rider numbers): 95 Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland), 30 Leon Madsen (Denmark), 71 Maciej Janowski (Poland), 66 Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden), 505 Robert Lambert (Great Britain), 99 Dan Bewley (Great Britain), 692 Patryk Dudek (Poland), 108 Tai Woffinden (Great Britain), 54 Martin Vaculik (Slovakia), 69 Jason Doyle (Australia), 155 Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark), 25 Jack Holder (Australia), 46 Max Fricke (Australia), 105 Anders Thomsen (Denmark), 233 Kim Nilsson (Sweden), 16 Szymon Wozniak (Poland – wild card), 17 Oskar Fajfer (Poland – first track reserve), 18 Wiktor Jasinski (Poland – second track reserve).  

Tickets for the KGHM FIM Gorzow Speedway GP are still available online. Secure your seat here now: https://bilety.stalgorzow.pl/ 

GORZOW FANZONE

Fans can enjoy an action-packed afternoon at Edward Jancarz Stadium in the KGHM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow fanzone – just outside the venue’s main entrance.

The entertainment gets underway at 12:30 CET, with Speedway GP Qualifying Practice kicking off at 13:00 CET.

The Speedway GP trophy will be on display for fans to take pictures with throughout the day. There will also be vintage bike displays, attractions for kids, plenty of entertainment in the Monster Energy Zone, plus Speedway GP and rider merchandise available for purchase.

There will be chances to grab a selfie with official FIM Speedway mascot Speedy at 15:15 CET and 18:15 CET.

Speedway GP’s Monster Energy athletes Fredrik Lindgren, Dan Bewley, Tai Woffinden, Patryk Dudek and Jack Holder will be on hand signing hero cards in the Monster Energy Zone from 16:00 CET.

This will be followed by our Speedway GP rider autograph session, featuring all 18 riders, from 16:30 CET.

Fans can win Speedway GP prizes in our quizzes on the big screen at 15:30 CET and 17:45 CET, before we crown the King and Queen of the Fanzone at 18:00 CET.

WHERE TO WATCH: KGHM FIM Speedway GP of Poland - Gorzow – Saturday, June 24 at 19:00 CET

Fans with access to discovery+ or the Eurosport App, available in selected countries, can enjoy full live coverage of all the FIM Speedway action, featuring Qualifying Practice, plus all the build-up from the pits and reaction after the chequered flag falls, as well as the very best coverage of the racing including pit and on-board cameras, rider reaction times and, coming soon, live speed data.

Coverage of Speedway GP is available worldwide with linear coverage of the racing also available in selected countries – see below for more details of where to watch.

Fans can also get live results throughout the Speedway GP via the official FIM Speedway app. Download it now on the App Store or Google Play. 

ACROSS EUROPE: Live on the Eurosport App

BRITAIN: Live on Eurosport 2, discovery+ and the Eurosport App

POLAND: Live on TTV and Eurosport Extra in Player

SWEDEN: Live on discovery+ and the Eurosport App

DENMARK: Live on 6’eren, discovery+ and the Eurosport App

AUSTRALIA: Live on Fox Sports (Kayo)

NEW ZEALAND: Live on Recast via www.recast.tv/fimspeedway 

USA/CANADA: Live on Recast via www.recast.tv/fimspeedway 

GERMANY: Live on discovery+ and the Eurosport App

ACROSS THE BALTICS: Live on discovery+, Eurosport App, Go3 and TV3 Sport channels

CZECH REP: Live on the Eurosport App

SLOVAKIA: Live on the Eurosport App and RTVS

CROATIA: Live on the Eurosport App

AUSTRIA: Live on discovery+ and the Eurosport App

NORWAY: Live on discovery+

FINLAND: Live on discovery+

ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN: Live on SportsMax

ACROSS AFRICA: Live on SuperSport

ACROSS ASIA: Live on beINSPORTS

REST OF THE WORLD: Live on Recast via www.recast.tv/fimspeedway