At the end of FIM Long-Track World Championship, the top seven riders qualified directly for 2013.
The riders placed 8th to 13th will have to go through another qualifying process: the Grand Prix Challenge. They will be joined by the top six riders from each of the two qualifying rounds in Müldhorf (Germany) and Tayac (France), making 18 in all.
The riders placed 13th to 25th are out of the competition.
As some riders from the qualifying rounds are already among those placed 8th to 13th in the 2012 World Championship, several riders ranked lower in the qualifiers have made it into the GP Challenge.
The GP Challenge will take place this Saturday 22 September at Marianske Lazne in the Czech Republic. The 1000-meter track is in heart of the famous spa town, also known as Marienbad, in the west of the country, not far from the German border.
A very fast and technical track, feared by riders and mechanics alike, awaits the riders, all anxious to qualify.
After this meeting, only seven of the riders will have clinched their berths for 2013.
Some of the participants are famous riders who had an unsuccessful 2012 championship owing to injury, mechanical problems, bad luck or just bad tactics. Among them are riders such as Katt of Germany, European Champion 2012, top Dutch rider DeJong, Britain’s Philpps, Frenchman Trésarrieu and Mustonen of FInland.
Facing them will be some very different riders who have gone through the qualifying rounds:
- the famous: local rider Dryml, Hall (GB), Fabriek (NL),
- the long-track specialists: Rudolph (GER) and Richard Wolff (CZ),
- the outsiders: Gathercole, an Australian speedway specialist, Lourens (NL), Dubernard (FR), DiPalma (FR),
- the young hopefuls: Debiasi (FR), Woortmann (NL).
All these riders will make for a very contrasting field and a truly exciting show!
Who will be joining Kylmäkorpi, Smolinski, Franc, Pijper, Tebbe, Woodward and Kröger in 2013 ?
We shall know the answer at 14h30 on Saturday! Live results on www.speedway.org
Text : Lydia Robin
Pics : www.motorsport-aktuell.com, www.speedwayfakta.cz