Swedish team manager Linus Sundstrom insists he’s determined to give something back to the sport in his homeland as he steps up his Swedish Speedway Academy project in 2025.
Sundstrom was appointed as national coach last autumn, replacing Vastervik boss Morgan Andersson, and the 2015 FIM Speedway World Cup winner will lead the side into his first FIM Speedway of Nations in Torun from September 30 until October 4.
Aside from his managerial commitments to Poland’s senior and junior sides, Sundstrom continues to build his Swedish Speedway Academy, which he launched in 2023.
He will also coach alongside six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson at the FIM SGP Academy in Malilla from July 3-5.
Sundstrom’s aim is to equip more young riders with the skills needed to take on the sport’s biggest stars as he continues his involvement in speedway following his retirement due to injury in 2021.
He explained: “I am not done in the sport. I want to give back to it and I feel I have it in me to help Swedish speedway going forward.
“We kicked off this academy as a pilot project in 2023, just to try it out, and we went full gas in 2024. Last year we had five weekends, and we had competitions on the 250cc bikes and the 500s. It was open to under-21s. This year, the 85cc and 190cc SGP4 riders will also be with us.
“This year’s first weekend will be in Gislaved on April 19-20. We will also invite Lejonen’s own speedway school kids to come. I think we will have between 35 and 45 kids on this weekend.
“We will be running on both tracks at the same time – the small track and big track. We will have our training weekends in Gislaved, Kumla and Eskilstuna, and the reason why we go to those places is the same reason why they had SGP4 in Malilla – the small track and its pits are separate. We have the chance to run both tracks at the same time. That’s what we are going to do.”
Sundstrom’s efforts have been well supported by his fellow Swedish stars, with both current and former riders taking part as coaches.
He said: “I had Pontus Aspgren and Ricky Kling with me as training instructors last year. At one of the weekends, Tony Rickardsson was with us. (Four-time Speedway GP world champion) Greg Hancock was with us when we were in Vastervik.
“We had training in Mariestad, and we had PK (Peter Karlsson) and Oliver Berntzon, who chipped in and helped the youngsters. Andreas Jonsson is involved – supporting us financially through the building company he is running today. Freddie Lindgren has also been involved, along with Peter Nahlin and Magnus Zetterstrom.
“There are a lot of current and former riders involved, and it was a good first year. We will build on that now for 2025.
“I am really thankful and really happy to have all of these guys involved. The response has been better than I could have ever wished for. I am just trying to get a little bit of help and involve as many people as possible in one way or another to share their experience and support the kids.”
Sundstrom admits that the Swedish Speedway Academy isn’t only about supporting the young riders. He said: “It’s 50 percent for the riders and 50 percent for their mechanics, which is normally the mums and dads.
“We want to help them to save money and give them some tips and tricks to not waste money. We can advise them how and where they need to spend their time, how to look after the bikes and how to make them work well. The academy is not only for the riders.”
While Sundstrom admits clubs must still offer youngsters the chance to get a first taste of the sport, he is ready to support Sweden’s young guns as they establish themselves on the shale.
He added: “As soon as the youngsters and their parents decide to start with speedway – when they get a bike and a licence – I will look after them in the academy with training sessions and all the help we can offer.
“It is still up to each club to make sure they have speedway schools and training sessions, so that they can offer kids the chance to try speedway. But once they are in the sport and have their own bike, I will look after them together with Ricky, Pontus and all of the guys involved in the academy.”