Welcome to a new era of Speedway!

WOFFY: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR LIONS

Great Britain hero Tai Woffinden insists his Lions side has “a great opportunity” to take the fight to their Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup rivals in Wroclaw tonight.The 2021 FIM Speedway of Nations world champions take on hosts and reigning champions Poland, Semi-Final 2 winners Denmark and Australia, the top team in last night’s Race Off.While the Poles have home advantage, Woffinden is no stranger to getting sideways at the Olympic Stadium – a track he has called home since 2012, with teammate Dan Bewley also racing here since 2020.There was a time when British riders struggled on Poland’s fast and furious circuits. But they cruised to victory over Sweden, Czech Republic and Germany in Semi-Final 1 on Tuesday, winning by a margin of 11 points.Woffinden is certainly ready to offer Bewley, Robert Lambert, Adam Ellis and Tom Brennan the benefit of his experience here, but he is confident GB’s current golden generation can thrive in Wroclaw.He said: “There are a few lines here that you can ride where you can keep your momentum running, setting yourself up on one corner to make a pass on the other – just little things I know from riding here for such a long time.“But these boys in the team have raced in Europe or Poland. We all know how to get around. Tonight, we have a great opportunity. It would be amazing to beat the Polish guys here in Poland – just to show them what’s up. “It will be tough all the way through. We just have to go out there, do what we did on Tuesday, bang some points in, and see where we are at the end of the night.”Woffinden has been delighted with the atmosphere in the GB camp this week. He said: “We have just been having fun. Me, Rob and Dan are all young and the other lads as well. It’s just a really nice close-knit team. “We were out for dinner the other night and we were in stitches all night. I sat there and thought, ‘I guarantee there are no other teams out there that have an atmosphere like we have right here, right now. We have just been doing fun stuff and hanging out, having that nice team spirit.”

Discover

ZMARZLIK: WROCLAW CROWD CAN INSPIRE POLES

Triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik insists an expectant Polish crowd can only inspire his team in tonight’s Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Wroclaw.Reigning champions Poland enter the tournament at the Final stage, having been seeded through as host nation, and they take on Semi-Final 1 winners Great Britain, Semi-Final 2 victors Denmark and Australia – the top side in last night’s Race Off.This will be Zmarzlik’s first Monster Energy FIM SWC event since he won gold with his country at the last Final staged in Leszno in 2017.Many experts tip the Poles to triumph at the Olympic Stadium, as Zmarzlik joins forces with Maciej Janowski, Patryk Dudek, Dominik Kubera and Janusz Kolodziej.While this comes with some pressure, Zmarzlik admits the thrill of racing in front of an expectant crowd in the sport’s biggest meetings gives his side huge motivation. He said: “I am very happy about this. When you are a sportsman and people come to the stadium like this, you understand more why you are doing this. This is very nice.“I have really been waiting for the World Cup and I am very happy to see it back on the speedway calendar. Today is a big day for the speedway world and I think it will be a nice meeting for all the people and all the teams. It’s a special day for speedway. The World Cup has a special atmosphere.“I am happy that I am in the team. For me, that’s a nice feeling. We have many good riders in the Polish team, and I think everyone is so ready for tonight. The Polish team is ready for everything.”

Discover

POLISH HERO JANOWSKI READY FOR ALL-ACTION MONSTER ENERGY FIM SWC FINAL IN HOME CITY WROCLAW

Polish hero Maciej Janowski warned fans “don’t blink too much because there will be a lot of action” in the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Wroclaw tonight.Magic watched from the Olympic Stadium terraces as Poland clinched the iconic Ove Fundin Trophy in his home city in 2005.Now he bids for his fourth Monster Energy FIM SWC gold medal as the hosts and reigning champions take on Semi-Final 1 winners Great Britain, Semi-Final 2 victors Denmark and FIM Speedway of Nations world champions Australia, who won last night’s Race Off.Janowski teams up with triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Patryk Dudek, Janusz Kolodziej and Dominik Kubera as the Poles chase a record ninth FIM SWC gold medal. But Magic knows this stellar side faces one of their toughest battles in the race for team speedway’s biggest prize. He said: “We need to be smart and be ready for a hard battle. For a long time, I haven’t seen such a close competition between all the teams. Denmark have a great team and Great Britain have a great team. I can see Australia also have an amazing team. This will be very interesting.“All I would say to fans in Wroclaw is have fun, don’t blink too much because there will be a lot of action and I hope they will go out of the stadium with a big smile. “I am very happy to have that opportunity to represent my country. I am very excited to have this event in my home city. I am sure this will be an amazing night for the fans and the riders. We have a great team and great riders. But we need to be focused on every point and every heat. The rest of the teams are also good like our team.”Janowski raced his first Monster Energy FIM SWC Final in Prague 10 years ago and is no stranger to such big occasions, so he’s confident he can handle the pressure of one of world speedway’s biggest nights. He said: “After so many years of racing a speedway bike in a lot of different events – the Grand Prix, Speedway of Nations, World Games and more, I feel ready and excited. I don’t feel any different pressure than in other meetings. I will not create more pressure than it is. I am getting ready, and I think we are all prepared.”Janowski has endured a tough start to the 2023 Speedway GP series and is placed 13th in the standings on 33 points, having reached one semi-final from the opening six rounds. But that doesn’t mean the ice-cool Pole heads into the Monster Energy FIM SWC Final struggling for self-belief.He said: “I don’t feel like I am low on confidence. I feel good and I feel prepared. Sometimes I maybe make the wrong decisions. Sometimes it’s up and down, but Saturday is a different story, and the next day will be another story. I will prepare the best I can for Saturday and do my best.”Janowski knows he isn’t the only rider who knows the Olympic Stadium track well. He comes up against Wroclaw teammates Tai Woffinden and Dan Bewley, who have raced for the club since 2012 and 2020 respectively.While Magic has raced for the club from a young age, he admits the GB duo also has plenty of local knowledge. He said: “It’s hard to compare who knows that track better. They have also done thousands of laps here. The difference will be how we feel on that night. I believe I can bring some good points for my team.”Having witnessed Poland win the Ove Fundin Trophy here in Wroclaw for the very first time in 2005, Janowski can’t wait to write his own memories.He said: “I was there. Normally our parents used to take us to every big meeting at the stadium. That was the time when there were five riders in the team and 25 races. Good memories! Obviously the good memory was that Poland won!”

Discover

BOSS LEMON HAILS ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ AUSSIES AFTER RACE OFF TRIUMPH

Australian team manager Mark Lemon insists their Semi-Final heartbreak proved a blessing in disguise as they cruised into the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final on Saturday night.The Roos romped to victory in Friday’s Race Off at Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium in Poland, topping the score chart on 54 points to seal the last place in Saturday’s Final showdown with an incredible four heats to spare.  They now take on hosts and reigning champions Poland, Semi-Final 1 winners Great Britain and Semi-Final 2 victors Denmark over what’s set to be an epic 20 heats, televised live on the Eurosport network across 53 countries in Europe and 12 countries in Asia, as well by other broadcast partners.Sweden took second place in the Race Off on 35, with France third on 20, meaning they will be ranked sixth overall in their first-ever Monster Energy FIM SWC. Czech Republic took fourth spot in the Race Off on 11. Australia exploded out of the traps, winning all seven of their opening races, before Sweden’s Antonio Lindback halted their winning run in heat eight. Triple Aussie champion Max Fricke led the scoring on 14 points from five rides, with both Jason Doyle and Jaimon Lidsey tallying 12 apiece, while Jack Holder notched nine and No.5 reserve Chris Holder made a strong first appearance in the 2023 Monster Energy FIM SWC, scoring seven from three races. Lemon was elated with his side’s dominance as they bounced back in style after Denmark pipped them to Final qualification by a point in Semi-Final 2 on Wednesday.

Discover

LIDSEY AIMS TO EXTEND MONSTER ENERGY FIM SWC DREAM

Aussie shooting star Jaimon Lidsey hopes to continue living his Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup dream as he prepares for tonight’s Race Off in Wroclaw.The Roos fell a point short of Final qualification at Semi-Final 2 on Wednesday as Denmark pipped them to victory.Australia now take on three-time FIM SWC winners Sweden, Czech Republic and Race Off debutants France for the one remaining spot in Saturday’s Final alongside hosts Poland, Semi-Final 1 winners Great Britain and Denmark.Lidsey was the Aussies’ star man, scoring a sensational 16 points from a possible 18 on his Monster Energy FIM SWC debut.While he is expecting a tough battle tonight, he’s determined to help the Roos extend their run in the competition into Saturday’s Final as he bids to continue piling up the points for his country.

Discover

WOFFY: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR LIONS

ZMARZLIK: WROCLAW CROWD CAN INSPIRE POLES

POLISH HERO JANOWSKI READY FOR ALL-ACTION MONSTER ENERGY FIM SWC FINAL IN HOME CITY WROCLAW

BOSS LEMON HAILS ‘EXCEPTIONAL’ AUSSIES AFTER RACE OFF TRIUMPH

LIDSEY AIMS TO EXTEND MONSTER ENERGY FIM SWC DREAM