DANISH FIM SGP4 RIDER VILLADS PEDERSEN LIFTS FIM SPEEDWAY YOUTH GOLD TROPHY IN HOLSTED

Denmark’s Villads Pedersen made a real statement of intent ahead of next Saturday’s FIM SGP4 showdown in Malilla by lifting the FIM Speedway Youth Gold Trophy in Holsted on Saturday.Pedersen raced to a 15-point maximum to win the 85cc event in his homeland, finishing ahead of fellow Danish star Elias Jamil, who was second on 13, and Germany’s Carlos Gennerich, who took third spot on 12.The 85cc championship originally fired 2001 winner and now world No.2 and double European champion Leon Madsen into the international spotlight, and it has been consistently dominated by the northern European nations, with other countries staging youth events on 125cc machines.But Pedersen is set for a different challenge when he faces off with riders aged 11-13 from all over the world on the brand-new FIM SGP4 190cc bike designed by six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson in the first-ever FIM Speedway Youth World Cup on the Malilla training track at 14:30 CET next Saturday afternoon.He will come up against Germany’s Niklas Bager, who took fourth spot in the Holsted meeting on 11 points. Australia’s Cooper Antone is among the SGP4 contenders. He was seventh in the 85cc event on eight points. He will face off with Finland’s Niko Hatva, who was 12th in Denmark on six points.Great Britain’s SGP4 rider Oliver Bovingdon also heads to Malilla on a high after winning the 125cc class in the British Youth Championships. He topped the podium after winning a run-off with Archie Rolph, who won the final round in Scunthorpe and chased him hard for four laps in the title decider.FIM SGP4 LINE-UP: 1 Villads Pedersen (Denmark), 2 Augustin Kreder (Argentina), 3 Lustiuk Zakhar (Ukraine), 4 Oliver Bovingdon (Great Britain), 5 Elias Jamil (Denmark), 6 Arvid Björkeroth (Sweden), 7 Niklas Bager (Denmark), 8 Antone Cooper (Australia), 9 Boris Charbonnier (France), 10 Niko Hatva (Finland), 11 Karel Prusa (Czech Republic), 12 Jesper Kvarnström (Sweden), 13 Damian Andre (Romania), 14 Niklas Barger (Germany), 15 Kobi Canning (Australia), 16 Kensei Matsudaira (USA). RESERVES: 17 Otto Autere (Sweden), 18 Oscar Kull (Sweden).

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WOZNIAK AND PAWLICKI POWER POLES TO VICTORY IN POZNAN

Polish duo Szymon Wozniak and Przemyslaw Pawlicki both staked their claim for Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup places, contributing 12 points apiece as Poland beat a Rest of the World side 48-42 in Poznan on Saturday.The meeting was Poland’s final test ahead of their Monster Energy FIM SWC Final showdown in Wroclaw on July 29, with the hosts seeded straight through to the last four and awaiting the winners of Semi-Final 1 on July 25, Semi-Final 2 on July 26 and the Race Off on July 28.Triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik sat out the meeting along with Wroclaw hero Maciej Janowski. Both riders will nonetheless fancy their chances of landing a place in the Polish side.Former Polish champion Wozniak topped the scoring for the men in red and white on 12 paid 13, with Pawlicki in hot pursuit on a straight 12.Former Speedway GP finalist Dominik Kubera notched nine, with Piotr Pawlicki scoring seven and Speedway GP rider Patryk Dudek picking up six paid seven. FIM SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak scored two paid three.Aussie ace Jason Doyle headed the Rest of the World team’s scorechart on 10 paid 11, with Latvian racer Andzejs Lebedevs adding eight paid nine and double Danish champion Anders Thomsen scoring eight points.Ukrainian star Aleksandr Loktaev collected six paid seven, Denmark’s Jonas Seifert bagged five paid six and Speedway GP rider Max Fricke added five. 

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EKSTRALIGA | KUBERA PICKS UP COMEBACK PACE WITH LUBLIN MAX

Polish star Dominik Kubera stepped up his racing return with a 14 paid 15-point maximum for PGE Ekstraliga champions Lublin as they demolished hosts Krosno 62-28 on Friday.Kubera recently returned from the back injury suffered in Qualifying Practice for the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw on May 12, which some even feared could end his season.But there were no such concerns for the promising Pole, who boosted his hopes of a place in Poland’s Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup team with a fine unbeaten performance over five rides.Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren racked up 11 paid 12 as he warms up for the Holmgrens Bil FIM Swedish Speedway GP on July 15, with his Speedway GP rostrum rival Jack Holder adding 10 paid 11.Triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik was unbeaten with eight paid nine from three rides, before making way for FIM SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak to take his final two rides, with the young gun matching his score from five outings.Aussie internationalJason Doyle and Latvian star Andzejs Lebedevs led the Krosno scoring on nine points apiece.In the day’s other meeting, former Speedway GP racer Janusz Kolodziej also staked his Monster Energy FIM SWC claims with a 13-point haul for Leszno as they won 55-35 at home to Grudziadz.The Pole roared into form after his recent injury troubles. The Bulls were also boosted by a nine paid 10-point haul from 2012 Speedway GP world champion Chris Holder, who made his comeback from a broken neck.Polish star Grzegorz Zengota added 10 paid 11 and former World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey bagged eight paid nine. FIM SGP2 rider Damian Ratajczak scored three.Vadim Tarasenko was Grudziadz’s top scorer on 13 paid 14 points, with triple Aussie champion Max Fricke adding eight paid nine.For full details of the day’s PGE Ekstraliga results, scorers and the latest league table, click here: https://speedwayekstraliga.pl/en/ 

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PREPARATIONS ON TRACK FOR EPIC FIM BRITISH SPEEDWAY GP IN CARDIFF

FIM Speedway global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and circuit builder Speed Sport are on track to deliver a much-improved racing surface for the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff on September 2.Britain’s biggest indoor motorsport event returns to the Principality Stadium in just under two months, with Britain’s Dan Bewley bidding for back-to-back Cardiff wins after his heroic victory in 2022, with fellow GB stars Tai Woffinden and Robert Lambert also going for glory.Bewley defied some testing track conditions to top the podium last year, racing to victory in record-breaking temperatures, which presented unprecedented challenges to the track-building team.Organisers are doing everything possible in their efforts to bring fans a fantastic night of racing this season.With the Speedway GP series’ other temporary track at Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy delivering some awesome action on May 13, Cardiff organisers are determined to replicate that success in the Welsh capital.Shale has undergone analysis at a laboratory in Newport to ensure it will deliver the highest standard of racing.It takes 3,500 tonnes of shale, seven days and a cumulative 400 hours of labour by the team to build the circuit, with the material transported to the Principality Stadium in 140 lorry loads.Two wheel-based loaders, two tracked excavators, one grader, two vibrating compactors, two tractors, two vibrating plates, one forklift and an experienced labour crew all work together within the confines of the Principality Stadium during track construction.Speed Sport’s Ole Olsen, a former three-time FIM Speedway world champion and a vastly-experienced track builder, is leading the construction of the circuit – a role he has fulfilled since Speedway GP first came to Cardiff in 2001, as well as at other SGP venues across the world.He said: “My team at Speed Sport and I know how much the FIM British Speedway GP means to riders, fans and everyone associated with the sport, and we are determined to deliver a great racetrack for the 2023 event.“We will be working to build a wider track and adding some material in 2023 to offer more passing opportunities, as well as constructing the track in layers and then packing them to ensure the racing surface remains stable.“We will make use of the data gained from the laboratory tests and as well as Speed Sport’s over 20 years of experience in building speedway tracks in some of the world’s best stadiums to ensure exciting racing for fans in Cardiff, plus viewers watching around the world.”lambert-bzmarzlik2731.jpg 229.42 KBFIM Speedway championships director Laura Manciet is also looking forward to a big night of Speedway GP World Championship motorsport in Cardiff.She said: “Delivering our fans a significantly better racetrack in Cardiff is a high priority for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports in 2023, and with the work and analysis we have done in cooperation with Speed Sport, I am confident fans will get the great racing they expect and deserve on September 2.“The atmosphere under the Principality Stadium roof is something you have to feel to believe and with our fanzone on City Hall Lawn from Saturday morning, fans can enjoy an action-packed day out and meet their racing heroes, as well as other speedway supporters from all over the world. I look forward to seeing everyone in Cardiff in less than two months!”Tickets for the FIM British Speedway GP are still available online. Book your place at Principality Stadium here NOW.Alternatively, tickets will be available ahead of the event from the Principality Stadium ticket office from 12:30 – 17:30 BST on Friday, September 1 and from 10:00 – 17:30 BST on Saturday, September 2.

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HJELMLAND & HENRIKSSON HANDED MALILLA TRACK RESERVE BERTHS

Local favourite Filip Hjelmland and FIM SGP2 rider Casper Henriksson have been named as track reserves to complete the Holmgrens Bil FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla line-up.Hjelmland, who races for Malilla club Dackarna in the Bauhaus Elitserien, dons the No.17 race jacket.Meanwhile, No.18 Henriksson will hope to get his shot in Speedway GP after racing to the KGHM FIM SGP2 of Poland – Gorzow final on June 23.The duo will be called into action if any of the main 16 riders are forced out of a heat due to injury, illness, a starting offence or other reasons.They join world No.4 and Swedish champion Fredrik Lindgren, 2022 FIM GP Challenge winner Kim Nilsson and this year’s Swedish Championship runner-up Jacob Thorssell, who earned the Malilla wild card and lines up at No.16.

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