FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship - Final 2, Ufa (RUS) 11th & 12th February.
With the Moscow round behind them, competitors now move 1500km to the east and to Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan. An oil producing centre the city has a long tradition of ice speedway and the Stadium Kadirov where the next round will take place is dedicated to one of the city’s famous sons. Gabdrakhman ‘Gabby’ Kadirov who won the first ever FIM World Championship in 1966 and who died in 1993 was one of Russia’s most popular track racers and won five more world ice race titles during his career before becoming a respected official and being awarded the FIM Motorcycle Merit Bronze Medal in 1990.
With a maximum temperature of -13o forecast the track could produce some interesting situations but there will be much for the local fans to enjoy. It is the home track of Nikolay Krasnikov and Dmitry Koltakov currently in second and fourth places in the championship and both will be hoping to improve their position in familiar surroundings. Daniil Ivanov will be looking to spoil their party and some close racing should result.
Wild Card for this round will be Stefan Svensson of Sweden a veteran who narrowly missed out in the Qualifying Round last month but whose experience might well upset the form of some of the younger racers. Permanent Wild Card René Stellingwerf, Holland’s only representative will be looking to improve on his disappointing performance in Final 1.
After the major motor problems he suffered in Krasnogorsk, Frank Zorn has withdrawn from the Ufa round and returned to his workshop in Austria to carry out repairs. His place here will be taken by his compatriot Martin Leitner, the highest placed non-Russian substitute.
Riders and Draw:
BALLOT N° RIDING NUMBER RIDER COUNTRY
1 10 Harald Simon Austria
2 5 Eduard Krysov Russia
3 13 Mats Järf Finland
4 6 Sergey Karachintsev Russia
5 15 René Stellingwerf The Netherlands
6 16 (Wild Card) Stefan Svensson Sweden
7 8 Robert Henderson Sweden
8 21 (Replace n°7) Martin Leitner Austria
9 4 Dmitry Khomitsevich Russia
10 2 Daniil Ivanov Russia
11 9 Grzegorz Knapp Poland
12 12 Antti Aakko Finland
13 1 Nikolay Krasnikov Russia
14 11 Jan Klatovský Czech Republic
15 14 Max Niedermaier Germany
16 3 Dmitry Koltakov Russia
17 Reserve Vladimir Chapalo Russia
18 Reserve Dmitry Bulankin Russia
Follow the FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship Live Timing
Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 February from 8.20AM (GMT) on FIM-LIVE.COM!
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Photos FIM/Good-Shoot