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POLES PICK UP RECORD 16TH WORLD UNDER-21 TEAM TITLE AT DeWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA

Polish hero Mateusz Cierniak admits patience paid dividends after leading his country to a record-breaking 16th FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 World Championship in Latvian capital Riga on Friday night.The Poles won the DeWalt FIM SON2 event to lift sport’s junior team championship for the 10th straight season, with Cierniak leading partner Wiktor Przyjemski to a 7-2 victory over Danish duo Esben Hjerrild and Jesper Knudsen in the Grand Final.This was after Poland topped the score chart over 21 heats on a commanding 39 points. Denmark joined them in the title-decider after beating hosts Latvia 5-4 in the Grand Final Qualifier.Despite Latvian racer Ricards Ansviesulis winning the race, Hjerrild and Danish teammate Emil Breum fended off Riga favourite Francis Gusts for four laps to break the home side’s hearts. But Latvia still made history, winning bronze – their first-ever medal in an FIM Speedway team championship.But the night belonged to Poland and Cierniak, who led their scoring on 22 points from a possible 24, before winning the Grand Final.Along with teammates Przyjemski and Bartlomiej Kowalski, Cierniak had to fight furiously for his points on a number of occasions and admitted patience was the key as he captained his country to an historic gold, adding to the senior side’s Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup win in Wroclaw on July 29. 

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HOME PRIDE FOR LATVIAN YOUNG GUN GUSTS AS RIGA GETS SET FOR EPIC FIM SPEEDWAY WEEKEND

Latvian shooting star Francis Gusts says bringing home DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 gold with his country this Friday would be “the sweetest win of my life” as he lines up on the Riga track where his racing career began.Hosts Latvia battle it out for FIM Speedway of Nations Under-21 World Championship gold at Bikernieki Speedway Stadium from 18:00 local time (17:00 CET), where they take on 15-time winners and reigning champions Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany.The DeWalt FIM SON2 sees the world’s top seven under-21 trios – composed of two starters and a reserve at No.3 – meet each other over 21 heats with four points on offer for a race win, three for second, two for third, and zero points for last place, being disqualified or failing to finish.The top scoring nation goes straight through to the Grand Final, with the second and third highest scorers meeting in the Grand Final Qualifier. The winner of that race faces off with the top scorers in the Grand Final for the right to be called FIM SON Under-21 world champions.The Latvian capital is getting set for a huge weekend of racing, with the sport’s top riders lining up in the sold-out OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga on Saturday. But first, Gusts leads Latvia’s under-21 stars into action.They face stiff competition to reach the rostrum, but with Latvia being tipped to push for their first-ever FIM Speedway World Championships medal, Gusts has the chance to make history along with teammates Ricards Ansviesulis and Ernests Matjusonoks.

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LOCAL HERO GUSTS HANDED SPEEDWAY GP DEBUT IN RIGA AS HOLDER WITHDRAWS

Latvia will have two riders in Saturday’s OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga as local hero Francis Gusts steps into the starting line-up.Australian racer Jack Holder has reluctantly been forced to admit defeat in his battle to recover from a hand injury sustained in the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Wroclaw. He underwent successful surgery in Lublin on August 1, but was unable to recover in time for Riga.Speedway GP first reserve Andzejs Lebedevs was due to serve as this weekend’s wild card, but he will now instead replace Holder in the line-up.As a result, Gusts has been handed the dream chance to race as wild card, taking the No.16 race jacket from Lebedevs to make his Speedway GP debut in his home city.Gusts’ promotion to wild card sees Ricards Ansviesulis step up as first track reserve at No.17, with his international teammate Ernests Matjusonoks joining the Riga line-up as second track reserve at No.18.The young Latvian trio also line up for their country in Friday’s DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 event as his side takes on 15-time winners Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany for the FIM SON Under-21 World Championship.We wish Jack a speedy and successful recovery from his injury.

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EKSTRALIGA | LEBEDEVS WARMS UP FOR RIGA BY STARRING IN KROSNO

Latvian racer Andzejs Lebedevs heads into the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga in red-hot form after racing to 13 paid 14 points for Krosno.Already relegated from the PGE Ekstraliga, Krosno signed off their stay in the top flight with a 47-43 win at home to Leszno on Wednesday.Lebedevs was their star man, dropping just one point to an opponent over five rides, with Aussie ace Jason Doyle collecting a straight 13 and Czech charger Vaclav Milik adding eight paid nine.Polish racer Bartosz Smektala bagged 11 for Leszno, with Australian international Jaimon Lidsey adding nine paid 10.Elsewhere, reigning champions Lublin signed off their regular season by sounding a big warning to table-topping title rivals Wroclaw, winning 49-41 at the Olympic Stadium.Triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik led the way on 10 paid 12 points as Fredrik Lindgren notched nine paid 11 and Polish duo Dominik Kubera and Jaroslaw Hampel registered nine paid 10 each.SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak added eight as he warms up for Poland’s DeWalt FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 title bid in Riga on Friday.Former Speedway GP world champion Artem Laguta led the Wroclaw scoring on 12 points, with Dan Bewley scoring seven paid eight, Maciej Janowski picking up six and Tai Woffinden registering five.For full details of the results, scorers and the final PGE Ekstraliga table ahead of the play-off, click here: https://speedwayekstraliga.pl/  

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LEBEDEVS EYES LATVIAN DREAM TEAM WITH GUSTS

Latvian hero Andzejs Lebedevs hopes Riga racer Francis Gusts can emerge as the country’s next big star as he plots an FIM Speedway of Nations medal bid in the coming years.Gusts leads Latvia’s under-21 side as they go for DeWalt FIM SON2 gold at Riga’s Bikernieki Speedway Stadium on Friday, taking on 15-time FIM Team Speedway Under-21 world champions Poland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Denmark, Australia and Germany.Lebedevs then flies the Latvian flag on Saturday when the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga takes place at a sold-out Bikernieki, which stages the country’s first SGP event since 2017.While Latvia does not have the talent pool enjoyed by nations like Poland, Denmark, Britain and Australia, Lebedevs has high hopes for Gusts, who is a member of the SGP2 series and topped the score chart on 22 points at the 2022 SON2 event in Vojens as Latvia finished fourth.The pair teamed up to take Latvia to its first world team final at the 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations in Manchester, where they finished sixth.With only two top riders needed for a country to push for FIM SON gold, Lebedevs hopes Gusts can be the partner he needs to make more history and improve on their 2021 result in the coming years.He said: “Francis is one of the biggest talents from Latvia. I really keep my fingers crossed for him and his career. My dream is to have a teammate who can be better than me or at the same level, and then we can push each other to the front. Maybe then we can show something in the Speedway of Nations, for example. “I hope this time comes really soon and I have this teammate like Francis. Hopefully he shows what he can really do, and we can soon make a dream team for Latvia.”Lebedevs may not be racing in Riga until Saturday night, but he’s planning to be trackside on Friday as he backs his young compatriots to go for DeWalt FIM SON2 glory.He said: “I will support the guys from the pits on Friday. I will do whatever is possible for my colleagues from the national team.  “Francis comes from Riga. This is his real home track, and he knows this track really well. I hope he leads from the front, takes his teammates with him and they push hard.“If they make the final, anything can happen. Hopefully being on our home track will be the key for success and we can win an historic first medal for the Latvian team.”

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POLES PICK UP RECORD 16TH WORLD UNDER-21 TEAM TITLE AT DeWALT FIM SON2 IN RIGA

HOME PRIDE FOR LATVIAN YOUNG GUN GUSTS AS RIGA GETS SET FOR EPIC FIM SPEEDWAY WEEKEND

LOCAL HERO GUSTS HANDED SPEEDWAY GP DEBUT IN RIGA AS HOLDER WITHDRAWS

EKSTRALIGA | LEBEDEVS WARMS UP FOR RIGA BY STARRING IN KROSNO

LEBEDEVS EYES LATVIAN DREAM TEAM WITH GUSTS