THE World title race will go down to the final Grand Prix in Torun after series leader Bartosz Zmarzlik was sensationally disqualified from competing in Saturday night’s Danish GP in Vojens.
The Pole, with a 24-point lead over Freddie Lindgren, was closing in on becoming World Champion for a fourth time but was barred from the meeting by the FIM jury for not wearing the correct race-suit during practice. He was also fined €600, having been “found to be wearing a race suit which did not conform to the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship Regulations 2023 during the Qualifying Practice and the starting number selection for the meeting.” The dramatic turn of events gave Lindgren an opportunity to make in-roads into Zmarzlik’s advantage at the top of the standings, and he duly capitalised by finishing second on the night behind home favourite Leon Madsen. It could have been even better for the Swede, as he led the final for three laps until Madsen swept past, but nevertheless, his 18-point return slashed Zmarzlik’s lead from 24 to six ahead of the decider in Torun on September 30. Jack Holder finished third with Great Britain’s Robert Lambert fourth. Lindgren, who was fortunate to escape serious injury in a nasty crash which resulted in Jason Doyle being taken to hospital early in the meeting, said afterwards: “When I came back from the autograph sessions, I got the news that Bartosz was not going to ride. I really feel for him. “I had to try and re-group and focus on tonight and what I had to do on the track. I managed to have a fairly strong GP. “The lines were changing all the time. Bike set-up was crucial. It was a tricky evening in many ways, but I managed to get to the semi and the final. I was leading and I thought I could clinch it, but Leon was too fast in that final. Fair play to him and congratulations. “I am just going to go to Torun and do the best I can. I am six points down and it’s not that easy to get that back. I can only do the best I can, and we will see where we end up.” Round nine scorers: Leon Madsen 20, Freddie Lindgren 18, Jack Holder 16, Robert Lambert 14, Dan Bewley 12, Mikkel Michelsen 11, Mads Hansen 10, Max Fricke 9, Martin Vaculik 8, Kim Nilsson 7, Rasmus Jensen 6, Kai Huckenbeck 5, Patryk Dudek 4, Andrej Lebedev 3, Benjamin Basso 2, Jason Doyle 1, Jan Kvech 0. Championship standings: Bartosz Zmarzlik 138, Freddie Lindgren 132, Martin Vaculik 113, Jack Holder 113, Dan Bewley 98, Robert Lambert 97, Leon Madsen 95, Jason Doyle 88, Max Fricke 74, Tai Woffinden 64, Patryk Dudek 62, Mikkel Michelsen 53, Kim Nilsson 43, Maciej Janowski 43, Anders Thomsen 36, Andrej Lebedev 24, Mads Hansen 10.
