SWEDEN’S KARLSSON CROWNED SGP3 KING IN MALILLA

Swedish sensation Rasmus Karlsson defied the nerves of a dramatic last-heat decider to win the Lantmannen Maskin FIM SGP3 Final - Malilla in front of a delighted home crowd on Friday.

Karlsson got the better of a stellar field in the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship – the sport’s under-16 250cc competition – registering two heat wins and two second places in his opening four rides to give himself four laps to become a world champion in heat 20.

Despite reigning champion Mikkel Andersen getting the better of him early on, which would have forced Karlsson into a run-off with the Dane, as well as Poland’s Maksymilian Pawelczak for the gold medal, the Swede swooped for the win with an epic move on lap two, bend four.

Karlsson celebrated wildly on one wheel in front of his home fans as he became Sweden’s first-ever winner of the sport’s biggest youth competition on 13 points.

He triumphed ahead of Pawelczak, who took second spot on 12. 2022 SGP3 champion Mikkel Andersen defeated Poland’s Kacper Mania in a dramatic run-off for the bronze medal after they tied on 11. But the day belonged to Karlsson, sparking big celebrations in Malilla.

Karlsson is set to step up into 500cc competition next year and has his sights set on racing in European speedway’s biggest leagues.

He said: “I race at Indianerna in Kumla. I hope I will be able to ride in the Elitserien. My main goal – to get into the Ekstraliga in Poland.”

Swedish fans will be delighted with Karlsson’s performance as they search for a long-term successor to world No.4 Fredrik Lindgren, who continues to represent his country with distinction on the world stage. Asked if he believes he can go on to become a Speedway GP world champion one day, the remarkably relaxed teenager smiled: “I think I can, but it’s going to be a couple of years maybe.”

Pawelczak won FIM SGP3 Semi-Final 2 in Vastervik to qualify for Friday’s event and brought his fine form into the Final. While a third place in his opening race cost him gold, he was rightly pleased after ending with three wins and a second place to secure silver.

He said: “I was trying my best today. In my first heat, I went with my second bike, which I thought was better, but I didn’t go well, and I only got one point. Then we changed the bike and the setup, and I managed to score enough points to be here on the podium. I am very happy about it. It has been a long journey for me.

“I am very happy about the Semi-Final I won in Vastervik. I was hoping I would get on the podium here and get the gold medal, but Rasmus was there today. Congratulations to the boys and thanks for the races. I am staying in the 250cc classes for now, so maybe see you next year.” 

This is the first of three FIM Speedway World Championship events taking place in Malilla this weekend. As well as Saturday night’s Holmgrens Bil FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla, featuring the sport’s top stars, the Skrotfrag Arena stages the FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) on Saturday afternoon at 14:30 CET.

The inaugural SGP4 event will be raced on the 190cc bikes designed by Sweden’s six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson, as part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports' vision to train a new generation of champions.

The bikes were tested by talented riders all over Europe and Pawelczak was one of Rickardsson’s key test riders in Poland.

The charismatic star from Bydgoszcz was delighted to play his part in creating the final product and team up with one of the sport’s all-time greats.

He said: “I have awesome memories of working with Tony. He is a really good man. I was testing the SGP4 bikes, and I was really happy about them. It was my last season in mini speedway, and I thought the bikes were pretty good. I will definitely be watching tomorrow’s competition.”

Andersen was gutted he couldn’t make it back-to-back SGP3 gold medals, after clinching the 2022 title in Polish city Wroclaw last summer. He is now set to start his 500cc career in 2024. 

He said: “I was not really feeling too good after the final heat. I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to the run-off.

“Of course, I have been trying a 500cc bike this year and I look forward to being on one next year.”

Polish starlet Mania lost out on a podium place in a run-off and took fourth spot for the second straight season. There’s no doubt starting his final ride from the testing gate four cost him dearly, as he missed out on the victory needed to secure gold, finishing last to end up in a battle for bronze.

He said: “I didn’t have much luck. Obviously, my thoughts before the meeting were about becoming world champion, and I am really upset about the fourth place because I wanted to win gold this season. I was racing from gate four in my last heat, which was obviously the worst one. I could see that from the beginning of the meeting. 

"It wasn’t very fortunate and that’s why I lost out in that heat. Now my dream is to become world champion. That’s my ultimate goal and I am planning on trying 500cc next season.”

LANTMANNEN MASKIN FIM SGP3 FINAL – MALILLA SCORES: 1 Rasmus Karlsson (Sweden) 13, 2 Maksymilian Pawelczak (Poland) 12, 3 Mikkel Andersen (Denmark) 11+3, 4 Kacper Mania (Poland) 11+2, 5 William Cairns (Great Britain) 10, 6 Sven Cerjak (Slovenia) 10, 7 Mitchell McDiarmid (Australia) 9, 8 Filip Beczkowski (Poland) 8, 9 Beau Bailey (Australia) 7, 10 Alexander Adamson (Australia) 7, 11 Villads Pedersen (Denmark) 5, 12 Patrick Kruse (Denmark) 4, 13 Alfred Aberg (Sweden) 4, 14 Cooper Rushen (Great Britain) 4, 15 Damian Miller (Poland) 2, 16 Leo Klasson (Sweden) 2, 17 Otto Raak (Finland) 1, 18 Jan Hlacina (Czech Republic) 0.

REPORT: Paul Burbidge