2023 Speedway Grand Prix

The 2023 Speedway Grand Prix season was the 29th season of the Speedway Grand Prix era, and decided the 78th FIM Speedway World Championship.[1] It was the second series promoted by Discovery Sports Events.

2023 Speedway Grand Prix
Season details
Dates29 April – 30 September
Events10
Cities10
Countries8
Riders15 permanents
1 wild card(s)
2 track reserves
Heats230 (in 10 events)
Winners
Champion POL Bartosz Zmarzlik
Runner-up SWE Fredrik Lindgren
3rd place SVK Martin Vaculík

Bartosz Zmarzlik was the defending champion, having won the 2022 title.

Zmarzlik successfully retained the title, winning a fourth championship, despite being disqualified from round nine in Denmark. He beat Fredrik Lindgren by eight points, with Martin Vaculík securing the bronze medal. During the championships, Zmarzlik secured four Grand Prix wins after the Latvian Grand Prix, which equalled the 22 career Grand Prix wins of fellow Pole Tomasz Gollob.[2] He then went on to win a fifth Grand Prix, which equalled the all-time record of 23 held by Jason Crump.[3]

Qualification edit

For the 2023 season there were 15 permanent riders, who were joined at each Grand Prix by one wild card and two track reserves.

The top six riders from the 2022 championship qualified automatically.[4] These riders were joined by the three riders who qualified via the Grand Prix Challenge.

The final six riders were nominated by series promoters, Discovery Sports Events.[5]

Qualified riders edit

# Riders 2022 place GP Ch place Appearance Previous appearances in series
95   Bartosz Zmarzlik 1 8th 2012–2015, 2016–2022
30   Leon Madsen 2 5th 2010, 2013, 2019–2022
71   Maciej Janowski 3 9th 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015–2022
66   Fredrik Lindgren 4 14th 2004, 2006–2007, 2008–2014, 2016, 2017–2022
505   Robert Lambert 5 5 3rd 2015, 2018–2019, 2021–2022
99   Dan Bewley 6 2 2nd 2018, 2022
692   Patryk Dudek 7 6th 2016, 2017–2020, 2022
108   Tai Woffinden 8 12th 2010, 2011, 2013–2022
54   Martin Vaculík 9 8th 2012, 2013, 2017–2022
69   Jason Doyle 10 9th 2015–2022
155   Mikkel Michelsen 11 3rd 2015, 2018–2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
105   Anders Thomsen 14 10 3rd 2016, 2020, 2021–2022
233   Kim Nilsson 1 1st 2012–2014, 2016–2017
25   Jack Holder 12 3 2nd 2016, 2020, 2022
46   Max Fricke 13 4 4th 2016–2017, 2019, 2020–2022

Qualified substitutes edit

The following riders were nominated as substitutes:

# Riders 2022 place GP Ch place
29   Andžejs Ļebedevs 16 9
201   Jan Kvěch 27
744   Kai Huckenbeck 20
22   Luke Becker
TBC   Dimitri Bergé
TBC   Timi Salonen
TBC   Marko Levishyn

Calendar edit

The 2023 season consisted of 10 events.

Round Date City and venue Winner Runner-up 3rd placed 4th placed Results
1 29 April   Goričan, Croatia
Stadium Milenium
  Bartosz Zmarzlik   Robert Lambert   Fredrik Lindgren   Jason Doyle results
2 13 May   Warsaw, Poland
Stadion Narodowy
  Fredrik Lindgren   Jack Holder   Bartosz Zmarzlik   Jason Doyle results
3 3 June   Prague, Czech Republic
Markéta Stadium
  Martin Vaculík   Leon Madsen   Jack Holder   Bartosz Zmarzlik results
4 10 June   Teterow, Germany
Bergring Arena
  Bartosz Zmarzlik   Jason Doyle   Jack Holder   Kim Nilsson results
5 24 June   Gorzów, Poland
Edward Jancarz Stadium
  Bartosz Zmarzlik   Leon Madsen   Fredrik Lindgren   Jason Doyle results
6 15 July   Målilla, Sweden
Skrotfrag Arena
  Dan Bewley   Martin Vaculík   Patryk Dudek   Fredrik Lindgren results
7 12 August   Riga, Latvia
Biķernieki Riga Stadium
  Bartosz Zmarzlik   Fredrik Lindgren   Martin Vaculík   Tai Woffinden results
8 2 September   Cardiff, Great Britain
Principality Stadium
  Martin Vaculík   Jack Holder   Bartosz Zmarzlik   Fredrik Lindgren results
9 16 September   Vojens, Denmark
Vojens Speedway Center
  Leon Madsen   Fredrik Lindgren   Jack Holder   Robert Lambert results
10 30 September   Toruń, Poland
Rose Motoarena
  Bartosz Zmarzlik   Fredrik Lindgren   Leon Madsen   Patryk Dudek results

Final classification edit

[6]

Qualifies for next season's Grand Prix series
Full-time Grand Prix rider
Wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve
Pos. Rider Points CRO
 
POL
 
CZE
 
GER
 
PL2
 
SWE
 
LVA
 
GBR
 
DEN
 
PL3
 
    (95) Bartosz Zmarzlik 158 20 16 14 20 20 12 20 16 20
    (66) Fredrik Lindgren 150 16 20 11 5 16 14 18 14 18 18
    (54) Martin Vaculík 125 9 12 20 7 3 18 16 20 8 12
4   (25) Jack Holder 123 8 18 16 16 11 10 18 16 10
5   (30) Leon Madsen 111 4 8 18 12 18 3 10 2 20 16
6   (505) Robert Lambert 108 18 5 9 10 12 9 8 12 14 11
7   (99) Dan Bewley 104 10 10 12 9 8 20 9 8 12 6
8   (69) Jason Doyle 96 14 14 8 18 14 1 12 6 1 8
9   (46) Max Fricke 83 7 11 6 3 7 11 11 9 9 9
10   (692) Patryk Dudek 76 6 1 10 6 5 16 4 10 4 14
11   (108) Tai Woffinden 64 12 9 3 8 9 5 14 4
12   (155) Mikkel Michelsen 56 11 6 5 2 4 4 5 5 11 3
13   (233) Kim Nilsson 44 2 2 2 14 2 3 11 7 1
14   (71) Maciej Janowski 43 3 7 7 4 10 2 7 3
15   (105) Anders Thomsen 36 5 3 4 11 6 7 0
16   (29) Andžejs Ļebedevs 30 8 6 7 2 7
17   (744) Kai Huckenbeck 11 1 5 5
18   (17) Mads Hansen 10 10
19   (16) Jacob Thorssell 6 6
20   (16) Rasmus Jensen 6 6
21   (17) Bartłomiej Kowalski 4 4
22   (16) Dominik Kubera 4 4
23   (18) Benjamin Basso 3 3
24   (16) Francis Gusts 2 2
25   (22) Luke Becker 2 2
26   (16) Matej Žagar 1 1
27   (16) Václav Milík 1 1
28   (16) Szymon Woźniak 1 1
29   (18) Ernest Matjuszonok 1 1
30   (16) Steve Worrall 1 1
31   (17) Nick Škorja 0 0
32   (17) Ričards Ansviesulis 0 0
33   (17) Anders Rowe 0 0
34   (18) Jason Edwards 0 0
35   (201) Jan Kvěch 0 0
Pos. Rider Points CRO
 
POL
 
CZE
 
GER
 
PL2
 
SWE
 
LVA
 
GBR
 
DEN
 
PL3
 

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "WORLD INDIVIDUAL FINAL - RIDER INDEX". British Speedway. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. ^ "POLISH HERO ZMARZLIK EQUALS IDOL GOLLOB'S TALLY OF 22 SPEEDWAY GP WINS IN RIGA". FIM. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  3. ^ "BARTOSZ ZMARZLIK WINS 2023 SGP CHAMPIONSHIP WITH VICTORY IN TORUN, FREDRIK LINDGREN FINISHES SECOND". Eurosport. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. ^ "2022 FIM Speedway World Championship results". SGP.
  5. ^ "2023 FIM Speedway World Championship line-up complete". SGP.
  6. ^ "2023 FIM Speedway World Championship standings". SGP.

External links edit