A reserve rider upset Zmarzlik and Kurtz, while Mildura-based wonderkid Blake Schlein lifted the SGP4 crown
As the World Speedway Championship series passed its midway point in Sweden, the script for the remaining rounds had already been written; it was a two-way battle for the crown between six-times champion Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland) and Australian gun Brady Kurtz.
Just three points separated the pair going into the meeting and while the two-way battle may prove accurate for the title itself, it was no guide as to what was to come on a boiling hot Swedish summer’s day.
The Malilla round is somewhat unique in that it’s held entirely in daylight due to the long European summer days, which makes track preparation very tricky indeed. The resultant surface was rough and unpredictable, which played into the hands of the courageous few who dared to skip across the mid-turn bumps and ride a high line that certainly didn’t suit everybody!
Incredibly, it was 32-year-old Danish racer Anders Thomsen who stormed to the lead in the final to take a stunning win ahead of England’s Robert Lambert, Zmarzlik and Kurtz.
Ironically, Thomsen had only joined the series due to injuries to Dan Bewley and Freddie Lindgren and he only scored eight points in the heats before winning his last-chance qualifier!
Just as shocking was the previously out-of-form Lambert scoring the maximum possible 15 points in the heats – and that included a storming ride which saw him catch and pass the often unbeatable Zmarzlik!
Australia’s best hope for overall glory, Kurtz, accumulated nine points from his first four rides and had a chance to progress directly to the A Final, provided he won his fifth ride. To do so he would have to beat Zmarzlik in what was a massive race in terms of the championship.
Almost unbelievably, it was fellow Aussie Max Fricke who rode out of his skin in the race and unsettled Kurtz by relegating him to third, allowing Zmarzlik to ride off into the distance.
Respectfully, it’s fair to say that Fricke had done nothing to that point, but the sight of Zmarzlik and Kurtz seemed to light a fire deep within.
It was a forgettable night for two of our Aussie racers, with Max Fricke (4 points) and Jason Doyle (5 points) failing to make it through to the last-chance qualifiers.
With two of the four remaining rounds to be held in Poland, the numbers are stacked slightly against Kurtz. But as he showed last year – he is the real deal.
BLAKE GRABS SWEDISH GOLD
12-year-old Mildura-based wonderkid Blake Schlein is now the world champion for his age after a dramatic SGP4 (190cc) final at Malilla. Blake, who is the nephew of international racer Rory, finished equal top scorer on 14 points and had to endure a tight run-off in which his opponent, Simon Jul Vindom (Denmark), fell and was excluded.
Both riders excelled in the heats but it was ultimately the Aussie who grabbed the prize. In additional good news, fellow Aussie Ryleigh McGregor finished third overall to take bronze. For those who have not seen Blake ride, just imagine a miniature version of Leigh Adams! He has a perfect riding style.
FIM SGP CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
- Bartosz Zmarzlik 98
- Brady Kurtz 93
- Robert Lambert 81
- Michael Jepsen Jensen 66
- Kacper Woryna 55
- Jack Holder (injured) 55
