Polish racer Dominik Kubera would love to end his quest for an FIM Speedway Grand Prix podium as he prepares for the FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague this Saturday.
Kubera battled his way into the final at the Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw on May 17 after scoring six race points in the heats, before winning his last-chance qualifier and taking fourth place in the final.
It was a bittersweet moment for Kubera. Despite the high of reaching the final in front of 48,000 fans at PGE Narodowy, Kubera has now finished fourth on his last four Speedway GP final appearances, including at last year’s FIM Czech Speedway GP.
He reached two SGP podiums as a wild card in 2021, finishing second and then third in the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Lublin double-header.
After getting a taste of the SGP champagne four years ago, Kubera would love to enjoy it again. He said: “Three times last year I made the final and I didn’t stand on the podium. That’s my goal this year, to be on the podium. It doesn’t matter where; I will work hard to do it somewhere.
“I was close in Warsaw, but it is how it is. The next one is Prague. Last year I had a really good meeting there, and I am focusing on that.”
Kubera was still delighted to play his part in a great night for Poland at PGE Narodowy – even if he endured a rollercoaster ride in the heats, winning two races and registering three last places.
He said: “I won heats or lost and was 100 metres behind. I am so happy to have been in the final. Before the meeting, if someone had told me I would make the final, I would have said, ‘yes’ and taken it. I have it and 14 points more on my board. We will fight in the next round.
“But I feel a little bit confused. The track was perfect, and I felt so good. When I was last, I didn’t know why. I would win one heat, not change anything on my bike and then I was last. In the next race, I would change everything, and it was good. Then I would change something a little bit and be last again. I don’t know why.
“This track is special. I need to know how to work with my bike here, but I made the final. I just don’t know what to write in my notebook about the setup.
“But it was a really enjoyable night for me. I was really happy to be in the final at this stadium. It was amazing. We were so close to being on the podium, but it was really hard.”