SLOVENIA'S IVACIC HANDED SMEDERNA SPOT

Two-time Slovenian champion Matic Ivacic has been handed a golden opportunity in Sweden’s Bauhaus Elitserien with Smederna for 2022.

Ivacic has raced in Sweden at Allsvenskan League level, but will now step into the top division with the Eskilstuna outfit.

While Ivacic will initially serve as a back-up rider, his place in the squad comes as a huge boost to Slovenian speedway.

Ivacic and FIM Speedway of Nations team mates Nick Skorja and Anze Grmek are all bidding to follow national icon Matej Zagar in establishing themselves in Europe’s top leagues.

The Smederna deal sees Ivacic team up with the likes of FIM Speedway Grand Prix star Robert Lambert and his FIM SON gold medal-winning team mate Dan Bewley, plus Pontus Aspgren, Michael Jepsen Jensen, Kacper Woryna and Grzegorz Zengota.

Team boss Jerker Eriksson said: “We have had several talks with established riders but unfortunately have not agreed financially.

“There is also uncertainty about Russian riders due to what is going on in Europe. With this in mind, we have chosen to sign Matic as a backup to our squad and we will wait until the season starts.”

Elsewhere, Swedish youngster Aleks Lundquist has extended his stay with 2020 Bauhaus Elitserien champions Masarna.

He links up with the likes of Swedish FIM SON hero Philip Hellstrom-Bangs, Przemyslaw Pawlicki, Rohan Tungate, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Francis Gusts, Adrian Gala and Max Dilger.