Aussie racer Brady Kurtz admits he was happy to show his first FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory “wasn’t a fluke” after making it back-to-back wins on the Virkvarn FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday.
After claiming his maiden victory on the Occasions.com FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow on June 21, Kurtz repeated the feat in Sweden’s greatest speedway occasion.
Kurtz – second within the Speedway GP World Championship standings on 122 factors – topped the rostrum forward of five-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, who has 131, to shut the Pole’s sequence lead from 11 factors to 9 with simply three rounds remaining.
Nice Britain’s Dan Bewley completed third – finishing a carbon copy of the Gorzow podium two weeks earlier.
After beating Zmarzlik on his boyhood observe in Gorzow, Kurtz was elated to observe it up with one other win in Malilla, the place Kurtz raced for Swedish giants Dackarna from 2022 till final yr.
Whereas he admits his first Speedway GP win two weeks in the past will all the time be probably the most cherished, the Australian champion was delighted to show he might again up that massive efficiency in Gorzow with extra glory in Malilla.
He mentioned: “Profitable in Gorzow was fairly particular. I believe that’s the one I’ll undoubtedly bear in mind. However successful twice is nice – extra so as a result of I do know the primary one wasn’t a fluke. That’s the good half in my thoughts – that I might win once more.
“It was good to do it right here in Sweden on sort of my dwelling observe. I raced right here for a number of years, and it was good to be again.”
The afternoon Qualifying session was cancelled as rain fell in Malilla at common factors all through the day. However Kurtz is gaining a powerful fame for giant performances within the moist – a fame enhanced by his victory at a really damp 2024 FIM SGP Problem at Czech membership Pardubice to qualify for Speedway GP final October.
Kurtz insists he was by no means going to be involved a few moist observe. He mentioned: “I adore it! I’ve ridden at Belle Vue for fairly a number of years in a row. We race within the rain so much in Britain. I simply sort of wish to get on with it.
“I went for the observe stroll, went again to my pits, instructed the boys what setup we have been going to make use of and away we went.”
Kurtz received 5 of his six races on the Skrotfrag Enviornment and was solely denied a six-ride most when warmth 11 was stopped with him main the primary staging of the race. He finally completed third and feared that misfortune was going to be repeated when the ultimate was additionally halted following a crash for fourth-placed Jason Doyle on flip 4.
However Kurtz hit the entrance with a advantageous begin within the rerun, whereas Zmarzlik was compelled to struggle his well beyond Bewley for second place.
Belle Vue and Wroclaw star Kurtz mentioned: “There’s nothing worse than seeing the crimson lights come on when you find yourself in entrance. However fortunately, I made one other good begin. It was a tough observe – that’s for certain. I used to be doing a little humorous stuff out in entrance. However I managed to hold on.”
Kurtz is aware of Zmarzlik’s nine-point benefit within the Speedway GP world title race might be closed or prolonged quickly if both rider fails to achieve a remaining on the remaining rounds in Latvian capital Riga on August 2, Polish metropolis Wroclaw on August 30 and Danish venue Vojens on September 13.
Each males have reached six finals within the first seven rounds and Kurtz is eager to maintain up the stress in his quest to change into the primary rider within the sequence’ 30-year historical past to win the world title of their Speedway GP debut season.
“Closing the hole is the objective,” he mentioned. “I’m not certain what to consider the subsequent observe in Riga. I’ve by no means seen it. However I’ll attempt to study rapidly like I’ve completed on the entire different tracks. We’ll go for the free apply and hopefully discover one thing that’s working, and we’ll go from there.”
Runner-up Zmarzlik battled his method by the last-chance qualifiers to take his place within the remaining, successful LCQ1 with an astonishing first lap to hit the entrance and assure he left with high spot in Speedway GP tonight.
The Lublin and Lejonen rider was happy with a superb battling efficiency. He mentioned: “This was not a foul evening, however for me and my staff, this was actually arduous work. I’m completely happy that I bought on the rostrum and took second place; it’s a very nice feeling. I didn’t have the perfect day, however I’m nonetheless on the rostrum, and I’m completely happy about this one as a result of it was arduous work.”
Like Kurtz, third-placed Bewley can be a former Dackarna rider and tailored beautifully to the moist circumstances to ship his third Speedway GP podium in 4 rounds, which leaves him fourth on 97 factors – simply two behind Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren, who’s third on 99.
The Cumbrian mentioned: “To be trustworthy, the observe wasn’t too dangerous. I assumed it was truly fairly good. I raced right here for a few seasons and it’s all the time a reasonably particular observe right here. It’s fairly distinctive. Each week after we got here right here within the Swedish league, the observe was a bit bit totally different. That saved you in your toes. I felt like I had good pace. It’s good to come back again right here – I all the time prefer it.”
Whereas Bewley says his focus is on successful Speedway GPs within the closing rounds of the season, he’s firmly in competition for his first-ever World Championship medal. However with round a month till spherical eight in Riga on August 2, he insisted: “It’s one assembly at a time for me.
“If we will hold making finals, we are going to see what occurs. I’ve been much more constant this yr, so I’m pleased with that.”
Malilla End result
Standings After 7 Rounds
Phrases by SGP – Characteristic Picture courtesy of Jarek Pabijan
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