FIM SPEEDWAY GP | Aussie Invasion

An historic podium lockout set the scene for a round 4 final unlike any we’ve seen in recent memory

The World Speedway Champs headed to Manchester for rounds three and four, with Bartosz Zmarzlik a narrow leader going into the two-day festival. Dark skies greeted competitors on night one, but Aussie gun Jack Holder was on cloud nine having captured the knockout style qualifying ‘sprint’ victory early in the day and adding four points to his already healthy tally.

Once hostilities got underway it was clear fans were in for a treat, with the low cloud keeping the track moist and ready to produce some serious action – an early win for Jason Doyle, a last for Max Fricke in heat two, but it was heat three where the real warning shots were fired. Jack Holder stormed to an early lead, but Zmarzlik rode a sensational race to mow him down and win convincingly. The sheer speed generated around the outside by the Polish ace saw fans stand and applaud.

Zmarzlik’s move set the scene for what was to come and there were some hair-raising moves as the riders followed the dirt to the base of the air fence. There was literally no room for error.

Fricke’s riding technique is about as textbook as you can get (much like Aussie legend Leigh Adams) and it soon became apparent that his skill and that narrow outside line were a match made in heaven as he rattled off four of the most convincing victories of his career to finish the heat rounds on 12 points, just one behind Zmarzlik.

Joining Fricke and Zmarzlik in the final were Holder and Brady Kurtz, both of whom won their respective last chance qualifiers. But before we get there, we must mention heat 18, which will go down as one of the most spectacular races in GP history. Unhinged Polish newcomer Kacper Woryna and round two winner Leon Madsen (Denmark) went to war and Woryna lifted violently at one stage, with the crowd glued to his every move. However, near race end he spectacularly t-boned Madsen and sent both riders hurtling through the air, with Woryna subsequently excluded.

So, with three Aussies and the world’s fastest rider in the final, the scene was set for a classic showdown. The fast line was only wide enough for one bike – and it was centimetres from the air fence. It was also raining!

Zmarzlik chose the outside gate and his mission was clear: head for the dirt and charge off into the sunset. But Fricke and his compatriots had other ideas and beat him to the punch. As Zmarzlik hit the deep dirt he had no option but to bail out as he ran out of room in a split second. That left the Aussies to fight it out and make history with all three sitting on the podium.

Fricke was a remarkable and well deserved victor, super-fast Kurtz finished second, with the very skillful Holder third. An incredible night for Aussie speedway. Hard to believe, but they had to do it all again just 24 hours later.

ROUND FOUR

Cloudy skies once again greeted the large crowd and the fans were still on a high. Kurtz had closed to within a point of Zmarzlik; Holder had moved into third overall. There were great opening rides from the Aussies, and veteran Doyle set tongues wagging by lowering the colours of Holder in their second outing.

The track was once again developing an outside racing line, but there were certainly more options than the day before. Unpredictable Dane Michael Jepsen Jensen was perhaps the smartest rider of all as he started using an extreme inside line and getting traction where no one else had, rattling off four superb victories and making his way directly to the final on 14 points.

Joining him on the direct path was Kurtz with four wins and a last to finish on 12. Holder and Zmarzlik won their respective last chance qualifiers to also make the final, with Fricke and Doyle each finishing second and bowing out at that stage.

The final itself will go down as one of the all-time greats, with Kurtz in last place as the field exited the first turn, and Jepsen Jensen jumping to the lead from gate one. As they crossed the start-finish line one lap in, it was Zmarzlik who speared underneath Jensen to take the lead, with Holder riding mid track and Kurtz unleashing a blistering outside run.

After two laps, Jensen, Zmarzlik and Kurtz were side by side. This was war. Nothing less.

At the start of lap three, Kurtz pulled off what could be the greatest manoeuvre of the last decade, winding up around the outside before cutting between Zmarzlik and Jensen and aiming himself directly at the air fence. He was a legitimate chance of crashing in a big way, but miraculously turned super late and rode away to take the win.

With the crowd still gasping for breath, they had no time to rest as Zmarzlik came within centimetres of crashing directly into Jensen, in doing so allowing the hard-charging Holder into third. However, he rallied and re-passed Holder to take third place by the narrowest of margins.

I’ve watched a lot of speedway in the last 40-odd years, and this final ranks as one of the best races I’ve ever seen. Kurtz is the real deal. Holder is a deep thinker who may well outsmart everybody. But they need to beat Zmarzlik – not an easy task with three of the remaining six rounds in Poland. Strap yourself in!

2026 FIM SPEEDWAY GP STANDINGS