FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Lodz wild card Piotr Pawlicki shares his excitement about coming back to the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series after a nine-year absence.
Fogo Unia Leszno’s rider is set to make his long-awaited Speedway GP comeback, having secured the wild card for the historic debut SGP round in Lodz, Poland, on Saturday, August 1.
The Pole finished sixth in the 2016 SGP season and won the 2017 FIM Speedway GP of Latvia - Daugavpils, while securing back-to-back FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals with Poland.
The younger of the Pawlicki brothers admits he has missed the thrill of world-championship racing. Still, a star for Unia Leszno, he plans to stay calm and focused for the event at the Moto Arena Lodz.
“I was really happy to get the wild card. I’m taking a calm approach to this competition. It would be nice to show myself in a good light and prove I can compete at the highest level. But on August 1, everything will become clear, so we will see. It’s all ahead of me.”
Round seven of this season’s FIM Speedway Grand Prix series is one of the few opportunities for many Polish PGE Ekstraliga riders to compete at this particular track.
The IMME (Individual International Ekstraliga Championship) on March 28, 2026, was the most recent chance for many Polish PGE Ekstraliga riders to truly battle it out at the Moto Arena Lodz, with Pawlicki having one of his best individual performances this season. The 31-year-old rider finished one of the season-opening showdowns in seventh place, scoring 11 points.
The Leszno-based rider says this is one of his favourite tracks. He said: “IMME in Łódź was one of the best tournaments in my last few seasons, and I do like this track, even though it is quite technical for a Polish track, which suits my style.
“But every day and every tournament is different, so it’s hard to know what will happen. I think focusing on my riding is the most important thing, and then it is what it is.”
Asked about his goals for the Speedway GP in Lodz, Pawlicki admits he always approaches all the competitions with one thing on his mind - winning.
He said: “To be honest, I’m not thinking about everything right now. There’s still time, and as I said, I go to every tournament and league match in Poland or abroad aiming to win; that’s always my goal. The competition is very close, so it’s hard to predict what will happen.
“We’re definitely going to head over there really determined and ready to fight for the best result”.
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