‘In the final I had everything’ – Bartosz Zmarzlik puts slow start behind him to claim Speedway Grand Prix Denmark win

Bartosz Zmarzlik was relieved to recover from a slow start to the Speedway Grand Prix Denmark to claim victory in Vojens.

After finishing fourth fastest in qualifying, Zmarzlik managed a second-place in his first heat and drew a blank in his second.

With the unthinkable prospect of missing out on a semi-final place, the championship leader picked up the pace to win his next two heats in style before a second place in his final heat.

Despite finishing second in his semi-final too, Zmarzlik perhaps produced the drive of the night to pip Jason Doyle to the final, where cruised to victory.

“I’m really happy because my starts today were really hard,” he said afterwards. “I didn’t feel good speed in the first two heats.

“But afterwards I was feeling a bit better on the starts and the laps, and in the final, I had everything.

“I’m really happy because Vojens is a special place, very hard on the body and good set-ups because it’s very different.”

Earlier in the night, gate three appeared to prove difficult for riders to make any in-roads; however, Zmarzlik swatted such concerns aside to win from the very gate in the final.

Having last pick for the deciding race meant he had no choice in the matter, but when asked by Scott Nicholls for Discovery+ if he was happy with the gate, Zmarzlik admitted he was.

“A little bit, yes,” he confessed. “I saw gate three in the semi-final and Jason Doyle very close to me.

“For me [in the final], it was only gate three, and I said in my head, ‘you must win because you know what you’re doing in the gate for the win’.

“In the final, everyone made a good start, but I had to focus on myself, and I only remember the green lamp, the line and to keep going.”

The win sees Zmarzlik open up a 16-point lead at the top of the championship with just two races to go.

The Polish star could seal his third title in four years in the next race in Malilla, Sweden next week.

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