Swedish star Philip Hellstrom-Bangs has been suspended from racing for one month from May 1 until May 31.
The former SGP2 rider received the ban following an incident that took place at Masarna’s Swedish Allsvenskan League semi-final on August 21.
Both of Hellstrom-Bangs’ Swedish clubs, Bauhaus Elitserien team Rospiggarna and Masarna, released statements confirming that the rider plans to appeal against the penalty.
A Rospiggarna statement read: “Rospiggarna Speedway has taken note of the disciplinary action taken against our rider Philip Hellström-Bängs.
“We want to clearly emphasise that we take what happened seriously and that respect for referees, officials and the sport in general is always a natural part of our operations.
“At the same time, we question the suspension imposed, as we believe that it is disproportionate to the incident and in practice means that a Swedish rider is prevented from practicing his sport for a longer period of time and is in practice banned from doing business.
“The decision affects not only the rider but also the club as a whole, both sportingly and financially. We believe that a more proportionate sanction, such as a suspension from the league where the incident occurred or a fine, would have been a more reasonable solution.
“The decision will be appealed by Philip, and Rospiggarna Speedway has provided our views in a separate appendix. We hope that the issue will be re-examined, and that a fair and balanced assessment is made in line with the best interests of the sport and Swedish speedway.”
In a separate statement, Masarna posted: “Masarna Speedway stands for clear values of respect and sportsmanship, and we have handled the event internally. Philip has taken responsibility for his actions and shown remorse.
“We believe that the subsequent punishment is unreasonably harsh in relation to the event, which was a verbal outburst of emotion.
“The consequence means in practice that a Swedish rider is prevented from practicing his sport during a significant part of the season, with major sporting and financial consequences for both him and the affected associations.
“The decision has therefore been appealed to the National Sports Committee, and Masarna has submitted a statement where we account for our position.
"We hope for a new hearing and a more proportional assessment, in line with the basic values of sport and in the best interests of Swedish speedway.”