POLISH SGP TRIO GO FOR GOLDEN HELMET

Speedway GP trio Bartosz Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek have all been named in the starting line-up for the prestigious Polish Golden Helmet Final in Opole on April 10.

The field for this year’s event has been decided by Polish team manager Rafal Dobrucki and the top riders are usually offered Poland’s places in the Speedway GP qualifying rounds.

But it’s possible some of the SGP riders may pass up this option and focus on finishing in this year’s Speedway GP World Championship top six – guaranteeing their place in the series for 2024.

Triple world champion Zmarzlik bids to retain the Golden Helmet title he has won for the past three seasons, but he faces stiff competition from world No.3 Janowski and former world No.2 Dudek.

There are no shortage of Poles bidding to step up their pursuit of a place in the 2024 Speedway GP series, with former SGP regulars Jaroslaw Hampel, Piotr Pawlicki, Pawel Przedpelski, Krzysztof Kasprzak and Janusz Kolodziej all going for Golden Helmet glory.

Some of the nation’s 2022 SGP2 stars are also in contention, including SGP2 champion Mateusz Cierniak, Jakub Miskowiak and Wiktor Przyjemski. The trio took Poland to FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 gold in Vojens on July 29.

Other Golden Helmet contenders include last year’s FIM Torun Speedway GP wild card Kacper Woryna, former FIM Lublin Speedway GP finalist Dominik Kubera, former World Under-21 champions Maksym Drabik and Bartosz Smektala and former Polish champion Szymon Wozniak.

Former Speedway GP star Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Bartlomiej Kowalski are named as reserves.

The PZM has also confirmed Polish Championship qualifying rounds will be staged in Rawicz, Rybnik, Bydgoszcz and Opole on April 27, with the Polish Championship Challenge in Grudziadz on May 11 to decide the final field for this year’s series.

The main championship series will be staged over three rounds at venues to be confirmed on June 8, July 16 and July 30 – meaning the series concludes 24 hours after the FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Wroclaw.