FIM SPEEDWAY GP | Dominance Defined

Holder and Kurtz show promise, but it’s the five-time champ who’s rewriting the record books

Not that his rivals needed a reminder, but Bartosz Zmarzlik has started the 2025 Speedway Grand Prix series showing all and sundry that he will again be the benchmark as he seeks a sixth Speedway World Championship.

Australian duo Brady Kurtz and Jack Holder are the nearest to the Pole on the points table, heading in to a crucial three rounds this month. There have been two changes to the meeting format this year, with a Sprint Race added to half of the 10 rounds. The 16 riders are initially drawn into eight pairs for one minute of track time where the rider with the fastest lap time progresses, into a further four pairs from where only the fastest goes into a four-lap Sprint Race – which carries 4,3,2 and 1 SGP points.

At Landshut, Germany, Zmarzlik won the Sprint, ahead of full-time SGP debutant Brady Kurtz, Robert Lambert and Andzejs Lebedevs. Both Jason Doyle and Jack Holder bowed out in the first round, while Max Fricke got to the next round.

Zmarzlik was top scorer in the heats on 13, matched by Kurtz, and that meant that as the top two scorers they progressed direct to the final – something I’m sure most fans will regard as an appropriate reward.

Two Last Chance Qualifiers are then staged for the next eight in line, with only those race winners progressing to the final. That raises the question of whether the 10th-best rider over 20 heats, who could score as little as five points, should be able to still win the meeting by winning the last two races. I think fewer fans would agree with that possibility.

The LCQs were won by Lebedevs and Daniel Bewley (10), as Aussie duo Fricke and Holder were among those eliminated. Unfortunately there was no fairytale ending for Kurtz, who was always chasing in the final as Zmarzlik held off Bewley and Lebedevs.

At Warsaw, Poland, the Sprint was won by Czech rider Jan Kvech, as Kurtz was again second, with Zmarzlik not involved. Holder and Kurtz topped the scorers from the heats to go direct to the final as Polish duo Dominik Kubera and wildcard Patryk Dudek won the LCQs, with Zmarzlik and Fricke among those eliminated. Holder led Kurtz for an Aussie 1-2 in the final ahead of Dudek and Kubera.

At Prague, Czechia, Zmarzlik ticked off some more milestones – his 100th SGP appearance, producing a record-extending 28th victory from 64 final outings.

There was no Sprint race, before Zmarzlik and Fredrik Lindgren were best in the heats. Jack Holder won one LCQ, while replacement Leon Madsen won the other after passing Brady Kurtz who then fell.

Max Fricke missed out on a start in the LCQ on countback. Zmarzlik held off Lindgren, Madsen and Holder in the decider.

we’ve lost a legend

Motorcycle racing in Australia has lost one of its longest serving officials with the death of Barry Newton on 29 May. He was aged 87. At last year’s Motorcycling Queensland Centenary Awards Night, Barry was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement in Motorcycle Sport award, as recognition of over six decades of service across various disciplines, although speedway was his true love. I had many dealings with Barry over the years and I will always remember him as a wonderful gentleman always prepared to help out. PB

SGP standings after 3 of 10 rounds