SGP QUALIFIERS | KVECH CLAIMS LONIGO WIN AS FIM SGP CHALLENGE LINE-UP IS CONFIRMED

Czech racer Jan Kvech took a stride closer to securing FIM Speedway Grand Prix qualification for 2025 after topping the podium at Italian track Lonigo to book his place at the FIM SGP Challenge in Pardubice on October 4.

Kvech is one of SEVEN Speedway GP riders who will defend their place in the series on the opening night of the Czech track’s famous Golden Helmet weekend, where the top four riders are guaranteed places in the 2025 Speedway GP series.

He joins Aussie star Jack Holder, GB duo Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley, Latvia’s Andzejs Lebedevs, German racer Kai Huckenbeck and Poland’s Dominik Kubera in the FIM SGP Challenge.

Former SGP riders Max Fricke of Australia, Poland’s Patryk Dudek, Danish star Anders Thomsen, Swedish racer Antonio Lindback and Poland’s Przemyslaw Pawlicki are all battling for returns to the series, while former Danish champion Rasmus Jensen, Poland’s Kacper Woryna, former Aussie champion Brady Kurtz and Italian star Paco Castagna are all bidding to qualify for the first time.

Kvech, who represents his country in the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague next Saturday, crashed out of the Trans MF FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut last Saturday and underwent a week of intense physio on a hand injury.

It paid off big time as he won the SGP qualifier at Lonigo on 14 points – dropping just one to Speedway GP rival Dan Bewley in his third ride.

Kvech will now be the sole Czech rider in the FIM SGP Challenge, which takes place just six days after the 2024 SGP finale in Torun on September 28. GB star Bewley will also take part in the FIM SGP Challenge after finishing second in Lonigo on 13 points.

Speedway GP World Championship contender Jack Holder is currently second in this year’s series – firmly inside the top-six automatic qualification places for 2025. But he finished third in Italy to secure himself the insurance policy of an FIM SGP Challenge spot.

He defeated home hero Paco Castagna in a run-off for third place after they tied on 12 points, but both riders progress to Pardubice.

Former World Under-21 champion Jaimon Lidsey just missed out on 11, with Germany’s Kevin Wolbert exiting on 10 and current SGP star Szymon Wozniak – third at the 2023 FIM SGP Challenge – falling short of this year’s event after scoring nine.

In the day’s earlier qualifier at Slovak circuit Zarnovica, former Danish champion Anders Thomsen stepped up his Speedway GP return bid as he topped the podium on 14 points.

He was followed into the FIM SGP Challenge by former world No.2 Patryk Dudek, who scored 13.

Aussie international Brady Kurtz defeated GB racer Robert Lambert in a run-off for third place after they tied on 12.

Lambert was in danger of missing out on a Pardubice place, with only three qualifiers guaranteed from the Zarnovica round to allow one spot for a home wild card at the FIM SGP Challenge if no Czech rider qualified for the meeting. But with Kvech triumphant in Lonigo, Lambert breathes a huge sigh of relief as he takes his place in Pardubice.

Slovak star Martin Vaculik made a shock exit from the qualifiers on his boyhood track – scoring 10 points – a total matched by American international Luke Becker.

Sweden’s 2021 SGP regular Oliver Berntzon fell short on nine along with Czech racer Vaclav Milik, who misses out on the FIM SGP Challenge at his home club Pardubice.

FIM SGP CHALLENGE LINE-UP (not in riding order): Kai Huckenbeck (Germany), Rasmus Jensen (Denmark), Dominik Kubera (Poland), Max Fricke (Australia), Przemyslaw Pawlicki (Poland), Antonio Lindback (Sweden), Andzejs Lebedevs (Latvia), Kacper Woryna (Poland), Jan Kvech (Czech Republic), Dan Bewley (Great Britain), Jack Holder (Australia), Paco Castagna (Italy), Anders Thomsen (Denmark), Patryk Dudek (Poland), Brady Kurtz (Australia), Robert Lambert (Great Britain).

LONIGO SCORES: 1. Jan Kvech 14, 2. Dan Bewley 13, 3. Jack Holder 12+3, 4. Paco Castagna 12+0, 5. Jaimon Lidsey 11, 6. Kevin Wolbert 10, 7. Szymon Woźniak 9, 8. Timo Lahti 8, 9. Francis Gusts 8, 10. Andreas Lyager 6, 11. Nicolas Vicentin 4, 12. Niccolo Percotti 3, 13. Cristian Zubillaga 3, 14. Carlos Eber Ampugnani 2, 15. Anze Grmek 1, 16. Matteo Boncinelli 1, 17. Tino Bouin 0.

ZARNOVICA SCORES: 1. Anders Thomsen 14, 2. Patryk Dudek 13, 3. Brady Kurtz 12+3, 4. Robert Lambert 12+2, 5. Martin Vaculik 10, 6. Luke Becker 10, 7. Oliver Berntzon 9, 8. Vaclav Milik 9, 9. Adam Bednar 6, 10. Matic Ivacic 6, 11. Jevgenijs Kostigovs 5, 12. Norick Blodorn 5, 13. Antti Vuolas 3, 14. Andriy Karpov 3, 15. Jakub Valkovic 1, 16. Andrei Popa 1, 17. Jan Jenicek 1.