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LIEBMANN SET FOR UNDER-24 EKSTRALIGA DEBUT WITH GORZOW

German racer Celina Liebmann looks set to mix it with the sport’s top young stars in 2023 after signing for Gorzow’s Under-24 Ekstraliga side. The move was announced on International Women’s Day yesterday, which saw the German take over the @SpeedwayGP social media channels for the day, giving fans a glimpse behind the scenes of her preparations for 2023. Liebmann made history in 2022 as the first female rider to appear in an FIM Speedway final series, when she scored three championship points as the FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic – Prague wild card last May. She also featured in the FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun last October. While she is no longer eligible for under-21 competition, the 21-year-old is still set to take a huge step forward in her career, with Gorzow handing her the chance to become the Under-24 Ekstraliga’s first female rider at Edward Jancarz Stadium. Launched in 2022, the Under-24 Ekstraliga has handed young riders from all over the world a golden opportunity to show their class in the world’s biggest speedway nation, with some going on to land senior team places. Finland’s Timi Salonen was one of its biggest success stories last year after starring for Gorzow and then taking the FIM Speedway of Nations by storm to lead his country into the Final at Vojens. Stal Gorzow president Waldemar Sadowski is delighted to add to Liebmann to the squad. He told the club’s website: “Speedway has been known as a typically male sport, which is why we greatly appreciate the fact that there are women who are trying to change this pattern. “The world is moving forward. More and more women are showing interest in motor sports. We don’t have to look far: Wiktor Jasiński’s sister, Karolina, successfully races motocross. At Stal Gorzow, everyone has equal chances, only the form of the rider matters.” Liebmann is joined in Gorzow by the likes of Speedway GP stars Martin Vaculik and Anders Thomsen, who race for the club’s senior side in the PGE Ekstraliga.

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GERMAN RACER CELINA LIEBMANN AIMS TO INSPIRE MORE FEMALE STARS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

German history maker Celina Liebmann hopes to inspire more women to be part of FIM Speedway as she celebrates today’s International Women’s Day by taking over the @SpeedwayGP social media channels. Women play a crucial role in the sport, with FIM Speedway led by championships director Laura Manciet since Discovery Sports Events took over as global promoter for the 2022 season. The FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Donji Kraljevec is organised by Darija Pavlic, who is also part of the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP), and she served as 2022 FIM Speedway of Nations Jury President. Meanwhile, Lydia Robin is the FIM Track Racing Commission’s co-ordinator. More and more women are sampling the sport, with the FIM staging the second edition of their ground-breaking ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy in Manchester from August 4-5 – with triple world champion Jason Crump, FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris and former British champion Rory Schlein among the coaches. Liebmann became the first female rider to appear in an FIM Speedway final series last year, when she raced as a wild card in the 2022 FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic – Prague on May 27. The 21-year-old defied some difficult conditions following heavy rain showers to score three championship points with a very smooth and intelligent debut performance, before also taking one ride as a track reserve at the 2022 FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun on September 30. Her efforts in the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship (SGP2) cemented Liebmann’s status as the sport’s top female rider, and it’s a position she is keen to use to inspire more women on to the track. She said: “As the best woman in the world, I can say that it is a great feeling to be the figurehead for all women in speedway. I get a lot of attention because of all what I did last year, and I always want to use that to show my best again.” Liebmann only hopes her appearances alongside the sport’s top under-21 stars in 2022 will inspire more female riders to give racing a try, with her compatriot Hannah Grunwald already making rapid progress in the junior categories. Asked for her advice for any female stars seeking to give speedway a try, Liebmann said: “I can recommend it to everyone! If you work hard and give it your all, you can achieve anything you want, and I am always available for tips and help. “Women can do the sport just as well as boys and at the end of the day, we all have a helmet on and want three points. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman, so put on your helmet and off you go!” This year’s ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy aims to build on the success of the 2022 event in Deidenbergen, Germany, with the two-day masterclass covering all aspects of racing from on-track techniques, nutrition and physical preparation to machine maintenance and setup. The event is open to female riders from all around the world and of all abilities aged 16 or above. Janika Judeika, FIM Women in Motorcycling commission director, said: “The FIM Women in Motorcycling commission is proud to support the 2023 edition of the ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy taking place in Manchester in collaboration with the FIM Track Racing commission. “After a very successful 2022 training event, we’re excited to help even more female riders develop their skills and knowledge in this discipline and build on last year’s experience to deliver even stronger, more impactful and geographically diverse training. “Our commission aims to develop the sport and the activities for women – the talented riders, motivated organisers and devoted colleagues make working for this aim a true pleasure! I thank everyone involved in this project and look forward to seeing it come to life in August.” While the Manchester event could be the start of an exciting speedway career for a number of female stars, Liebmann looks forward to giving some insight into her own racing journey via the @SpeedwayGP social media accounts as FIM Speedway joins the world in marking International Women’s Day. She said: “I am very honoured to represent the sport on International Women’s Day. It is always a great pleasure to work with the SGP people. “I look forward to showing you a part of my life. I will reveal one of my rituals and tell you a bit about my daily routine. Be curious about my two super cute dogs, my bike preparations and much more … Look forward to it and check it out!”

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HOLDER: TIME FOR NEXT AUSSIE GENERATION TO SHINE

FIM Speedway of Nations world champion Jack Holder is backing a new generation of Aussie stars to emerge following Jason Doyle’s decision to step down from the national side. Holder joined forces with Speedway GP rival Max Fricke to end Australia’s 20-year wait for a world team title when they beat Great Britain in the FIM SON Grand Final at Vojens on July 30. Former world champion Jason Doyle competed in the Semi-Final but didn’t take to the track in the Final as team manager Mark Lemon kept faith with Holder and Fricke. Doyle recently announced his retirement from national team duty, handing the gauntlet to a new generation of Aussies to go for FIM Speedway World Cup gold in Polish city Wroclaw from July 25-29. With five riders needed as the FIM SWC returns for the first time since 2017, the likes of Brady Kurtz, Rohan Tungate, Sam Masters and Jaimon Lidsey will be fighting for places, along with 2012 world champion Chris Holder. Holder is still confident the Roos have the firepower to push for a team-title double. Asked about Doyle’s decision to step down, he said: “That’s his own decision and obviously he can do what he likes. He has been there for a while now and it’s his choice to step down. “It’s the time when we needed every Australian as we go back to the SWC format. But it opens up the door for a few other youngsters and it should be good. We are Australian and we always fight to the death. There are plenty of options. We have plenty of depth in Australian speedway. There are a few of us over there wanting to represent our country.” Lublin and Sheffield star Holder can’t wait for the chance to swap his Speedway GP and club kevlars for the Aussie green and gold. He added: “It’s a good week where we take a step back from racing each other, put on the Aussie suit and race for our country. It’s always a good laugh. “We want to go there and win it again. We have the depth to do it and we are not going there to finish last – that’s for sure. “Everyone steps it up a level and we are the world champions from the Speedway of Nations. Hopefully we can do it all again.”

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NILSSON FAMILY BUSINESS EXPANDING

Speedway GP newcomer Kim Nilsson says Swedish title-winning father Tommy will still be part of his racing team, even if he has to expand ahead of his World Championship debut season. While Nilsson has raced as a Speedway GP wild card and track reserve before, his victory at the 2022 FIM GP Challenge in Glasgow means he will line up in the series full time this season. For much of his career, Nilsson has been aided in the pits by his father Tommy, the 1983 Swedish champion who also finished 10th in the 1977 World Final. While Tommy will remain very much part of team Nilsson, Kim admits he has been forced to recruit an additional mechanic to meet the demands of racing in Speedway GP, as well as competing for Swedish club Rospiggarna and German-based Landshut in the Polish First Division. He said: “To start with, there was a lot of talk about how it would be possible to do the whole season in the GPs. Of course, I still wanted to race in the leagues like before, and it is a big change for me. “Before, it was just me and my dad doing everything. I do a lot on my own – washing the bikes and everything like that. But we only have 24 hours in the day, and I have had to get some help now. “I have employed a mechanic and I am trying to get some more help around the team, so that I don’t have to do everything. “I will still have a finger in everything. I’m that kind of person. I need to be hands-on. But at least I will have some help with bike washing, building the bikes and preparing in between the races. “My dad will still be at the meetings, but he won’t be as involved as before. He’s nearly 68 now, so I think he needs to have it a bit easier.” Having followed in his father’s footsteps to reach the modern-day equivalent of a World Final, Kim is doing the Nilsson family proud. Asked how Tommy feels to see him in Speedway GP, Kim replied: “He’s not the kind of person that says he’s proud, but I am guessing he is a bit proud. He has been involved in all my seasons, servicing my engines. We have a really good partnership. “I have had different people helping me abroad all the time, but in Sweden, he has been there at all the meetings since I started pretty much.” Father and son partnerships have a mixed history in the Speedway GP pits, with some ending in constant arguments. But having worked with Tommy for his whole career, 33-year-old Nilsson is pleased their bond has stood the stresses and strains of speedway life. He said: “It works well for us. Of course, we have arguments, but it’s only because we both want to do well. We always find a way to sort things out and we work quite well together.”

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