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RISS MAKES OXFORD MOVE AS KLINDT EXITS SPIRES

German international Erik Riss has been handed an early Rowe Motor Oil Premiership call-up after Oxford dropped Danish racer Nicolai Klindt.It’s unclear why Klindt has lost his place at such an early stage of the season, with no clear reason given by Oxford, but Riss is set to make his Spires debut away to Ipswich on Thursday.His fellow countryman Peter Schroeck is pleased to have double FIM World Long Track champion Riss at Cowley.He said: “Erik is really keen and has worked awfully hard on his fitness during the winter, so it goes without saying we’re happy to have him on board. He’s been a top rider at Championship level for many years and has established himself in the Premiership too.“He has a great track record so we’re looking forward to having Erik in our corner on Thursday at Ipswich, which is a track he knows well.“I’d also like to thank Nicolai (Klindt) for his service to the club this year. It’s always tough to make changes, but we’re looking to the future and Nicolai leaves with our very best wishes.”Riss said: “I’m pleased to sign for Oxford which is a club I’ve enjoyed visiting since the track reopened in 2022. There’s always a real buzz at Sandy Lane, so to be in the home end of the pits will be special, and I’m looking forward to meeting our supporters when King’s Lynn visit next week.”

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EKSTRALIGA | ZMARZLIK HITS MAX AS CHAMPS WIN ON THE ROAD

Four-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik raced to a 14 paid 15-point maximum as Lublin launched their PGE Ekstraliga title defence with a 52-38 win away to Grudziadz on Sunday.Zmarzlik delivered a perfect performance as he kicks off 2024 in red-hot form, with Speedway GP newcomer Dominik Kubera also impressing on 11 paid 12 as he gets ready for his full-time SGP debut in the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec on April 27. World No.2 Fredrik Lindgren scored seven paid eight and Jack Holder added six paid eight in a solid team display from the visitors.Speedway GP first reserve Max Fricke was Grudziadz’s leading scorer on 12, with 2017 Speedway GP world champion Jason Doyle notching nine paid 10 and Jaimon Lidsey adding a straight nine.In the day’s other meeting, world No.3 Martin Vaculik topped the Gorzow score chart on 10 points as they defied a 14-point haul from Torun’s Robert Lambert to win 51-39 at Edward Jancarz Stadium.Vaculik was well supported by nine paid 10 from Oskar Fajfer, nine from Speedway GP newcomer Szymon Wozniak and eight paid 12 from former World Under-21 champion Jakub Miskowiak on his club debut. Young gun Oskar Paluch also starred on seven paid eight.Lambert piled up his 14 points from six rides, with former world No.3 Emil Sayfutdinov adding 12 and Patryk Dudek tallying 10.For the weekend’s results and scorers in full, please CLICK HERE to visit the PGE Ekstraliga’s official website (link in Polish).

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KUBERA & ZMARZLIK: THE BEST OF RIVALS

Polish star Dominik Kubera admits he has enjoyed learning from four-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik as the pair put Speedway GP rivalries aside with Lublin on Sunday.The PGE Ekstraliga champions launch their title defence away to Grudziadz , while Torun hosts Leszno.Lublin goes into the 2024 season with FOUR Speedway GP riders in their line-up as Kubera joins Zmarzlik, world No.2 Fredrik Lindgren and world No.4 Jack Holder in a star-studded side.Kubera first joined forces with the trio at Lublin in 2023 and he also went on to win the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup alongside Zmarzlik with Poland last summer.The Polish pair are the best of teammates and there’s no doubt Kubera has learned a lot while racing alongside Zmarzlik for clubs and country.He said: “Bartek is a great rider. He feels the bikes and feels what we must change. When I had some problems two years ago, Bartek really helped me and said what I should change. This worked and now we talk a lot – all the time. “But I have to look for something for myself when it comes to the bikes. I will not necessarily like everything that Bartek likes, and he might not like everything that works for me.“He’s a really good guy, but of course I want to chase him.”Going from club teammates to Speedway GP rivals is nothing unusual in this sport, but having four riders from one club competing on the SGP stage will give every Speedway GP added significance for the people of Lublin.Fortunately for the PGE Ekstraliga champions, Kubera says club’s Speedway GP stars leave their rivalry in the SGP paddock and get on well when they don their club colours. “We don’t have any problems with communication,” he said. “This is speedway. We know what to do. Of course, our bosses will be so nervous when we race in Speedway GP. But that’s life. That’s speedway.”Zmarzlik is even more accustomed to making the transition from club teammate to Speedway GP rival and back again from one day to the next.He said: “The guys are normal with each other, and everyone knows what to do when you are racing together for the club and then when we are racing in Speedway GP. It is a normal situation in speedway. Sometimes we will race together in Poland and on other days, we will be against each other in Sweden. It’s exactly the same thing.”There’s no doubt Kubera has benefitted from racing alongside Zmarzlik, and Aussie ace Holder has also enjoyed some of his best seasons while teaming up with the Polish icon in the PGE Ekstraliga.The pair starred together for Gorzow during the 2020 season and proved strong teammates again in Lublin colours last year.It appears Zmarzlik’s magic has rubbed off on both Holder and Kubera, but the modest Szczecin-born racer insists it’s a two-way street. He said: “When I race with other riders, I learn from them too. It’s a mutual thing.”

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LAMBERT'S SPEEDWAY GP VICTORY QUEST

Great Britain racer Robert Lambert admits he needs to “trust the process” in his quest for a maiden FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory.The Norfolk ace has been GB’s top performer in the Speedway GP series for the past two seasons, finishing fifth in 2022 and sixth last year. But he is still battling to join the SGP winner’s club.Lambert has reached five Speedway GP finals so far – achieving two seconds, a third and two fourth places. But as he prepares for the season-opening FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec on April 27, he would love to end his wait for a victory.He said: “I have been looking for that GP win. I want to get on top of the podium. But I think I need to trust the process that little bit more. I have confidence in myself. I will let it play out and within time, it is going to come.”Lambert led GB to FIM Speedway of Nations gold in 2021 and also won the 2020 Speedway European Championship, so he has proved he can deliver when the stakes are high on the shale. Now he’s determined to bring that into Speedway GP.He said: “You have your five heats and then it all starts again with the semi-finals. You need to get first or second in the semi and once that’s done, you’ve got the grand finale. Of course, it is just another race, and you need to look at it in that way. But there is definitely that little bit of extra pressure because you want to do well.“I have really worked on some stuff in the winter to try and prepare myself in terms of taking it as it is – another race. I managed to pull it off many times in the SEC series and become European champion. I need to approach Speedway GP in the same way. I was looking back at my mental strategy and what I was doing in the meetings that gave me success. I just need to try and replicate that in Speedway GP.”Lambert heads into 2024 at least hoping to earn automatic qualification for 2025 with a top-six finish. But after two rock-solid seasons, could a medal be on the cards for the Torun and Vastervik star?“The main goal is to qualify myself for the following season,” he said. “That will stay the same this year. Obviously, medals are what I want to be collecting and the end goal is to be world champion. But we take one goal at a time, and we will see how things play out.”

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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.

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RISS MAKES OXFORD MOVE AS KLINDT EXITS SPIRES

EKSTRALIGA | ZMARZLIK HITS MAX AS CHAMPS WIN ON THE ROAD

KUBERA & ZMARZLIK: THE BEST OF RIVALS

LAMBERT'S SPEEDWAY GP VICTORY QUEST

EKSTRALIGA | LAGUTA LEADS WROCLAW TO VICTORY IN PGE EKSTRALIGA OPENER