FIM Speedway

BRITISH FIM SGP3 FINALIST RUSHEN INSPIRED TO CHASE SPEEDWAY GP DREAM

Great Britain talent Cooper Rushen admits competing in Friday’s FIM SGP3 Final – Prague only inspires him to chase his FIM Speedway Grand Prix dream.As part of their vision to promote and develop speedway’s next generation of stars, the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship was rebranded as SGP3 by FIM Speedway global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports in 2022, with the sport’s 250cc, under-16 championship now staged as part of a Speedway GP World Championship weekend.Sixteen riders from 10 different countries – Czechia, Slovakia, Great Britain, Poland, Denmark, Australia, the United States, Slovenia, Germany and Ukraine – battle it out in the Czech capital just 24 hours before Marketa Stadium hosts a record-breaking 31st FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on Saturday night.Before the sport’s elite take to the track, the storied venue plays host to a galaxy of shooting stars in the FIM SGP3 Final. The world’s biggest 250cc event is renowned for delivering some of the most exciting FIM Speedway action of the season, and it also plays a key role in inspiring the next generation to pursue their dream of riding in Speedway GP in the years to come.Rushen won FIM SGP3 Semi-Final 1 at former FIM Slovenian Speedway GP venue Krsko last Saturday, and now he can’t wait to take his place on one of the sport’s most famous racetracks.

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SGP3 QUALIFIERS | AUSSIE RACER BAILEY HITS MAX TO PUNCH PRAGUE TICKET

Australian shooting star Beau Bailey will bid to swap FIM Speedway Youth World Championship silver for gold after winning FIM SGP3 Semi-Final 2 with a 15-point maximum on Saturday evening.Bailey delivered a perfect five rides at Slovenian club Krsko to book his place at the FIM SGP3 Final – Prague on Friday (17:00 CEST start).After taking second place to Polish star Maksymilian Pawelczak at the 2024 FIM SGP3 Final – Gorzow, Bailey will be determined to finish a step higher in the Czech capital.He is joined in heading to Prague by Ukrainian star Makar Levishyn – younger brother of FIM Speedway of Nations star Marko – who took second spot on 14 points.Local star Gregor Zorko made it two Slovenian riders in the Final after finishing third on 13 points to join compatriot Sven Cerjak – runner-up in this afternoon’s Semi-Final 1 – in Prague.Danish racer Villads Pedersen qualified in fourth place on 12, with Poland’s Maksymilian Kostera through in fifth on 11. Slovakia will be represented in Prague by Marek Ziman, who scored nine – a total matched by Czech racer Karel Prusa, who qualified in seventh.The last place went to American racer Nicolas Hohlbein, who qualified on eight to join fellow countryman Brady Landon in the Final.

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SGP4 CHAMP LANDON BIDS FOR FIM SGP3 FINAL SPOT

Last year’s SGP4 champion Brady Landon bids to take his place in the 2025 FIM SGP3 Final – Prague when he lines up in a Semi-Final double-header in Krsko, Slovenia on Saturday.Both Semi-Finals for the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship for under-16, 250cc riders take place at the former home of the FIM Slovenian Speedway GP.Landon is among the youth stars bidding for one of 16 spots in the FIM SGP3 Final, which takes place at Prague’s Marketa Stadium next Friday, with eight riders qualifying from each semi.The American won 190cc SGP4 title in 2024, topping the podium in Malilla with a 15-point maximum. He now hopes to step up the ladder into the 250cc ranks, where he faces some stiff competition.Slovenian hopeful Sven Cerjak is the local favourite in Krsko and will be keen to storm through to the title decider in Prague.Also contesting Semi-Final 1 are the likes of Great Britain talent Cooper Rushen, as well as 2023 SGP4 winner Elias Jamil of Denmark, Sweden’s Casper Appelgren, Czech racer Adam Nejezchleba and Germany’s Carlos Generich.Last year’s SGP3 runner-up Beau Bailey of Australia heads the list of names for Semi-Final 2 as he bids to go one better and claim the title won by Poland’s Maksymilian Pawelczak in Gorzow in 2024.Bailey comes up against the likes of Danish racer Villads Pedersen, Czech prospect Karel Prusa, Polish rider Maksymilian Kostera and Agustin Kreder of Argentina.SEMI-FINAL 1: 1 Sven Cerjak (Slovenia), 2 Brando Lunardi (Italy), 3 Janek Konzack (Germany), 4 Kacper Sobkowiak (Poland), 5 Lisandro Lobos Modon (Argentina), 6 Cooper Rushen (Great Britain), 7 Tymofii Zakharov (Ukraine), 8 Niko Hatva (Finland), 9 Elias Jamil Jensen (Denmark), 10 Brady Landon (United States), 11 Casper Appelgren (Sweden), 12 Zakhar Lustiuk (Ukraine), 13 Adam Nejezchleba (Czech Republic), 14 Matys Sambarrey (France), 15 Nate Smith (Australia), 16 Carlos Generich (Germany). RESERVE: 17 Lenja Tebbe (Germany).SEMI-FINAL 2: 1 Nicolas Hohlbein (United States), 2 Thies Schweer (Germany), 3 Tyr Söderblom (Sweden), 4 Makar Levishyn (Ukraine), 5 Karel Prusa (Czech Republic), 6 Imre Vigre (Norway), 7 Fabian Magnusson (Sweden), 8 Beau Bailey (Australia), 9 Marek Ziman (Slovakia), 10 Seth Norman (Great Britain), 11 Agustin Kreder (Argentina), 12 Luca Keikkolä (Finland), 13 Maksymilian Kostera (Poland), 14 Villads Pedersen (Denmark), 15 Gregor Zorko (Slovenia), 16 Archie Rolph (Great Britain). RESERVE: 17 Mike Jarczewski (Germany).

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SUNDSTROM'S SWEDISH SPEEDWAY ACADEMY STEPS UP FOR 2025

Swedish team manager Linus Sundstrom insists he’s determined to give something back to the sport in his homeland as he steps up his Swedish Speedway Academy project in 2025.Sundstrom was appointed as national coach last autumn, replacing Vastervik boss Morgan Andersson, and the 2015 FIM Speedway World Cup winner will lead the side into his first FIM Speedway of Nations in Torun from September 30 until October 4.Aside from his managerial commitments to Poland’s senior and junior sides, Sundstrom continues to build his Swedish Speedway Academy, which he launched in 2023. He will also coach alongside six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson at the FIM SGP Academy in Malilla from July 3-5.Sundstrom’s aim is to equip more young riders with the skills needed to take on the sport’s biggest stars as he continues his involvement in speedway following his retirement due to injury in 2021.He explained: “I am not done in the sport. I want to give back to it and I feel I have it in me to help Swedish speedway going forward.“We kicked off this academy as a pilot project in 2023, just to try it out, and we went full gas in 2024.  Last year we had five weekends, and we had competitions on the 250cc bikes and the 500s. It was open to under-21s. This year, the 85cc and 190cc SGP4 riders will also be with us.“This year’s first weekend will be in Gislaved on April 19-20. We will also invite Lejonen’s own speedway school kids to come. I think we will have between 35 and 45 kids on this weekend. “We will be running on both tracks at the same time – the small track and big track. We will have our training weekends in Gislaved, Kumla and Eskilstuna, and the reason why we go to those places is the same reason why they had SGP4 in Malilla – the small track and its pits are separate. We have the chance to run both tracks at the same time. That’s what we are going to do.”Sundstrom’s efforts have been well supported by his fellow Swedish stars, with both current and former riders taking part as coaches. He said: “I had Pontus Aspgren and Ricky Kling with me as training instructors last year. At one of the weekends, Tony Rickardsson was with us. (Four-time Speedway GP world champion) Greg Hancock was with us when we were in Vastervik.“We had training in Mariestad, and we had PK (Peter Karlsson) and Oliver Berntzon, who chipped in and helped the youngsters. Andreas Jonsson is involved – supporting us financially through the building company he is running today. Freddie Lindgren has also been involved, along with Peter Nahlin and Magnus Zetterstrom.“There are a lot of current and former riders involved, and it was a good first year. We will build on that now for 2025.“I am really thankful and really happy to have all of these guys involved. The response has been better than I could have ever wished for. I am just trying to get a little bit of help and involve as many people as possible in one way or another to share their experience and support the kids.”Sundstrom admits that the Swedish Speedway Academy isn’t only about supporting the young riders. He said: “It’s 50 percent for the riders and 50 percent for their mechanics, which is normally the mums and dads.“We want to help them to save money and give them some tips and tricks to not waste money. We can advise them how and where they need to spend their time, how to look after the bikes and how to make them work well. The academy is not only for the riders.”While Sundstrom admits clubs must still offer youngsters the chance to get a first taste of the sport, he is ready to support Sweden’s young guns as they establish themselves on the shale.He added: “As soon as the youngsters and their parents decide to start with speedway – when they get a bike and a licence – I will look after them in the academy with training sessions and all the help we can offer.“It is still up to each club to make sure they have speedway schools and training sessions, so that they can offer kids the chance to try speedway. But once they are in the sport and have their own bike, I will look after them together with Ricky, Pontus and all of the guys involved in the academy.”

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2025 DANISH CHAMPION SET TO JOIN FIM SPEEDWAY WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS IN VOJENS

This year’s Danish champion will earn a dream call-up for the nation’s biggest speedway event for a generation, the Deluxe Homeart FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens on September 13.The Danish Championship Final takes place in Brovst on June 25 and Denmark’s Motor Union (DMU) and national team manager Nicki Pedersen have agreed to nominate the winner as wild card for the final Speedway GP of 2025. If the Danish title is won by reigning champion Anders Thomsen or 2023 winner Mikkel Michelsen, who are already members of the Speedway GP line-up, the highest-placed non-SGP rider will receive the wild card. The two track reserves will be nominated by Pedersen.The coveted wild card was previously awarded to a rider by the national coach, but Pedersen hopes the change will raise the stakes when the country’s finest battle it out for Danish Championship gold.

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RICKARDSSON & SUNDSTROM SET TO COACH AT FIM SGP ACADEMY IN MALILLA AS REGISTRATIONS OPEN

Six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson and new Swedish coach Linus Sundstrom will train the stars of tomorrow at the FIM SGP Academy in Malilla, Sweden from July 3-5.Registrations are now open for the second FIM SGP Academy of 2025, which takes place alongside Sweden’s biggest speedway event, the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, July 5 and the FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on Friday, July 4 – the opening round of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship.The first of two European academies in 2025 follows the successful FIM SGP Academy – Down Under in Adelaide, South Australia from January 22-24. This saw 23 riders from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain train under the watchful eyes of Rickardsson, Speedway GP star Max Fricke, FIM Track Racing Commission director Armando Castagna and FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris. Staged in partnership between motorcycle racing’s global governing body, the FIM, and FIM Speedway global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, the Malilla event is for riders aged 11-15, riding youth bikes ranging from 85cc to the 190cc SGP4 bike and the academy is designed to hone their skills, with coaching both on and off the track.The FIM SGP Academy supports the sport's youngest riders at grassroots level as they prepare to take their first steps on to the FIM Speedway pyramid with SGP4, before hopefully progressing all the way through the SGP3 category for under-16s and SGP2 for under-21s and one day competing in the Speedway GP World Championship.

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BRITISH FIM SGP3 FINALIST RUSHEN INSPIRED TO CHASE SPEEDWAY GP DREAM

SGP3 QUALIFIERS | AUSSIE RACER BAILEY HITS MAX TO PUNCH PRAGUE TICKET

SGP4 CHAMP LANDON BIDS FOR FIM SGP3 FINAL SPOT

SUNDSTROM'S SWEDISH SPEEDWAY ACADEMY STEPS UP FOR 2025

2025 DANISH CHAMPION SET TO JOIN FIM SPEEDWAY WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS IN VOJENS

RICKARDSSON & SUNDSTROM SET TO COACH AT FIM SGP ACADEMY IN MALILLA AS REGISTRATIONS OPEN