Czech champion Jan Kvech is determined to take his sprint finish into Saturday’s Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw after winning Friday’s Qualifying showdown at PGE Narodowy.
The Prague racer triumphed in the Warsaw sprint race ahead of Aussie ace Brady Kurtz, who collected three championship points for the second sprint on the bounce. Great Britain’s Robert Lambert finished third to net two points, with his compatriot Dan Bewley collecting one in fourth spot.
The world’s top riders, including Polish trio Bartosz Zmarzlik, Dominik Kubera and Patryk Dudek, will line up in front of around 50,000 fans under the iconic PGE Narodowy roof on Saturday.
Kvech – now ninth in the standings on nine points – is in only his second Speedway GP season, and a rider who retained the Czech Championship on Wednesday can’t wait to build on his sprint finish to Qualifying.
He said: “I am very happy with the win in the sprint race. I enjoy racing here in Warsaw and I like this track. I just feel good. My bike is working well. Today was just Qualifying; tomorrow will be the GP. I am ready to race.”
Qualifying runner-up Brady Kurtz moved up to second spot in the Speedway GP World Championship on 20 points after bagging three points in the sprint race.
Asked if there was any secret to his Qualifying success after repeating his result from round one in Landshut, Germany, he smiled: “I’m always fast on the track – there are just people in the way! In Qualifying, there is no-one in the way. I feel good. I quite enjoy trying to go fast on the track. It has been nice to get into two sprint races and get a few points on the board.”
As well as accruing six championship points from his two sprint races, Kurtz racked up 14 for taking fourth spot at the WWK FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut on May 3.
The 2024 FIM SGP Challenge winner is in his Speedway GP debut season and knows there will be challenges ahead – even if he has started 2025 in red-hot form throughout Europe.
He said: “It’s easy to say you are enjoying it after one good GP. I’m sure there are a few tough ones to follow throughout the season, which I am going to find some ways to overcome. But so far, so good. I am feeling comfortable, and the bikes are working well. My team is doing a good job and things are going well.”
Lambert’s second straight third place in the sprint – matching his Landshut performance – moves him up to fifth place in the standings on 13 championship points. A man crowned British champion last Monday hopes to continue a fine week with another big performance on a PGE Narodowy track he is enjoying.
The Norfolk racer, who was third in the 2024 Warsaw round, said: “This was a good way to start the weekend, with a few points on the board, which is important. The track has improved a little bit since last year. It is a little bit wider and a bit of a replica to what they did in Cardiff.
“I think that’s going to help with creating some more lines tomorrow, so I am looking forward to it.
“Winning here is always something that you want and strive for, but you have five hard races, and you want to do well in them to try and get straight through to the final. We’ll see how things play out tomorrow and try to get a couple of steps higher after the final.”
Bewley slipped to third place in the standings on 19 points, despite claiming a championship point in the sprint race. But he can’t wait to make his Warsaw return on Saturday evening.
He said: “I am looking forward to tomorrow night. Warsaw is always a track I like coming to. It’s just so cool as a rider to come to a stadium like this. Just walking in here is pretty special.
“The track is pretty unique. It’s almost like a different sport compared to your typical Polish league track. Places like here are a bit of a leveller. No-one rides here any other time. But I’ll hopefully put a good result in and enjoy it after – that’s the plan.”
Polish star Kubera hopes to deliver a Warsaw night to remember after missing the 2023 round due to a crash in Qualifying and scoring two points in 2024.
He said: “I am really happy to be here. Maybe the track and stadium hasn’t always been good for me, but I feel good on the bike, and I feel better than last year. I will try my best, and we will see what happens tomorrow. I will work with my team and maybe this will be a successful year for a Polish rider. But I must concentrate all the time and fight to the line.”
For full Qualifying results, CLICK HERE and for updated Speedway GP World Championship standings, CLICK HERE.
Tickets for the Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw are still available online. Secure your spot at PGE Narodowy HERE.