Speedway Gorzow Grand Prix LIVE – Bartosz Zmarzlik looks to extend championship lead on home soil

WEATHER REPORT

It’s a rather warm evening in Gorzow on 27 degrees celsius as the riders take to the Edward Jancarz Stadium, one of the finest purpose-built track racing stadiums in the world.

HOLDER ON DEALING WITH HOME SICKNESS

Jack Holder set the 10th fastest time in qualifying today. Ahead of the race, the Aussie spoke about the struggles of dealing with home sickness while competing in the championship.

HEAT CARD

Here’s the line-up for tonight:

FRICKE FASTEST IN QUALIFYING

With racing almost about to start, here’s a reminder how qualifying went earlier today: Max Fricke led an Aussie one-two with Jason Doyle at the top of the timing charts in Gorzow. Double Danish champion Anders Thomsen, flying the flag for the local Stal Gorzow team, followed in third, while wild card Szymon Wozniak took an impressive fourth. Tai Woffinden was the fastest Brit in seventh.

• 1. Max Fricke 14.341s
• 2. Jason Doyle +0.044
• 3. Anders Thomsen +0.110
• 4. Szymon Wozniak +0.123
• 5. Fredrik Lindgren +0.141
• 6. Bartosz Zmarzlik +0.154
• 7. Tai Woffinden +0.156
• 8. Leon Madsen +0.192
• 9. Maciej Janowski +0.202
• 10. Jack Holder +0.227
• 11. Mikkel Michelsen +0.269
• 12. Dan Bewley +0.294
• 13. Martin Vaculik +0.325
• 14. Robert Lambert +0.366
• 15. Patryk Dudek +0.392
• 16. Oskar Fajfer +0.536
• 17. Wiktor Jasinski +0.542
• 18. Kim Nilsson +0.573

ZMARZLIK COMPETES ON HOME SOIL AS CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER

All eyes will be on home hero Bartosz Zmarzlik who goes into Round 5 as championship leader. Here is a reminder of the current top five in the standings:

• 1. Bartosz Zmarzlik 70
• 2. Jack Holder 58
• 3. Jason Doyle 54
• 4. Fredrik Lindgren 52
• 5. Martin Vaculik 48

HELLO AND WELCOME!

Good morning, good evening, wherever you’re watching in the world! Everything is set for the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix’s second stop in Poland this season with the racing action to start in Gorzow in under half an hour. Stick around for live build-up and coverage, and don’t forget you can watch everything live on Eurosport.com and discovery+.

Fricke takes top spot in qualifying session with Zmarzlik out of top 5

Australian star Max Fricke topped qualifying earlier on Saturday with a surprise as leader Bartosz Zmarzlik finished outside of the top five.

It was an Australian top two with Jason Doyle finishing just behind Fricke.

Bewley: Horror crash cost me two years but made me the rider I am now

Dan Bewley has revealed how a nasty crash in 2018 made him “a better rider in the long run” as he prepares to compete in round five of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix in Gorzow, Poland.

Bewley, 24, broke his femur, shoulder and wrist following a crash while riding for Workington Comets.

He was left in a wheelchair for several months following the incident.

But he has recovered and last year made a memorable debut in Speedway Grand Prix, winning back-to-back races in Cardiff and Wroclaw, Poland.

“I think that crash cost me two years in my career, but at the same time it probably made me the rider I am now,” Bewley told Eurosport’s ‘Power of Sport’ series.

“I had to focus on my technique because I was so scared to get back on the bike. It probably made me into a better rider in the long run.”

Thomsen feeling in the ‘groove’ as he aims to win again in Gorzow

Anders Thomsen is feeling in the “groove” as he looks to hit form and win in Gorzow, Poland for the second year in a row.

Thomsen overcame challenging conditions to claim victory at the track in the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix season.

That was Thomsen’s only victory last year and he is yet to get back in the winner’s circle after four races of the 2023 campaign.

However, he was close to making the final last time out in Teterow and thinks he is heading in the right direction at the midway point of the 10-race season.

“I feel like I’ve started to get into better shape overall, a bit late in the season,” he told Eurosport Denmark.

“I’ve really found my groove, both for myself and my team.”

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