ZMARZLIK ADDS TO PERSONAL BEST AFTER MANCHESTER GP ROUNDS

Poland’s five-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik admitted “I had many questions before the rounds in Manchester” as he answered them with a record-extending 29th Speedway GP victory on Saturday night, June 14.

The 30-year-old topped the podium in front of 5,999 fans at a sold-out National Speedway Stadium in the ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester R5, winning the final ahead of Aussie world title rival Brady Kurtz in second, Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren in third and Aussie ace Jack Holder in fourth.

As well as extending his own record for SGP wins, Zmarzlik achieved another milestone in his career as Poland’s finest reached his 66th Speedway GP final – surpassing mentor and 2010 world champion Tomasz Gollob’s haul of 65. Only American icon Greg Hancock (92) and Aussie legend Jason Crump (77) have now reached more SGP finals.

After finishing second to Great Britain’s Dan Bewley in round four at the National Speedway Stadium on Friday, Zmarzlik admitted he went into the weekend with questions about the track, as well as the bike setups needed to succeed on Speedway GP’s newest circuit.

He was delighted to answer them by claiming his second FIM British Speedway GP win – adding to his triumph at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in 2018.

Zmarzlik, who now holds an 11-point lead over Kurtz at the top of the Speedway GP standings, said: “Winning here is unbelievable because I had many questions before the rounds in Manchester, but I feel amazing because I am on top of the podium again in Britain. It feels really nice. I have a new record – 29 wins is unbelievable. I am really proud about this. 

“I don’t remember all of the numbers and statistics, but I feel good. I am happy to have made so many finals. I always try my best in every meeting – no matter where I am – because I love to race.”

Zmarzlik is being tipped to add to his staggering haul of Speedway GP finals and wins but insists he doesn’t feel under any pressure to do so.

“I am still young!” he said. “I will do my best and nobody knows how many more I will win. I really don’t look at this. For me, the most important thing is to have fun with my racing.

“I never think, ‘I must’, only ‘I can’. I had a lot of fun with my racing in Manchester, and I am really, really happy. Everything worked out.”

Next up for Zmarzlik is the Events.com FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow next Saturday, which sees the Lublin star return to the Edward Jancarz Stadium – the track where he transformed from raw rookie into one of the sport’s all-time greats with Stal Gorzow.

Zmarzlik has won three FIM Gorzow Speedway GPs in 2014, 2020 and 2023 and would love to add to that tally after Lindgren passed him in the 2024 final there to deny him victory.

He said: “I always like to come back to the track, where I started my speedway. Last year, I had a fantastic race with Freddie in the final. It’s nice to come back to a Polish track with the GP.” 

Third-placed Lindgren enjoyed a fine evening as he claimed third place in the Speedway GP standings. He said: “I feel that overall, my evening was pretty good. There were just a few crucial moments – I had a chance to go straight through to the final, for example, and I failed to do that.

“But I had a pretty awesome time riding the fast line on the outside and I think I went from last to first in the last-chance qualifier. 

“I battled hard, and I wish I could have done more in the final. I am a little bit sick and tired of losing to Bartosz all the time, but he is super good, and Brady is in super form this year as well. I am still playing a bit of catch-up, and it is a good fight.”

FIM Speedway GP top ten standings after round five (of ten):

Bartosz Zmarzlik 93, Brady Kurtz 82, Fredrik Lindgren 70, Jack Holder 68, Dan Bewley 61, Andzejs Lebedevs 46, Max Fricke 46,

Robert Lambert 43, Dominik Kubera 39, Martin Vaculik 38.