Coaches Tony Rickardsson, Greg Hancock and Linus Sundstrom were delighted with their latest class of FIM SGP Academy stars after eighteen riders from eight different countries took part in the event at Swedish club Malilla last week.
The second FIM SGP Academy of 2025 saw riders aged 11-15, riding youth bikes ranging from 85cc to the 190cc SGP4 bike under the guidance of six-time FIM Speedway world champion Rickardsson and four-time Speedway GP world champion Hancock, as well as Swedish national coach Sundstrom, who won the 2015 FIM Speedway World Cup with his country.
As well as on-track coaching in areas like cornering, starting and passing, riders took part in classroom sessions covering aspects of the sport including regulations, bike preparation, media and social media, sponsorship, fitness and health.
Riders representing host nation Sweden, the United States, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Romania and Finland all took part in an event staged in partnership between FIM Speedway global promoter Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, the FIM and Swedish governing body SVEMO.
Rickardsson was delighted with the progress his students made and looks forward to continuing to develop the FIM SGP Academy project ahead of the third and final event in Torun, Poland, which is part of FIM Speedway of Nations week, which runs from September 30 until October 4.
The Swedish legend said: “We had some very hectic days. We mostly spent time on the racetrack. Everybody did a lot of laps. We went through corner techniques, sliding techniques, starting techniques and also tactics – how to pass people and set up for a pass.
“The track time was fantastic. We also had some good hours in the classroom. It was a full and hectic weekend.
“We had eight different nationalities and 18 kids riding the bikes. It was a super good feeling that we had so many languages in the pits.
“The help from Greg and Linus was fantastic. Getting one-on-one time with each rider is so important. It’s not straightforward to coach these young kids. All of them are unique and need to have special guidance.
“We are learning a lot by running these academies. We are keeping all the parts that have been successful, and we keep adding new parts to the programme all the time. This is a programme that will continually be better. That’s our aim. This has been the best one so far, and hopefully the next one will be even better.
“I really hope we will have as many young and enthusiastic families at the next FIM SGP Academy in Torun, so bring it on!”
Hancock’s youngest son Karl, 12, was among the riders, and the Californian icon is pleased with how the FIM SGP Academy project has developed since he coached at the very first one in Prague last year.
He’s also glad to see more riders honing their skills on the 190cc bike, designed by Rickardsson for SGP4, a competition for 11-13-year-olds, which was launched in 2023 and has gained world-championship status for this season.
He said: “It’s amazing. From the first academy that I was part of, it’s incredible to see how much this has advanced, how much they are building up and how many more kids are coming – all with different ideas and riding styles.
“I think what Tony is doing with WBD and the FIM is the key to the future. We are starting to see more of these 190cc SGP4 bikes coming into play, and I think it’s going to continue to spread and become a mark of the future – with every federation having 190cc bikes, 250cc bikes, 500cc bikes simultaneously.
“It has been a great few days and I have really been impressed with how it has grown. The level is moving up all the time. All I would say to the youngsters coming into it is ‘tell your friends – we want more!’”
Sundstrom runs the Swedish Speedway Academy as he bids to inspire the next generation of riders to follow him into the sport, and he was delighted to be part of a much bigger team to deliver the FIM SGP Academy.
He said: “It was my first guest appearance at the FIM SGP Academy, and I am overwhelmed with the progress the riders made, how much respect they show each other and how hungry they are to get out on the track. It seems like you can’t tire them out; they just want to keep going and going and going. It was a brilliant few days.
“When I run the Swedish Speedway Academy, I am responsible for all the food, the ambulances, the track staff and making sure everything is working. I am doing all of that on my own. Here I just turned up and coached!
“It was fun to help out the smaller kids. You can see such big steps forward in a short timeframe. I enjoyed every second of it.”
FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP) director Armando Castagna commented: “It was great to see so many talented young riders on track in Malilla and I thank everyone involved in making the latest edition of the FIM SGP Academy possible – WBD Sports, SVEMO and our coaches Tony, Greg and Linus.
“The FIM SGP Academies continue to evolve and grow, and we look forward to seeing more riders from more nations taking part in the coming years.”
Laura Manciet, FIM Speedway World Championships director for WBD Sports, added: “It was a real pleasure to see our young riders progress and enjoy themselves over a great few days in Malilla. Hopefully this is only the first time we see them in action at FIM Speedway events and they will compete in SGP4 and SGP3 in the coming years, before one day racing in Speedway GP and SGP2.
“I want to thank Tony, Greg and Linus, who worked tirelessly as coaches to deliver a great programme of activities, along with everyone from the FIM, SVEMO and our WBD Sports team who made the FIM SGP Academy possible.
“We are already looking forward to the final academy of 2025 at the FIM Speedway of Nations in Torun, and I can’t wait to see our next group of young riders enjoy this hugely valuable experience.