EKSTRALIGA | LAGUTA LEADS WROCLAW TO VICTORY IN PGE EKSTRALIGA OPENER

Former Speedway GP world champion Artem Laguta raced to 14 points as Wroclaw made a victorious start to their PGE Ekstraliga season with a 47-41 win at home to Zielona Gora on Friday.

Laguta dropped just one point from five races, joining forces with Great Britain racer Dan Bewley for a match-sealing 4-2 in heat 15.

Bewley bagged 10 points, while Polish young gun Bartlomiej Kowalski kicked off his career as a senior with eight paid nine points. Triple Speedway GP world champion Tai Woffinden scored four paid five.

Former world No.2 Jaroslaw Hampel topped Zielona Gora’s score chart on their PGE Ekstraliga return on 12 points, while Danish international Rasmus Jensen notched nine and Przemyslaw Pawlicki added eight. Speedway GP newcomer Jan Kvech collected two.

Elsewhere, Danish racer Leon Madsen piled up 16 points for Czestochowa, but it was not enough to save them from an opening-day defeat away to Leszno.

Former Speedway GP winner Janusz Kolodziej starred for the Bulls on 13 points, with Latvia’s SGP newcomer Andzejs Lebedevs made an impressive Leszno debut on 11 points. Last year’s SGP2 silver medallist Damian Ratajczak scored seven paid eight.

Madsen was backed up by a 10-point haul from European champion Mikkel Michelsen and eight paid nine from Mads Hansen.

The opening round of PGE Ekstraliga matches continues on Sunday with Grudziadz hosting reigning champions Lublin and Torun visiting Gorzow’s Edward Jancarz Stadium.