POLISH RACER CIERNIAK CHASES SENSATIONAL FIM SGP2 DOUBLE IN VOJENS

Polish star Mateusz Cierniak bids to sign off a stellar junior career with back-to-back FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championships in the Jørgen Hansen Biler FIM SGP2 of Denmark – Vojens tonight.

As part of their 10-yeavision for FIM Speedway, global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports is showcasing world speedway’s next generation of stars.

From the brand-new 190cc class launched this summer by six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson, aimed at 11 to 13-year-olds, to the SGP3 250cc class for under-16s and SGP2 for speedway’s top under-21 talents, the sport’s next generation now has the chance to climb the pyramid into the Speedway GP World Championship while racing at the sport’s biggest arenas.

Friday’s event sees the SGP2 class of 2023 battle it out at Denmark’s national speedway stadium in the third and final event of the three-round FIM SGP2 series, which Cierniak won in 2022.

For the second straight season, the Lublin and Lejonen ace has taken victory in the opening two rounds – achieving his most recent win at the KGHM FIM SGP2 of Poland – Gorzow with a sensational seven-ride maximum on June 23.

With a perfect 40 championship points, Cierniak holds a 10-point advantage over Australian Under-21 champion Keynan Rew in second and Polish Under-21 champion Bartlomiej Kowalski in third – both of whom have 30 points.

This means reaching the final or finishing third in one of the semis would be enough to see Cierniak become a double SGP2 champion in what will be his final FIM Speedway event as an under-21 rider.

He has already sealed DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 gold with Poland in the sport’s under-21 team championship in Riga on August 11, and now he is bidding to complete a stunning FIM Speedway Under-21 individual and team championship double for the second straight season.

Excluding qualifiers, Cierniak has finished on the podium in all six FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship events he has contested since 2021, winning four, as well as registering a second and a third place.

But should he falter in Vojens, Rew and Kowalski will be poised to try and capitalise. Kowalski finished second at this year’s opening round in Prague on June 2, with Rew taking the runner-up spot in Gorzow last time.

They also face competition in the race for the rostrum from Danish young gun Emil Breum, who is fourth in the standings on 26 points.

The Esbjerg rider was leading the final at round two in Gorzow, only for Cierniak to fight his way through for victory, with Rew sneaking past for second place on the final turn.

But with just four points separating him from Rew and Kowalski in second and third, a medal is very much within his sights, while Poland’s Damian Ratajczak, fifth on 25, and Norwegian youngster Mathias Pollestad, sixth on 22, will also be in the hunt for a podium finish.

Breum was crowned Danish Under-21 champion in Holsted last Friday, and he is joined in flying the home flag by national junior championship runner-up Esben Hjerrild, with fourth-placed Nicolai Heiselberg also in action at Vojens.

Breum, Hjerrild and Vojens wild card Jesper Knudsen teamed up to win DeWalt FIM SON2 silver in Riga, beaten only by Poland in the Grand Final, but it will be every Dane for himself in Vojens.

2023 JØRGEN HANSEN BILER FIM SGP2 OF DENMARK – VOJENS LINE-UP (in FIM ranking order with rider numbers): 161 Emil Breum (Denmark), 27 Keynan Rew (Australia), 94 Esben Hjerrild (Denmark), 33 Norick Blodorn (Germany), 243 Philip Hellstrom-Bangs (Sweden), 302 Bartlomiej Kowalski (Poland), 842 Mateusz Cierniak (Poland), 43 Casper Henriksson (Sweden), 140 Francis Gusts (Latvia), 63 Nicolai Heiselberg (Denmark), 785 Nazar Parnitskyi (Ukraine – substitute for 118 Gustav Grahn), 523 Damian Ratajczak (Poland), 999 Mathias Pollestad (Norway), 226 Anze Grmek (Slovenia), 44 Petr Chlupac (Czech Republic), 16 Jesper Knudsen (Denmark – wild card), 17 William Drejer (Denmark – first track reserve), 18 Bastian Pedersen (Denmark – second track reserve).

FIM SPEEDWAY UNDER-21 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (SGP2) STANDINGS: 1 Mateusz Cierniak 40, 2 Keynan Rew 30, 3 Bartlomiej Kowalski 30, 4 Emil Breum 26, 5 Damian Ratajczak 25, 6 Mathias Pollestad 22, 7 Norick Blodorn 17, 8 Philip Hellstrom-Bangs 17, 9 Casper Henriksson 15, 10 Gustav Grahn 12, 11 Esben Hjerrild 12, 12 Nicolai Heiselberg 10, 13 Anders Rowe 9, 14 Oskar Paluch 7, 15 Francis Gusts 6, 16 Anze Grmek 5, 17 Petr Chlupac 5, 18 Daniel Klima 4.

VOJENS SGP2 FANZONE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Enjoy the first of two action-packed afternoons in Vojens at Friday’s Jørgen Hansen Biler FIM SGP2 of Denmark – Vojens fanzone.

Friday’s fanzone opens at 16:00 CET, with all of the 2023 FIM SGP2 riders signing autographs from 16:30 CET. 

Fans can grab a photo with the Speedway GP trophy, as well as an F16 fighter jet. A collection of Erik Gundersen’s bikes will be on display, with the legendary triple world champion taking part in a Q&A at 17:30 CET.

There will be a chance to win FIM Speedway prizes with quizzes on the big screen at 17:45 CET, and food, drink and official merchandise will be available for purchase.

WHERE TO WATCH: Jørgen Hansen Biler FIM SGP2 of Denmark – Vojens – Friday, September 15 at 19:00 CET.

Coverage can be enjoyed via discovery+ and the Eurosport App in markets where these are available.

Coverage is also available on:

·      Poland – Eurosport Extra

·      Across the Baltics – Go3

·      United States of America / Canada / New Zealand: Recast: www.recast.tv/fimspeedway