Polish workforce supervisor Rafal Dobrucki believes being busy will assist 16-year-old sensation Maksymilian Pawelczak star on his FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 debut at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena on Friday.
Final yr’s SGP3 FIM Speedway Youth world champion Pawelczak solely celebrated his sixteenth birthday on September 21, which means he has been eligible for skilled, 500cc competitors for lower than two weeks.
However Dobrucki has referred to as the Bydgoszcz capturing star as much as assist reigning champions Poland chase a record-extending 18th FIM Workforce Speedway Underneath-21 World Championship – and a twelfth on the bounce – as they tackle Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Nice Britain, Latvia and Sweden in an epic 28-heat battle for gold.
Pawelczak groups up with 2023 SGP2 FIM Speedway Underneath-21 World Championship silver medallist Damian Ratajczak and No.3 Antoni Kawczynski – a 2022 SGP3 bronze medallist, who helped host membership Torun win their first PGE Ekstraliga title since 2008 in Lublin final Sunday.
Dobrucki referred to as up Pawelczak as a alternative for one more Bydgoszcz-born star, 2024 SGP2 world champion Wiktor Przyjemski, who withdrew attributable to an ongoing ankle damage. Whereas shedding the Polish Underneath-21 champion comes a blow, Pawelczak has began his skilled profession in red-hot type.
He scored 10 paid 11 factors on his Bydgoszcz debut within the Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga membership’s promotion-relegation play-off in opposition to PGE Ekstraliga facet Gorzow, beating 2025 Speedway GP duo Andzejs Lebedevs and Martin Vaculik in an unbelievable efficiency. With Pawelczak’s season nonetheless at full throttle, Dobrucki had no hesitation in throwing him into SON2 motion.
He mentioned: “We need to save Wiktor. He has nonetheless been taking part in conferences – exhausting conferences just like the Polish league finals and in addition SGP2 in Vojens. We don’t need to take the chance of giving him a spot within the workforce. His well being is most essential.
“We modified for a younger man in Maksymilian, who wants expertise for certain. However he’s performing properly, and he’s nonetheless racing this season, so this can be a good level. Lots of the opposite guys had conferences – however just a few weeks in the past. Maksymilian is younger, however will probably be a very good expertise for him.”
Competing for Poland in an SON2 occasion comes with strain – particularly after the nation’s 20 years of dominance in a contest that they’ve received yearly since 2014. They’ve solely didn’t high the rostrum thrice in 20 years.
However Dobrucki is backing his riders to hold this weight of expectation. He mentioned: “Strain is in every single place in sport – it’s regular. It’s simply one other Last. Now we have good younger riders. Now we have some accidents this yr as properly, however in the intervening time, every thing is okay.”
The Poles defend the SON2 world title they clinched in Manchester final summer time, taking up 2024 silver medallists Sweden, who monitor SGP2 star Casper Henriksson alongside 2023 SGP3 world champion Rasmus Karlsson and No.3 Erik Persson.
Final yr’s bronze medallists Australia are led into motion by SGP2 rider Mitchell McDiarmid and Tate Zischke, with 2024 workforce member James Pearson captaining the facet at No.3.
Nice Britain’s problem is led by SGP2 racer Dan Thompson, who joins forces with Scunthorpe star Luke Harrison and Oxford expertise Luke Killeen at No.3.
The Danes deliver a stellar facet to Torun, that includes 2025 SGP2 bronze medallist Mikkel Andersen and in-form skipper Bastian Pedersen – nephew of triple Speedway GP world champion Nicki Pedersen. This yr’s SGP2 first substitute Villads Nagel traces up at No.3 for workforce supervisor Hans Andersen.
The Germans identify SGP2 star Norick Blodorn and 2025 Pardubice Golden Ribbon winner Mario Hausl in a promising pairing, which joins forces with history-making No.3 Hannah Grunwald. If referred to as into motion, the 2025 FIM Ladies’s Speedway Gold Trophy winner turns into the primary feminine rider to compete within the FIM SON at senior or junior stage.
The Czech facet is spearheaded by Adam Bubba Bednar – a teenage sensation who received a vital Last Qualifier in opposition to Ukraine because the senior facet reached its first FIM Speedway of Nations Last since 2022 with third place at Semi-Last 2 on Wednesday. Bednar groups up with Jan Jenicek and No.3 Jaroslav Vanicek.
Latvia completes the line-up as 2024 beginning pair Nikita Kaulins and Artjoms Juhno return. They hyperlink up with their Lokomotiv Daugavpils teammate Damirs Filimonovs, who begins at No.3.
Tickets for Friday’s SON2 occasion and Saturday’s FIM Speedway of Nations Last showdown, that includes hosts Poland, Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Nice Britain, Latvia and Sweden, are nonetheless out there on-line. Safe your spot at Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena HERE now.
2025 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS – SON2 STARTING LINE-UPS:
TEAM A – POLAND: 1. Maksymilian Pawelczak, 2. Damian Ratajczak (captain), 3. Antoni Kawczynski. Workforce Supervisor: Rafal Dobrucki.
TEAM B – GREAT BRITAIN: 1. Dan Thompson (captain), 2. Luke Harrison, 3. Luke Killeen. Workforce Supervisor: Neil Vatcher.
TEAM C – AUSTRALIA: 1. Mitchell McDiarmid, 2. Tate Zischke, 3. James Pearson (captain). Workforce Supervisor: Mark Lemon.
TEAM D – GERMANY: 1. Norick Blodorn (captain), 2. Mario Hausl, 3. Hannah Grunwald. Workforce Managers: Sascha Dorner / Mathias Bartz.
TEAM E – DENMARK: 1. Bastian Pedersen (captain), 2. Mikkel Andersen, 3. Villads Nagel. Workforce Supervisor: Hans Andersen.
TEAM F – CZECH REPUBLIC: 1. Adam Bubba Bednar (captain), 2. Jan Jenicek, 3. Jaroslav Vanicek. Workforce Supervisor: Zdenek Schneiderwind.
TEAM G – SWEDEN: 1. Casper Henriksson (captain), 2. Rasmus Karlsson, 3. Erik Persson. Workforce Supervisor: Linus Sundstrom.
TEAM H – LATVIA: 1. Nikita Kaulins (captain), 2. Artjoms Juhno, 3. Damirs Filimonovs. Workforce Supervisor: Vladimirs Vagels.
Phrases by FIM Speedway – Characteristic Picture by Jarek Pabijan
Trending Merchandise
