FIM Long Track World Championship – Challenge
Scheessel, Germany. 25th August 2019
Fifteen Long Track hopefuls will line up in Scheessel, Germany on Sunday aiming for a permanent place in the 2020 FIM World Long Track Championship. The top four riders at the end of the meeting will be seeded directly into next years finals where they will join the top eight from the 2019 championship and the Wild Cards nominated by the Track Racing Commission.
- <link http: www.fim-live.com en library download no_cache external-link-new-window external link in new>Start list and draw
New European Champion Zack Wajtknecht won the European Long Track Championship in Bad Hersfeld last week will be a favourite to fill one of those places. The 21 year old from Great Britain is in the form of his life at the moment with his confidence boosted by his European success. His compatriot Richard Hall has an inconsistent history and may have a greater task despite his experience.
If the European Final is an indication of current prospects then third placed Kenneth Kruse Hansen must also be considered as a possible winner. The only Danish rider in the field a success would confirm a resurgence of Danish track racing after a recent lean spell. Jesse Mustonen will also hope to raise the profile of Finnish racing with a good performance. Henry van der Steen and Jarno de Vries are the Dutch qualifiers.
Germany, for so long the leading Long Track nation, had a disastrous meeting on home soil in Bad Hersfeld with Katt, Diener and Dilger all finishing at the bottom of the field and local fans will be hoping for a better showing from them on Sunday. Jorge Tebbe is a track expert in Scheessel and might be expected to finish the best of the Germans on current form.
The Czech Republic are represented by a mixture of youth and experience with near veteran Josef Franc joined by Martin Malek winner of the earlier qualifying round and Hynek Stichauer. Similarly, France will contrast experience and youth with Stephane Trésarrieu and Gaétan Stella flying the tricolour.
Racing at the Eichenring in Scheessel will start at 13.30 local time on Sunday. FIM Jury President is Mick Bates from Great Britain with FIM Referee Pavel Kubes from Czech Republic.