American shooting star Slater Lightcap admits making the move to Europe opened the door to him making his mark in SGP2.
The 20-year-old was handed a permanent wild card for the 2026 FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship.
Despite scoring just one championship point on his SGP2 debut in Torun in 2024, Lightcap underlined his massive progress by scoring 11 and finishing sixth at the BST FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla last Friday. After finishing third in his opening ride, Lightcap racked up five straight second places and underlined his ability to mix it with the sport’s top young guns.
He admits racing regularly in Poland and Sweden has made a huge difference to his progression. The Californian said: “Now I am racing here regularly and it’s a lot more than a one-time race. I am acclimated to the environment and the tracks. I am making a lot of progress this year.
“It has been a big learning curve, but I am taking some big steps, and I am finally figuring it out and getting my feet wet.
“I have been racing in Poland with Zielona Gora in the Under-24 Ekstraliga. I am also in Sweden for the Allsvenskan League with Griparna. Now I have SGP2 as well, and I am practising as much as I can.
“I am lucky enough to have Greg Hancock helping me out. He has been a big help in me making a lot of progress this year.
“He gives help and guidance. When you don’t know exactly what to do, he is there to tell you what this does and what that could do. He pushes me to do things I maybe wouldn’t try by myself.”
Despite his stellar start, Lightcap isn’t setting any big targets for the remaining two SGP2 rounds in Lodz on July 31 and Vojens on September 11.
He said: “I just want to be consistent. I want to race my bike and have a lot of fun this year. I am just here to score points and race. I would say Friday was very good for me. There were some mistakes I could have fixed, but I am happy with 11 points.”
Lightcap admits he is seeking more track action in Europe, and he is eyeing a move to Britain, where he could sign on a 4.00 average at Premiership level or 5.00 in the Championship.
He said: “I am trying to go to Britain. I am always looking at different clubs – anywhere and everywhere. I want more rides for sure. Anything helps and Britain would be a great step.”