2024

BROTHERLY LOVE ❤️

Couldn’t resist sharing this post from a very proud @holder_23 after his brother @jackholder won his first ever #SGP race! 🔥

#FIMSpeedwayGP 
#SpeedwayGP #racing #motorsport #motorcycle 
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Thank you Croatia 😍

What a start to the year 🙌

#FIMSpeedwayGP | #CroatianSGP🇭🇷
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Here’s what the standings look like after ticking off the first Grand Prix of the year! 🥳

All eyes on Warsaw in 2 weeks! 💪

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FIRST WINNER OF THE YEAR! 🔥

And first ever #SGP win for @jackholder 🏆

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🗒 Here are the results from tonight’s #CroatianSGP🇭🇷

A solid start for the top 4 👀

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That winning feeling!! 🙌

@leonmadsendk is having a brilliant night at the moment 👊

#FIMSpeedwayGP | #CroatianSGP 🇭🇷
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A story in pictures 📸

Both @jasondoyle69 and @twoffinden are ok 🙌

#FIMSpeedwayGP | #CroatianSGP 🇭🇷
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THE VETERAN 💥

@fredriklindgren66 celebrates 165 appearances in #SGP, the 3rd most in history! 🔥

#FIMSpeedwayGP | #CroatianSGP 🇭🇷
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"This is SGP, it's a different meeting" 🙌

Fastest man in qualifying @domin_kubera is up for the challenge tonight 💪

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🗣 "The semi-final would be great"

2024 Wild Card @khr_744 sets his sights on a good night in Croatia 👀

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2024 Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland - Warsaw

Poland

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Croatia

Croatia

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Germany - Landshut

Germany

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic - Prague

Czech Republic

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Sweden - Malilla

Sweden

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Poland - Gorzow

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain - Cardiff

United Kingdom

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Poland - Wroclaw

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Latvia - Riga

Latvia

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Denmark - Vojens

Denmark

2024 FIM Speedway GP of Poland - Torun

2023 SGP standings

Aussie ace Jack Holder inked his family name into the FIM Speedway Grand Prix history books after storming to his first-ever SGP win at the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia on Saturday.The world No.4 topped the podium in Donji Kraljevec ahead of fellow Aussie star Jason Doyle in second place, Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren in third, with Poland’s reigning world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik in fourth.Holder joins five-time SGP-winning older brother Chris – the 2012 Speedway GP world champion – in the SGP winner’s club – making them the first sibling duo in SGP history to both top the podium.Jack also breaks four-time Speedway GP world champion Zmarzlik's near-two-year, uninterrupted run at the top of the SGP standings, which stretches back to the Pole’s victory at the FIM Croatian Speedway GP on April 30, 2022.Five-time 2023 podium finisher Holder was elated to seal his first SGP win after making the gruelling 10-hour drive from his Polish PGE Ekstraliga club Lublin on Friday to line up in Croatia, where he triumphed in front of a 7,000-strong capacity crowd at Speedway Stadion Milenium.He said: “I just made history and put the Holder family down as the first brothers to win. It’s a massive monkey off my back; I have been wanting this victory for so long.“My partner Jessica is back home in England and has our son in her belly, so she can’t travel anymore. That one is for her. I can’t wait to get home. Mum and Dad are back home in Australia with my brother Jimbo, and Chris was watching it too. The whole Holder crew – we did it!”&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/376294/conversions/PodiumClose-up2149-large.jpg"/>Holder is delighted to see his name atop the Speedway GP standings for the first time in his career. While he’s determined to stay there, he knows it will be no easy task with 10 rounds to race, starting with the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw on May 11.“It’s only the first round tonight,” Holder said. “I can’t really look at that too much. It’s awesome to be the leader. I just need to stay healthy throughout the rounds and be there at the end.”&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/376295/conversions/jholder-doyle8341-large.jpg"/>Doyle was delighted to bounce back after a tough week with his Polish club Grudziadz, which saw him score four points away to Wroclaw in a PGE Ekstraliga match on Friday, before he made the long trek to Donji Kraljevec overnight.Despite finishing 18th and last in the Qualifying Practice timing charts during the afternoon, he delivered the goods when it mattered most.“You wouldn’t believe it!” he said. "What a couple of days we have had. I had a terrible one in Poland last night. I went into Qualifying Practice and got 18th place, so to come here and stand on the rostrum is great. What a night!“I can’t thank my mechanics enough. They worked so hard over the last week, and I really appreciate all the fans here, who created an amazing atmosphere.“We know how important it is to keep pushing in the semi-final and then the big points come if you get into the final.”&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/376296/conversions/LindgrenKvech9474-large.jpg"/>Swedish star Lindgren only just made it into the semi-finals on eight race points, before delivering a big first corner in semi-final two to round British racer Robert Lambert for the all-important second place that put him in the final.“I was battling like everyone,” he said. “I made a couple of mistakes in the heats, dropping points which made it a lot harder to get the semi. I had the outside – gate four – which was a bit of a nightmare. I had to make something happen and managed to do it. I am happy to have been on the podium in the end.”The SGP action resumes with the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw in front of a 50,000-plus crowd at the iconic PGE Narodowy on May 11.&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/376297/conversions/9x16-large.jpg"/>

HEROIC HOLDER MAKES HISTORY WITH FIRST-EVER SPEEDWAY GP WIN IN CROATIA

Great Britain racer Robert Lambert believes he can be the rider to end Bartosz Zmarzlik’s two-year streak at the Speedway GP World Championship summit, but knows he faces plenty of competition in Croatia tonight.The former European champion goes into the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia bidding to build on his second place at Speedway Stadion Milenium a year ago.Zmarzlik has won both of the last two season-openers in Croatia and has now led the SGP standings uninterrupted since April 30, 2022.Having come close to taking top spot himself last year, Lambert would love to go one better and claim his first-ever Speedway GP win in the process.Asked if he felt he could be the rider to end Zmarzlik's reign at the top tonight, he said: “I believe I can be actually. I am feeling good at the beginning of the season, and I am looking forward to getting things underway. I know that I can beat everyone, and it doesn’t matter whether that’s Bartek or anyone else – all the guys in the SGP series are strong, they can win races and they are fast.“You can never underestimate anyone. It’s just about who can get to that first corner first in the final, and I believe I am quick enough to stay in front.”&nbsp;Unlike fellow GB stars Tai Woffinden and Dan Bewley, Lambert has opted not to race in the UK this year, meaning they have competed in more league matches.The Norfolk-born man has raced three matches for Polish team Torun and scored nine paid 11 points as his side lost 53-37 away to Lublin on Friday night, before making the 10-hour trek to Donji Kraljevec overnight. But Lambert insists he has still had plenty of time on the bike.&nbsp;He said: “In Poland, I have done just as much racing as the guys in Britain have. We did six test meetings and 10 practice sessions. It’s not that I haven’t been on the bike. I have been on the bike and testing things. That may not have been in meetings, but we we’ve had six sparring and three league meetings.&nbsp;“I don’t think not being in Britain is a disadvantage. I have still got the riding in and had bike time. It gives me a bit of time at the beginning of the season before Sweden starts to test things, practice and try to be a bit more prepared and ready for the season.”Lambert is determined to deliver another big night in Croatia on a Speedway Stadion Milenium track that he admits was not previously a favourite.“Mostly I haven’t really been a fan of the track,” he admitted. “I don’t know what happened last year. It just kind of clicked for me. I felt really comfortable on the track, and it was working. I don’t know if that was due to the rain and everyone else was struggling a little bit.“I managed to push a little bit harder in the rain and come away with a good result. Now we have some fond memories of the place and now I can put that into this weekend.”As one of Speedway GP’s tighter and more technical circuits, riders with British racing experience can often thrive in Croatia. And Lambert hopes his days honing his craft in the UK will pay dividends.He said: “My years of riding on the tight, grippy and technical tracks and growing up in that environment definitely pays off and helps when it comes to the smaller tracks such as Croatia or Vojens, or when we have the indoor tracks like Cardiff and Warsaw.“It plays a key role and maybe I am able to turn the bike a little bit better than some of those who grew up in Poland.&nbsp;“It’s definitely an advantage for me and, just because I don’t race in the UK, it doesn’t mean I have forgotten how to do it and bring it into play on these technical tracks.”

LAMBERT AIMING FOR THE TOP IN CROATIA

Aussie ace Jack Holder would love to tick a moment of history off the Holder brothers’ bucket list as he goes for Speedway GP gold in 2024.Holder lines up in tonight’s Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec, bidding to build on a sensational 2023 season, which saw him finish fourth in the Speedway GP World Championship and reach five podiums.But for the broken wrist he suffered during the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Final in Wroclaw on July 29, which forced him out of the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga, it’s highly likely he would he won at least a bronze medal, as Holder finished just two points short of Slovakia’s Martin Vaculik in third.Holder goes into 2024 hoping to go all the way to the top and end his search for a Speedway GP win, and he doesn’t just want to do it for himself.Having watched older brother Chris win the 2012 Speedway GP World Championship and five SGP rounds, Jack would love to make the Holder brothers the first sibling pair to become Speedway GP winners, and hopefully Speedway GP world champions.“I’m coming for it!” he said. “I don’t think two brothers winning a Speedway GP or world title has been done. It’s definitely on the bucket list.“I felt like I had won the World Championship when Chris did in 2012. We are family and we see the sacrifices we all have to go through to get to this stage in our careers. He’s making those sacrifices and watching me too now. We are always supporting each other – no matter what happens.“I am definitely going for that gold in Speedway GP. Last year was an amazing year. I proved a lot to myself – that I can be up there and make those finals.“My win didn’t come in 2023, but it’s coming. I am happy just to be consistent throughout the whole year, stay injury-free and once you get past the halfway stage, you can start looking at the bigger picture and see what you have to do.“I just want to stay injury-free, have a good year and hopefully everything works out well.“I worked really hard in the off-season, and I feel the fittest I have been in my whole career, which is always good. Everything has to click right and not just me – my bikes, my mechanics. If everything is going well, you are enjoying it.”

HISTORY FOR THE HOLDER BROTHERS?

Fans can enjoy a packed afternoon of entertainment at Croatia’s Speedway Stadion Milenium with fun for all ages in the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia fanzone on Saturday.The action gets started at 12:00 CET in the area next to the stadium’s main entrance and visitors can meet all 18 riders in the Speedway GP autograph session from 16:30 CET.Monster Energy athletes Fredrik Lindgren, Jack Holder, Dan Bewley and Tai Woffinden will be signing hero cards from 17:00 CET.Win Speedway GP prizes in our quizzes on the big screen at 14:45 and 17:30 CET. The screen will also be playing the best moments from the 2023 season, as well as coverage of Qualifying Practice from 15:00 CET.Get a photo with the Speedway GP trophy throughout the afternoon and meet official Speedway GP mascot Speedy for a photo at 14:00 or 15:45 CET.There will be entertainment for the whole family all afternoon from 12:00 CET, including a bouncy castle, vintage speedway bikes, photo opportunities, food and beverage stalls and the Speedway GP merchandise shop is available throughout the afternoon.Kids can try their hand at the speedway mechanic board, and there will also be face painting, balloon modelling, games and activities with the animators and the chance to paint a large speedway masterpiece on canvas.We crown our King and Queen of the fanzone at 18:15 CET, before the action switches to the track, with racing getting started at 19:00 CET.<a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/rounds/2024-fim-speedway-gp-of-croatia">For full details of the fanzone schedule, click HERE.</a>

CROATIA FANZONE LINE-UP

Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik insists he will leave others to keep track of his astonishing statistics as he bids to set a FIM Speedway all-time record at the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia on Saturday.Sixteen riders from 10 different countries battle it out at the Speedway Stadion Milenium in Donji Kraljevec in the opening round of the 2024 Speedway GP World Championship.Zmarzlik has topped the podium at the past two season-openers in Croatia on his way to becoming a four-time Speedway GP world champion, and he has now led the Speedway GP standings non-stop since April 30, 2022.He clinched world title No.4 with victory at last year’s final round in Torun – <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/news/speedway-gp-fab-four-for-polish-icon-zmarzlik">matching Aussie great Jason Crump’s all-time record of 23 Speedway GP wins</a> in the process. A third straight victory at Speedway Stadium Milenium would see Zmarzlik surpass this figure.&nbsp;Speedway GP victory No.24 would further cement the 29-year-old’s status among the sport’s all-time greats. But Zmarzlik insists he will leave others to measure his achievements while he focuses on delivering his best form on the track.Asked about matching Crump’s tally of 23, Zmarzlik said: “I am very happy and really very proud about this. Jason also has 23, and he is a big name for me. I remember when I was very young and watching Speedway GP. He was always a big star – along with people like Greg Hancock, Tony Rickardsson and Tomek Gollob.“He is a big hero in my eyes and now I am at the same level maybe. I have the same number of GP wins as Jason. This is important, but I am not noting in my book how many points or podiums I get – it’s more the other people around me that talk about this.“I always look at myself and just do everything I can to make everything the best it can be this year. How many wins or points I get; we will see after the season.”&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/375680/conversions/GroupPhotoEiffelTower-large.jpg"/>THE CONTENDERSZmarzlik knows he cannot afford to stand still as the world’s top riders chase him down, with Swedish icon Fredrik Lindgren bidding to turn 2023 silver into gold, and Slovakia’s world No.3 Martin Vaculik aiming to become his country’s first-ever Speedway GP world champion after bagging bronze last year.Aussie ace Jack Holder hopes to build on reaching five finals in nine Speedway GP appearances in 2023, while Denmark’s Leon Madsen heads into 2024 in red-hot form after taking 36 points from a possible 40 – including a famous FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens victory at his home club towards the end of last year.&nbsp;British trio Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley and triple Speedway GP world champion Tai Woffinden all have medals in their sights, along with Australia’s FIM SGP Challenge winner Jason Doyle and European champion Mikkel Michelsen.This year’s line-up also features five Speedway GP full-time debutants as Andzejs Lebedevs becomes Latvia’s first-ever SGP regular, while Kai Huckenbeck becomes Germany’s first Speedway GP rider since Martin Smolinski raced in the 2014 series.Polish duo Dominik Kubera and Szymon Wozniak race their first Speedway GP seasons, with Czech star Jan Kvech becoming his country’s first SGP regular since Lukas Dryml raced in the 2008 series.<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/375681/conversions/Zmarzlik4449-large.jpg"/>With no shortage of competition, Zmarzlik knows he has to continue developing both man and machines to maintain the form which has seen him win four Speedway GP World Championships in five years.He said: “I am very happy about what I have done for the last five years, but I am always looking to the future.“Every year is different, and I make different preparations with the bike. Now I feel ready for everything, and I am fully focused for the whole series.“It’s always important to focus on what worked well last season that we need to do the same. But motorsports can be different every week sometimes. It’s possible that you will get different results because everything is so open. I must find what I like and what works for me.“I find mistakes sometimes and work on everything with the bikes, my technique, my control, my focus and I want to try everything to make me the best I can be.”&nbsp;<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/375682/conversions/lindgren-bzmarzlik-vaculik5292-large.jpg"/>CHASING HISTORYZmarzlik has the chance to match Swedish legend Ove Fundin’s haul of five FIM Speedway World Championships in 2024, as well as an opportunity to become only the second rider in history to win three world titles in a row – following in the footsteps of New Zealand’s six-time champion Ivan Mauger, who topped the podium in 1968, 1969 and 1970.But a modest Zmarzlik is only focused on delivering his best performances on the track and not on chasing records.“It is very interesting for me, but I don’t want to say too much about this,” Zmarzlik said. “I am just thinking about what I can do to be the best from day to day. Tomorrow when I wake up, I am thinking about what I can do to improve as a person and a rider. That’s my focus.”Speedway Stadion Milenium – owned and operated by the Pavlic family – stages its sixth Speedway GP, having hosted the FIM Croatian Speedway GP from 2010 until 2012, with the series returning in 2022.Packed grandstands are expected for the region’s biggest speedway event, which draws fans from across Croatia, as well as neighbouring nations including Slovenia, who will be represented by <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/news/zagar-set-for-speedway-gp-season-opener-as-boll-fim-croatian-speedway-gp-wild-card">wild card Matej Zagar</a> – a five-time former Speedway GP winner, who is always followed across the border by an army of fans.&nbsp;2024 BOLL FIM SPEEDWAY GP OF CROATIA LINE-UP (in ranking order with rider numbers:95. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)66. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)54. Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)25. Jack Holder (Australia)30. Leon Madsen (Denmark)505. Robert Lambert (Great Britain)99. Dan Bewley (Great Britain)69. Jason Doyle (Australia)108. Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)155. Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)29. Andzejs Lebedevs (Latvia)744. Kai Huckenbeck (Germany)415. Dominik Kubera (Poland)48. Szymon Wozniak (Poland)201. Jan Kvech (Czech Republic)16. Matej Zagar (Slovenia – wild card)17. Matic Ivacic (Slovenia – first track reserve)18. Marius Hillebrand (Germany – second track reserve)&nbsp;CROATIA FANZONEFans can enjoy a packed afternoon of entertainment at Croatia’s Speedway Stadion Milenium with fun for all ages in the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia fanzone.The action gets started at 12:00 CET in the area next to the stadium’s main entrance and visitors can meet all 18 riders in the Speedway GP autograph session from 16:30 CET.Monster Energy athletes Fredrik Lindgren, Jack Holder, Dan Bewley and Tai Woffinden will be signing hero cards from 17:00 CET.Win Speedway GP prizes in our quizzes on the big screen at 14:45 and 17:30 CET. The screen will also be playing the best moments from the 2023 season, as well as coverage of Qualifying Practice from 15:00 CET.Get a photo with the Speedway GP trophy throughout the afternoon and meet official Speedway GP mascot Speedy for a photo at 14:00 or 15:45 CET.There will be entertainment for the whole family all afternoon from 12:00 CET, including a bouncy castle, vintage speedway bikes, photo opportunities, food and beverage stalls and the Speedway GP merchandise shop is available throughout the afternoon.Kids can try their hand at the speedway mechanic board, and there will also be face painting, balloon modelling, games and activities with the animators and the chance to paint a large speedway masterpiece on canvas.We crown our King and Queen of the fanzone at 18:15 CET, before the action switches to the track, with racing getting started at 19:00 CET.<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/375683/conversions/Fanzone9727-large.jpg"/>WHERE TO WATCH THIS WEEKENDBoll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Saturday, April 27 at 19:00 CETViewers with access to discovery+ or the Eurosport App, available in selected countries, can enjoy full live coverage of all the FIM Speedway action, featuring Qualifying Practice, plus all the build-up from the pits and reaction after the chequered flag falls, as well as the very best coverage of the racing including pit and on-board cameras and rider reaction times.Coverage of Speedway GP is available worldwide with linear coverage also available in selected countries – see below for more details of where to watch.&nbsp;ACROSS EUROPE: Live on the Eurosport AppBRITAIN: Live on discovery+ and Eurosport 2&nbsp;POLAND: Live on Eurosport Extra in PlayerSWEDEN: Live on Kanal 9 and discovery+DENMARK: Live on 6’eren and discovery+AUSTRALIA: Live on Fox SportsGERMANY: Live on discovery+ACROSS THE BALTICS: Live on the Eurosport App, Go3 and TV3 Sport channelsCZECH REP: Live on the Eurosport AppSLOVAKIA: Live on the Eurosport App and RTVSCROATIA: Live on the Eurosport App and SPTVUSA: Live on MAVTVAUSTRIA: Live on discovery+NORWAY: Live on discovery+FINLAND: Live on discovery+ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN: Live on SportsMaxACROSS ASIA: Live on beINSPORTSREST OF THE WORLD: Live on Staylive&nbsp;

ZMARZLIK FOCUSED ON RACING NOT RECORDS AHEAD OF SPEEDWAY GP OPENER IN CROATIA

European champion Mikkel Michelsen hopes to enjoy a “smooth road” in 2024 after working with a sports psychologist to find his best form in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series.The Danish champion lines up in Saturday’s FIM Speedway GP of Croatia in Donji Kraljevec, having qualified for this year’s series by winning his third Speedway European Championship crown in 2023.While he enjoyed a fine SEC series, Michelsen finished 12th in Speedway GP, reaching just two semi-finals from 10 rounds.He admits a combination of equipment and personal problems made life difficult, but he hopes these are now behind him after a winter of hard work away from the sport.Michelsen said: “Last year, it’s no lie that going into the Speedway GP series, I was not there at all. I didn’t enjoy it and, to be honest, it’s hard to say it, but I didn’t really want to be there. Every time I came to Speedway GP, I just wanted to get it over and done with.“This is why I have worked hard this winter to be in a better place mentally and eliminate a lot of the issues I had last year, so that I can come in with a fresh mind and go out and do the same thing I am doing in the PGE Ekstraliga and the SEC series. Hopefully this will be a turnaround point for me.“It can’t really be any worse than last year. It’s nice to be back. I have been on the struggle bus for the last two years. Two years ago, it was with injuries and last year was just, in general, a pretty tricky season for me with a lot of struggles – personally and equipment-wise.“We have been eliminating those issues over the winter and I have been working very hard with myself and my sports psychologist, Greg. I hope it is going to be more of a smooth road this year. I am ready for it.”Michelsen has teamed up with sports psychologist Grzegorz Więcław, who has worked with the Polish Athletic Association. Sports psychologists are now as much a part of a professional athlete’s backup team as a physio, manager or personal trainer, and the Czestochowa and Slangerup star says his work is having a positive impact.He said: “There has been a certain stigma about using psychologists in the past. But I am using one and a lot of riders are too. You see it in other sports as well. The best athletes work with sports psychologists. It’s just as important when it is going well as when it is going badly. I have only used one in the past when it is going badly. I am trying to be upfront about it and work on these things.“Sometimes it is nice to talk to someone who is a bit more neutral about everything and has a different perspective or view on certain things.“Greg is a guy who has a lot of experience with the Canadian Olympic team and also the Polish Olympic team. I feel like it has been a good fit, and I am excited to work more with him.“Working with a sports psychologist is always something I have touched on a little bit over the years, but not something I have worked on or focused on for that matter. But now I am a bit more focused on the mental side and I feel I am in a more positive space. The mindset is different, and I feel way calmer and more prepared compared to previous years.“I feel like a different person. There are a lot of things you can work on – personally and on the sports side. We have touched both sides of that and I feel more complete in some ways. I hope this year I have a few more tools in my toolbox for different situations, and hopefully I can use them soon.”Michelsen admits some engine issues did not help matters in 2023. He added: “It was also something that affected my mindset a lot. Most of the races I showed up to were effectively testing. I didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad, which is why I was not there mentally in a lot of the GPs. I was thinking, ‘It’s either going to be bad, or it’s going to be very bad.’“I didn’t at any point last year go to the tapes and feel comfortable that it was going to be a good night. This is what we have been trying to eliminate this year. I don’t have that many engines, and we are going to focus on only two tuners – not three, four or more. Hopefully that’s the recipe for success this year.”

MICHELSEN: SEEKING SMOOTHER SPEEDWAY IN 2024

Aussie icon Jason Doyle admits he’s still chasing the rush of being FIM Speedway Grand Prix world champion again as he prepares for the FIM Speedway GP of Croatia this Saturday.Doyle went from Speedway GP debutant in 2015 to world champion in 2017, famously clinching the crown with an epic victory Down Under at the FIM Australian Speedway GP in Melbourne.While the Newcastle-born racer has not won a Speedway GP round or featured on the World Championship rostrum since, his desire to regain the sport’s biggest prize still burns bright.“I have been in the top 10 for the last nine years in Speedway GP,” he said. “Every rider in there wants to be world champion and after winning it in 2017, I know it’s the drug of choice for us.&nbsp;“We are always chasing it and maybe it will never happen again, but the reason why I am in the GPs and still want to be in the GPs is to chase the world title."Doyle reached the final in Croatia last year and gave himself every chance to win it with a jet-propelled start in the final. Disaster struck as he crashed on bend one, leaving him fourth on the night. That was the first of four final appearances in the opening five rounds last year. But having reached just one semi-final in the last five, Doyle was left eighth in the final Speedway GP World Championship standings.“I am very disappointed with how the end of the season went,” he said. “We changed a few things, and it went the wrong way.&nbsp;“The weather plays a big part in your setups, and I guess we went the wrong way and did some silly things to try to rectify the problems. It just showed in the results that everything was going downhill.“It’s going to be a new season and a lot of lessons were learned from last year, so I think we will be in the right place and hopefully it will be a lot more positive. We need to just carry on with what we know for this year. What happened last year is gone now and I don’t have to worry about it.”Doyle is pleased to be joining forces with the team that helped him to eighth spot in 2023 and believes continuity will pay dividends.He said: “I am keeping with the same tuner (Bert van Essen) for this year and the same mechanics and team around me. It makes it a lot easier for me to start the year with the same familiar faces and it ensures I’m in the right place in my head. I made the changes last year to get where we are now. There is a lot of trust, and a lot of effort has gone into this year. We are looking good.”

DOYLE: SEEKING SECOND SPEEDWAY GP TITLE HIGH

Slovak star Martin Vaculik says former Gorzow teammate Bartosz Zmarzlik “has moved the limits to another level” in Speedway GP as the pair resume rivalries at the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia on Saturday.World No.3 Vaculik heads to Donji Kraljevec bidding to build on the best season of his career in 2023, which saw him become Slovakia’s first-ever Speedway GP World Championship medallist and win SGP rounds in Prague and Cardiff.Upgrading bronze to gold will be no easy task as Vaculik and his Speedway GP rivals bid to dethrone Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik – a four-time world champion who has led the SGP standings uninterrupted since he topped the podium in Croatia on April 30, 2022.Vaculik knows Zmarzlik better than most after racing alongside his good friend at the Lublin man’s boyhood club Gorzow.While he knows the challenge that competing with the three-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner brings, Vaculik also admits Zmarzlik forces his opponents to raise the bar.He said: “Bartek is a great sportsman. He is very talented. He works hard and he has a great team. He has all these tools to be the best.“I can truly say he is a motivation for us. He motivates us to be better than we are now. He has moved the limits to another level. That’s good.“Always when I beat him in a heat, I am very happy. It’s a cool feeling. He’s just moving the limit up and up and up.”Vaculik’s historic bronze medal came at the end of a 2023 season, where the sport has reached new heights in Slovakia, with every round of the Speedway GP series televised free-to-air on national broadcaster RTVS.The Zarnovica-born ace is delighted to see speedway’s profile grow in his homeland. He said: “It’s amazing. It was always one of my dreams to grow the sport of speedway in my country, and this is happening now. I am very pleased with that.&nbsp;“One big help was Slovak television showing speedway live on our public TV channel. That’s a great thing. I am very pleased with that and very thankful.“Now many, many people can watch speedway and it’s an amazing opportunity to show the discipline. It’s fantastic. I try my best with my results to give them a good show, and it motives me to be better and better.”Vaculik was recognised for putting his country firmly on the world speedway map when he received the prestigious Crystal Wing sports award in March.Crystal Wings are awarded to those who excel and raise their country’s profile in every walk of Slovakian life in areas including philanthropy, economics, journalism and literature, theatre and audiovisual arts, fine arts, music, popular music, sports, medicine and science, innovation and startups, extraordinary success abroad or another significant achievement.Vaculik was pleased to be honoured with the best of the best in Slovakia. He said: “It was a very big pleasure for me to get this award. I am really very thankful and pleased with this Crystal Wing because it’s a really special thing.“There are so many unique people at this ceremony and there are so many great stories behind them.“I am very honoured to be one the winners. It was amazing and for me, this is another motivation to show my best and try to be the best. All this stuff motivates me so much.”Becoming Slovakia’s first-ever Speedway GP world champion would take his profile and that of the sport to new heights in his country, but Vaculik is well aware of the task ahead as the 11-round series gets underway on Saturday.He said: “Of course I will try my best. I am keeping my feet on the ground, and I am focused on the moment. Of course I have a dream to be world champion. I think the main reason all 15 riders are in the GP is because they want to be world champion – otherwise they will not be in there.“It is a process. I will try my best and I am very pleased I can be among the 15 best riders in the world. I just want to show my best and, if everything works well and goes like it should, then I can really fight for a very high position.”

VACULIK: ZMARZLIK PUSHES SPEEDWAY GP RIVALS TO ANOTHER LEVEL

Danish star Leon Madsen insisted that if he’s going to win the Speedway GP World Championship “it’s going to be in 2024” as he bids to dethrone long-time rival Bartosz Zmarzlik.Madsen heads into Saturday’s Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia bidding to end Zmarzlik’s lengthy stay atop the World Championship standings, which stretches back to his win at the season-opener in Donji Kraljevec two years ago on April 30, 2022.The Czestochowa and Vojens rider enjoyed a fine finish to 2023, which saw him storm to a famous victory on home shale at the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens, before he took third place at the final round in Torun.Taking 36 points from a possible 40 in the final two SGPs was a sensational finish to the season, but Madsen knows he would need to replicate that level over 11 rounds if he is to challenge Zmarzlik and surpass the two Speedway GP silver medals he won in 2019 and 2022.Asked what it will take to unseat the Pole as champion, Madsen said: “We just have to step up, be better and not have any off-days. That’s really the main key to it; being consistent all the way through the season.“A guy like (2021 Speedway GP world champion) Artem (Laguta) proved that if you can be stable and deliver at the top level at every GP round, then you can beat him.“You have to be really, really, really good to win the World Championship, even without Bartek in it. There is a lot of hard competition and a lot of good riders in it. It’s not only Bartek. But with Bartek in the GPs, you have to be extremely good to beat him and win the title.“But mark my words; if Leon is going to win the World Championship, it’s going to be in 2024.”Madsen’s confidence stems from a drastic upturn in performance in 2023 after he struggled to two championship points at round eight in Cardiff, before bouncing back with victory in Vojens.“We finished off on a high,” he said. “I plan to take that with me into the new season. I am continuing with the same equipment that we know is working.“We were testing a lot last year and trying to maybe develop the template with the engines, and it just went in the wrong direction. We kept trying to make it work for too long. Then you start to get the bad results and it affects your confidence. It went as low as it could get in Cardiff.“After that, I knew it was time to make some big changes. We did that coming into Vojens and we saw the results of that. I moved on to Torun and, again, it was a good result. That gives me a lot of confidence, knowing the equipment is working. I believe in that and with the mental state I am in, I believe I will be up there in the top mix.”When some riders struggle, they are quick to change equipment or engine tuner in a desperate bid to transform their fortunes. Madsen has no regrets about sticking with Danish engineer Brian Karger and believes they have now found a winning formula.“I think it’s a big advantage that I have Brian with me,” he said. “I am working closely with him, and he supports me in the pits at the GPs. I believe Karger is the best tuner in the world. He has proved that in the past, winning several World Championships.“We were trying something last season and we did it for too long. Now we are back to what we know is working. This season, we are not going to test anything. Now it’s up to the man on the bike.“I don’t say things can’t be better, but I don’t want to worry about it. I know the equipment I have now is good enough to win. It’s good enough to win GPs and be fighting at the top.”

MADSEN EQUIPPED FOR SPEEDWAY GP TITLE BID

FIM Speedway events can now be watched live by fans in more countries around the world, as Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe joins forces with streaming partner Staylive.OTT platform provider Staylive, a Spring Media Company, has joined forces with WBD Sports Europe to increase the distribution and availability of its flagship motorcycling and cycling events globally.This collaboration will unite and spread the passion for some of the most exhilarating sports events, including the FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series, the <a href="https://www.fimewc.com/">FIM Endurance World Championship</a> (EWC), the <a href="https://www.ucimtbworldseries.com/">WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series</a> and the <a href="https://ucitrackchampionsleague.com/">UCI Track Champions League</a>.Fans can watch 2024 FIM Speedway events including the Speedway GP series, the <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/son">FIM Speedway of Nations</a>, <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/sgp2">SGP2</a> and <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/sgp3">SGP3</a> on Eurosport and discovery+ as well as across several local and national broadcasters.&nbsp;With this agreement, FIM Speedway racing and other WBD Sports Europe-owned-and-promoted events are now also accessible on Staylive through pay-per-view and subscription packages in markets independent of exclusive WBD platforms and broadcast partnerships.<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/372901/conversions/bewley-doyle-lidngren5997-(1)-large.jpg"/>The 2024 FIM Speedway season gets underway with the <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/rounds/2024-fim-speedway-gp-of-croatia">Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia, live from Donji Kraljevec, on Saturday, April 27</a> – the first of 11 Speedway GP rounds this year.Founded in 2013, Staylive is a Swedish streaming solutions company that delivers over 1,500 live sports events per week to a global audience. Its streaming platform powers governing bodies, federations, leagues, and sporting clubs worldwide.&nbsp;This agreement builds on the extensive reach of the WBD Sports Europe-owned-and-promoted events portfolio, focused on motorcycling and cycling action.&nbsp;Matt Parker, CCO of Staylive, said: "Partnering with WBD Sports Europe for this historic season of cycling and motorcycling events is a testament to Staylive's technical capabilities and commercial expertise.&nbsp;“We are immensely proud to work with and alongside industry powerhouse, WBD Sports Europe, as they secure new and innovative ways to maximise content distribution and reach.&nbsp;“This collaboration highlights our ability to meet the high technical demands of streaming world-class sports events, while enhancing the fan experience across the globe.”Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndications at WBD Sports Europe, added: “Our partnership with Staylive demonstrates the commitment of WBD Sports Europe in serving sports fans around the world with premium and diverse content from leading sports formats and properties.&nbsp;“Through this partnership, we are not just distributing sports content, we are creating a more accessible and immersive experience for fans, no matter where they are.&nbsp;“This is a prime example of how we’re increasing our ability to meet the evolving needs of our audience and to bring them closer to the sports they love.”To find out where you can tune into FIM Speedway action wherever you are in the world, visit our <a href="https://www.fimspeedway.com/where-to-watch">Where to Watch guide HERE</a>.Experience the excitement of FIM Speedway racing, and watch it live on Staylive by clicking <a href="https://app.staylive.io/fimmotorcycle/sgp">HERE</a>.<img src="https://eventrack-1.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/staging/372899/conversions/lindgren-jholder6320-large.jpg"/>

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