THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR POLISH HERO ZMARZLIK

Poland’s triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated with an epic last bend that saw him land a fantastic third KGHM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow victory on Saturday.

Zmarzlik may no longer be a Stal Gorzow rider following his winter move to PGE Ekstraliga champions Lublin. But the man who reached the top of world speedway in the club’s yellow and blue sent the Edward Jancarz Stadium wild once again as he blazed past Danish star Leon Madsen on the final turn to snatch his third Speedway GP win of 2023 in fine style.

After overhauling Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren for second place, Zmarzlik launched an epic pursuit of Madsen, fuelled by the roars of a partisan Polish crowd. He forced his way past the world No.2 with a jaw-dropping move to add to his 2014 and 2020 round-three Gorzow victories.

The final was started three times after Lindgren fell in a hard-fought first bend at the first attempt. Australian star Jason Doyle then tumbled in the second run of the race as Zmarzlik and Lindgren passed him going into lap two.

Zmarzlik got the job done at the third attempt. But he admits finding the energy it takes to fight for victory in a Speedway GP final three times was some test.

“I am tired after the final,” he said. “There were too many restarts. When you go into the final, it’s hard for the head. When you have to start it three times, it’s really, really hard. But I am really happy with what I did on the last corner, and I am really happy about today.

“After the first re-run, I could see my gating had stopped working from gate one and I had to go for plan B on the corner. I made a little bit of a mistake at the start, and I lost the start with Freddie. I had really good speed in every corner, but not on the straights. I rode a little bit of a different line that I had learned; I won, and I am very happy about this.”

Zmarzlik raced for host club Stal Gorzow from 2011 until 2022, establishing himself as one of the team’s all-time greats. Despite the world champion seeking pastures new, the raucous support he received from the stands proved there’s still a lot of love for Zmarzlik in Gorzow.

“This is very important for me,” he said. “I want to say thanks to the Polish fans and all the Gorzow fans. They really gave me a nice welcome and really big thanks for that.”

Zmarzlik continues to rewrite the history books with every round. His 21st Speedway GP win sees him surpass six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson’s total of 20 victories and go joint third on the all-time list of Speedway GP winners – level with American great Greg Hancock. 

Only Aussie legend Jason Crump with 23 victories and Polish icon Tomasz Gollob with 22 have now won more Speedway GPs.

Zmarzlik’s Gorzow last-four appearance was also his 50th Speedway GP final since he famously finished third on his series debut as a 17-year-old wild card at the 2012 FIM Gorzow Speedway GP.

But these staggering numbers do not excite Zmarzlik, who has plenty of years left to add to these astonishing statistics. 

The 28-year-old said: “I don’t focus on any of this. My first thought in the head is to produce good racing because I love it. I love riding the bike and I love the racing. This is the most important thing for me.”

Next up for the sport’s top stars is the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, July 15 on an historic weekend for FIM Speedway.

The action gets underway with the FIM SGP3 Final as the sport’s top 250cc under-16 stars race for the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship on Friday, July 14.

And ahead of the Speedway GP action, the first-ever FIM SGP4 event – the brand-new FIM Speedway Youth World Cup – will be staged on the Skrotfrag Arena’s training track.

The event features the sport’s youngest talents from all over the world, racing the exciting new SGP4 machine, with its Daytona FS Anima 190cc engine, designed by SGP global ambassador Rickardsson. The new competition, launched in the year speedway celebrates its 100th anniversary, is part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ vision to offer a new pathway for riders aged 11-13 into the sport.