MADSEN: BACK ON TRACK FOR TETEROW

Danish racer Leon Madsen admits he’s back on the right track with his engine setups as he gets ready for the Wölk FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Teterow tonight.

Madsen endured a tough start to the 2023 FIM Speedway Grand Prix series, scoring four championship points in Croatia and eight in Warsaw as he fell short of the semi-finals at both rounds.

But he roared back into form at the Prague FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic last Saturday, finishing second in the final behind Martin Vaculik to score a very useful 18 championship points.

That fired him up to eighth place on 30 ahead of tonight’s Speedway GP showdown at the Bergring Arena, and Madsen admits some help from Danish tuner Brian Karger has got him back up to speed on the sport’s biggest stage.

He said: “It hasn’t been the best start to the season for me. Unfortunately, we went in the wrong direction with my engines. But we have been working very hard since Warsaw with my tuners to find out what went wrong.

“It looks like we have figured it out and now we are moving in the right direction. I am very happy about that.

“I gained a lot of points, and I am climbing the ladder a little bit. The season is still long, but with the setup we have found on the bikes, I am sure we will be able to fight for a lot more points. 

“It definitely gives me a lot more confidence, knowing that the bike between my legs is going forward. You could see me making passes again. 

“I am very, very happy, and I also have to thank Brian Karger very much for helping me out and being there with me in the pits. I am very happy with the co-operation we have together.”

Madsen relocated from Poland back to Denmark in the winter and is currently building a house in his homeland. Some suggested the project may have proved a distraction.

But the rider himself insisted: “No, not at all. It has all been down to the bike. I haven’t felt comfortable with my bikes this year. Obviously if you don’t feel comfortable, you lose confidence. 

“Over the week before Prague, we tried out something new. It showed really good results in the Polish league, and I gained confidence from that. We have been working very hard over the last few weeks to find out the problem we had, and it looks like we are going in the right direction.”

World No.2 Madsen is far from happy with his current position in the Speedway GP standings. “I’m in eighth place and I am vice world champion,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a good position. But we are there now and hopefully we can keep this going.

“I came into Saturday’s meeting with a lot more confidence than when I was in Warsaw. When you are confident, believe and feel comfortable on your bike, you also perform better. I know when I am behind, I am able to chase down the riders in front of me.”