NORWEGIAN QUALIFIES TO SGP2 WITH MAXIMUM

Norwegian star Mathias Pollestad powered into the 2025 SGP2 series with a fantastic 15-point maximum as reigning SGP2 champion Wiktor Przyjemski stepped up his title defence at Czech track Pardubice on Saturday.

Pollestad won the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship bronze medal last year, and this season he goes for gold after a flawless performance over five rides to book his place in the three-round SGP2 series.

Przyjemski took second spot in the qualifier on 14 points, beaten only by Pollestad, as he bids to emulate Emil Sayfutdinov, Darcy Ward, Maksym Drabik and Mateusz Cierniak and become a two-time FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion.

Danish star William Drejer and Slovenian prospect Anze Grmek both secured qualification on 12 points, with Drejer winning a run-off for the final place on the podium.

Poland’s Pawel Sitek and Sweden’s Sammy van Dyck just fell short on 10 points apiece, with British Under-21 champion Sam Hagon and Australia’s James Pearson both exiting on nine.

Two more qualifying events to decide the starters for the final are yet to be decided.

PARDUBICE SCORES: 1 Mathias Pollestad (Norway) 15, 2 Wiktor Przyjemski (Poland) 14, 3 William Drejer (Denmark) 12+3, 4 Anze Grmek (Slovenia) 12+2, 5 Pawel Sitek (Poland) 10, 6 Sammy van Dyck (Sweden) 10, 7 Sam Hagon (Great Britain) 9, 8 James Pearson (Australia) 9, 9 Sebastian Kossler (Austria) 8, 10 Nikita Kaulins (Latvia) 6, 11 Jaroslav Vanicek (Czechia) 3, 12 Alex Martin (United States) 3, 13 Matous Kamenik (Czechia) 3, 14 Ben Iken (Germany) 3, 15 Mario Hausl (Germany) 2, 16 Jan Hlacina (Czechia) 1, 17 Tino Bouin (France) 0, 18 David Hofman (Czechia) 0. 

BRITISH RACER RUSHEN WINS SEMI-FINAL 1 TO BOOK PLACE IN PRAGUE

Great Britain racer Cooper Rushen secured his spot in next Friday’s FIM SGP3 Final – Prague with victory in SGP3 Semi-Final 1 at Slovenian venue Krsko on Saturday afternoon, May 24.

Rushen made the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship Final for a third straight season, registering three wins and two seconds on the former FIM Slovenian Speedway GP circuit to lead the list of qualifiers.

He was joined on the podium by Slovenian local hero Sven Cerjak, who tied on 12 points with 2024 SGP4 champion Brady Landon of the USA and German racer Carlos Gennerich, with Cerjak winning a run-off for second place and Landon following him to take third spot.

The top four riders are joined in qualifying for the FIM SGP3 Final by Denmark’s Elias Jamil – the 2023 SGP4 champion, who finished on 11.

Czech star Adam Nejezchleba earned a spot in the Prague Final on nine points, with Germany’s Janek Konzack and Australia’s Nate Smith picking up the last two qualification places on eight points apiece.

Ukrainian rider Zakhar Lustiuk and Poland’s Kacper Sobkowiak both narrowly missed the cut on seven points apiece, with French rider Matys Sambarrey exiting on six. A disqualification in his final race for Sweden’s Casper Appelgren saw him miss out on five.

FIM SGP3 Semi-Final 2 takes place in Krsko this evening to decide the last eight qualifiers for the Final in Prague next Friday.

SEMI-FINAL 1 SCORES: 1 Cooper Rushen (Great Britain) 13, 2 Sven Cerjak (Slovenia) 12+3, 3 Brady Landon (United States) 12+2, 4 Carlos Gennerich (Germany) 12+1, 5 Elias Jamil (Denmark) 11, 6 Adam Nejezchleba (Czechia) 9, 7 Janek Konzack (Germany) 8, 8 Nate Smith (Australia) 8, 9 Zakhar Lustiuk (Ukraine) 7, 10 Kacper Sobkowiak (Poland) 7, 11 Matys Sambarrey (France) 6, 12 Casper Appelgren (Sweden) 5, 13 Niko Hatva (Finland) 4, 14 Lisandro Lobos Modon (Argentina) 3, 15 Tymofii Zakharov (Ukraine) 2, 16 Brando Lunardi (Italy) 1, 17 Lenja Tebbe (Germany) DNR.