ZMARZLIK ZOOMS TO EDWARD JANCARZ MEMORIAL MAX

Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik made the perfect return to boyhood club Gorzow as he topped the Edward Jancarz Memorial podium with a stunning seven-ride maximum on Saturday.

Zmarzlik blazed through his five heats and semi-final unbeaten, before finishing the job in the final with victory over fellow Polish international Kacper Woryna in second, Piotr Pawlicki in third place and Speedway GP rival Dan Bewley in fourth.

After making the transformation from raw rookie to Poland’s most successful speedway rider in Gorzow colours, Zmarzlik left for Lublin ahead of the 2023 season. But he was a popular winner of the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow last year and made another happy return on Saturday.

Woryna raced to eight points in his heats, before following Zmarzlik home in semi one as they eliminated 2012 Speedway GP world champion Chris Holder and Gorzow’s world No.3 Martin Vaculik from the event.

Bewley won the second semi after registering eight points in the heats, finishing ahead of the returning Piotr Pawlicki, who has missed the start of British club Birmingham’s season with a leg muscle injury, sustained during Polish team Zielona Gora’s pre-season training camp.

Despite a last place in his opener, Pawlicki qualified for the semis on 11 points, before following Bewley home in semi two, seeing off former Speedway GP rivals Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek.

Dudek impressed in the heats with 12 points, while Vaculik scored 10 and Janowski nine. Holder made the top-eight cut on eight points – edging out younger brother Jack after the world No.4 scored seven. Speedway GP newcomer Szymon Wozniak also fell short of the semi-finals on seven.