Inaugural FIM Flat Track World Championship opens

The inaugural FIM Flat Track World Championship gets underway this Saturday (3rd October 2020) with the opening Final of the 2020 campaign from the Czech Republic.  The town of Pardubice was initially scheduled to stage the season finale, but in a much-changed calendar it retains its original date and hosts the curtain raiser at the Svítkov Speedway Stadium.

The first Final of Flat Track’s new era, following on from seven seasons as an FIM World Cup, is a part of the 72nd Czech Golden Helmet weekend that sees the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Final taking place on the same 391 metre oval less than 24 hours earlier.  Traditionally crowds of over 20,000 spectators pack the grandstands during Pardubice’s biggest annual race weekend, and although on this occasion government health measures limit spectator numbers to just 2,000, the 26 riders on show will be keen to show those fortunate enough to get hold of tickets just what international Flat Track is all about.

Among the field will be representatives of ten different nations, including the top eight from the 2019 World Cup.  As ever Francesco Cecchini will start as the favourite, having finished number one for the last six consecutive FIM Flat Track seasons.  The Zaeta-mounted Italian has been unbeaten in a single Final since 2016, although he was not yet a part of the FIM Flat Track scene when the series last visited Pardubice in 2013, so this will be a new venue for him to tackle.

Among Cecchini’s most prominent rivals the Spanish cohort looks most likely to halt his progress towards a first world title.  Adrián Garín finished second to the Italian last year, with fellow countryman Guillermo Cano taking fourth just two points behind.  And with Ferran Cardús returning to Europe from the AFT Singles to take part in his first FIM campaign there should be regular contenders from the Iberian nation.

From further afield, Japanese riders Hideyuki Okada and Masatoshi Ohmori join Spaniard Cano in the Honda Artbox team for 2020.  Meanwhile closer to home, the Czech Republic line up with four national representatives including Wild Card Václav Gehart.

FIM Flat Track began with a one-off event back in 2011 but enters a new era in 2020.  And despite the global pandemic, international followers of the discipline can look forward to an intensive schedule of three Rounds in four weeks to settle the sport’s first World Championship title.  Opening Round venue Pardubice makes its return to the calendar for the first time since 2013; Prague’s Marketa Stadium the Czech Republic’s only other past international Flat Track venue.  And the 2020 calendar will be completed by events in Diedenbergen, Germany in a fortnight’s time and the season finale at Boves in Cuneo, Italy a week later. FIM Communications