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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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DANISH & GERMAN SHOOTING STARS SET FOR VOJENS TRAINING CAMP

FIM Speedway GP of Denmark host club Vojens is staging a cross-border training camp with the sport’s future stars as Danish and German riders train at the legendary venue in March. Around 40 riders have been invited for five days of coaching, culminating in a speedway event on Sunday, March 19 as the stars of tomorrow battle it out, with free admission for spectators. The event will focus on youth riders in the 85cc, 250cc and 500cc classes, with places set to be split evenly between Danish and German riders. It is hoped the event will also feature three to four female riders from Germany. The Danish-German project started in 2022 as speedway roared out of the Covid-19 pandemic, which wiped out racing almost completely in both countries in 2020 and caused major difficulties staging events in 2021. Vojens director Jacob Olsen says the youngsters will gain more than just track time. He said: “The five days offer physical training, sports psychology and healthier dietary guidance. “But at the same time, we will also provide a setting for fun and socialising for the young riders, before they ride a real meeting at Denmark's national speedway arena on the Sunday.” Vojens Speedway Klub, Talentcenter Haderslev and Danmarks Motor Union are all important partners in the Danish-German collaboration, with final plans for the week still being finalised. It is also hoped the link-up between Vojens Speedway Center and German federation DMSB will become a long-term partnership, extending to gatherings for managers, coaches and volunteers involved in their speedway clubs. The sport’s biggest stars head to the iconic Vojens Speedway Center on September 16 for the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens. The weekend will also see the 2023 FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion crowned in the FIM SGP2 of Denmark on Friday, September 15. Photo: Frank Cilius

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SGP4 YOUTH CATEGORY LAUNCHES IN SWEDEN THIS SUMMER DURING SGP MALILLA

The future of youth speedway is here as FIM Speedway global promoter Discovery Sports Events and the FIM prepare to launch SGP4 this summer. As part of their 10-year vision to nurture FIM Speedway’s future stars, Discovery Sports Events has enlisted the expertise of six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson to develop a new entry-level bike, aimed at 11 to 13-year-olds, to help the sport’s next generation take their first steps into speedway. After a year of testing and development across Europe, a 190cc, four-stroke bike has been selected and the SGP4 bike will make its international debut in a special SGP4 test event, to be raced on the Skrotfrag Arena training track on the day of the 2023 FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on July 15. Young riders from around the world will be invited to race at one of world speedway’s most famous venues, and it is hoped national federations will adopt the SGP4 bike for their own national championships from 2024. Youth riders around the world currently start racing on different bikes, with Scandinavian nations staging 85cc competitions and other countries running 125cc categories for their youngest stars. Rickardsson believes having one standard bike for youth riders would offer them the perfect stepping stone on their journey towards FIM Speedway Grand Prix stardom. He said: “The idea of this bike which we have worked on is it should look like a big bike, sound like a big bike and, most importantly, it should ride like a big bike, but in a small package and for a reasonable sum of money. I think we have reached all of these criteria. “These bikes are built for approximately 11 to 13-year-olds, size-wise, but it could be a practice bike for anybody. “All in all, the first objective was to build a class where you can come from all over the world and race under the same regulations on an international level. We are hoping all the national federations will also pick up this bike model for their national championships as well. “If you want to race internationally, it will be with the SGP4 bike. When I started this project, people said it would be impossible to change. But now everybody I speak to is hopefully going to implement these bikes into their national championships. “This is the future. It is also the first time you can go and buy a bike ready to race, and not only at national level. You can go international.” As well as ensuring the new bikes will be as affordable as possible, Rickardsson was determined to create a machine that opens the sport up to families who have never been involved with racing before. He said: “It’s just going to make it so much easier for newcomers to the sport. You won’t have to have parents who are extremely technically advanced that can build their own bikes. “Previously, it was more or less impossible to start riding speedway if you didn’t have a parent who could build a bike. Now anybody can go to a shop or order online and have a bike that’s ready to race delivered right to their doorstep.” While Rickardsson insists he isn’t trying to stop youngsters honing their skills on other youth bikes if they prefer, he is confident the new SGP4 machine will become the bike of choice. He said: “These chassis are built from the best you can buy of everything – from handlebars to specially-designed frames, engine plates and wheels. It’s the best you can buy on the market. “Engine-wise, we have the most suitable engine for this bike. These chassis will also have a great second-hand price. Everybody will see the quality of them. The complete bike will have a higher second-hand value than the existing youth bikes. I think these bikes will live on for a very long time. “At a time when environmental factors are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, I am also pleased to say the four-stroke engine creates less pollution, while the exhaust system minimises noise pollution.” For the first time in speedway history, Discovery Sports Events brought all of the sport’s international junior and youth championships under the SGP banner when they began their tenure as FIM Speedway global promoter in 2022. Developing the SGP4 category was a key priority for François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, as the group works to strengthen the pyramid and ensure that in speedway’s 100th anniversary year, the sport continues to produce young talent as it enters its second century of racing. He said: “This is another exciting step on our journey to develop the next generation of Speedway GP riders. I want to thank Tony Rickardsson and everyone involved with the project for their time and expertise, which has delivered a bike which we hope will train our future champions. “We are all looking forward to our SGP4 test event in Malilla, which has the ideal training track to showcase the new bikes – on the same weekend as we also stage the FIM SGP3 Final; an event which delivered some fantastic 250cc racing at Wroclaw in 2022. “We hope SGP4 will also prove a great success and the SGP4 bikes will become the go-to bike for any rider with ambitions of making it into Speedway GP one day.” FIM CCP Track Racing Commission director Armando Castagna commented: “Along with Discovery Sports Events, we identified a class that was missing from our discipline, and it has been a pleasure to work with Tony Rickardsson and everyone involved to create both a new bike and a new category for riders taking their first steps into our sport. “Making bikes more available and accessible allows riders from many more backgrounds and countries the chance to try speedway and compete against rivals from all over the world on the international stage. “We are very much looking forward to the SGP4 test event in Malilla and hopefully SGP4 will establish itself as a great event on the FIM track racing calendar in the years to come.” Further details about the SGP4 bikes, prices and how to order will be available on FIMSpeedway.com soon, with the machines also on display in FIM Speedway fanzones throughout the 2023 season.

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100 DAYS UNTIL SPEEDWAY GP 2023 AS THE SPORT CELEBRATES CENTENARY

Speedway GP roars back on track in just 100 days as FIM Speedway toasts 100 years of the sport. The 2023 FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Donji Kraljevec is the start of special season of FIM Speedway as 500cc machines take to the Speedway Stadion Milenium circuit on Saturday, April 29. Motorcycle speedway was born 100 years ago, with the very first meeting taking place at Maitland Showgrounds, located in Australia’s Hunter Valley in New South Wales on December 15, 1923. To celebrate a century of sideways action, FIM Speedway will be marking this milestone by telling the story of our sport and the people who make it great – from speedway’s most legendary riders to our most dedicated fans. Follow the action throughout 2023 as we honour 100 years of racing with appearances by speedway icons, as well as special attractions in our fanzones. As well as telling speedway’s story via our TV coverage, FIMSpeedway.com will also launch a new history section soon, featuring the sport’s biggest moments of the past 100 years and some of its most iconic images. On the track, the sport celebrates the return of the FIM Speedway World Cup for the first time since 2017, as nine nations battle it out to lift the famous Ove Fundin Trophy over four epic nights of action at Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium from July 25-29. Hosts and reigning champions Poland line up in the FIM SWC Final, with FIM Speedway of Nations champions Australia, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and France battling it out in the Semi-Finals and Race Off for the right to join them. Before the FIM SWC returns to the track, there is plenty of FIM Speedway action to enjoy. Following the season opener in Croatia, the PZM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw roars back into PGE Narodowy on May 13. The FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague comes to Marketa Stadium for the 29th time on Saturday, June 3 – 24 hours after the 2023 SGP2 series launches for the sport’s under-21 stars with the FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic on Friday, June 2. Racing continues just a week later with the FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Teterow on June 10, before a double-header of racing in Poland, which sees Bartosz Zmarzlik return to his hometown for the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow on Saturday, June 24, with the FIM SGP2 of Poland taking place on Friday, June 23. The action heads to Sweden next, with the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, July 15. The weekend also features the much-anticipated return of the FIM SGP3 Final, which sees the sport’s 250cc under-16 stars go wheel to wheel for the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship. Following the FIM SWC in Wroclaw, Speedway GP returns to Latvia for the first time since 2017 for the FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga on Saturday, August 12. Just 24 hours earlier, the Latvian capital also hosts FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 as the sport’s top under-21 teams battle it out for the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship. Britain’s biggest arena motorsport event is back on September 2 as the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff rocks the Principality Stadium, with home hero Dan Bewley bidding to follow up his unforgettable win in 2022. The penultimate round of the season takes place at the legendary Vojens Speedway Center, as it hosts the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens on Saturday, September 16. The 2023 SGP2 Under-21 world champion will also be crowned on that weekend as the series concludes with the FIM SGP2 of Denmark. The FIM Speedway season then wraps up with its traditional finale as the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun takes place on September 30, where the 2023 Speedway GP world champion will lift the famous trophy. For more details of the FIM Speedway calendar and the latest ticket news, visit: https://fimspeedway.com/sgp/calendar

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