Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik took a giant stride closer to his fifth Speedway GP World Championship after storming to his second victory of 2024 at the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga on Saturday.
Zmarzlik saw off a huge challenge from title rival Fredrik Lindgren of Sweden, who took second place in the final, with Great Britain racer Dan Bewley picking up third place and Aussie star Max Fricke finishing fourth.
With Zmarzlik now holding a 17-point lead at the top of the Speedway GP World Championship standings, he could seal the world title with a round to spare if he finishes next Saturday’s Deluxe Homeart FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens 21 points or more ahead of his nearest rival.
An elated Zmarzlik admits he had to fight for his second Riga victory in as many years – not least after crashing in his opening race.
He said: "Dramatic night here in Riga! In the first heats, I was really struggling, I felt slow, and the track was very hard. I had to focus on every point.
“Before the semi-final, I had a feeling I could turn things around, even though I had tough starting positions.
“I’m so happy because winning tonight was anything but easy. It was such a tough race. After the crash, I had to switch engines. I want to thank my team and tuner for their hard and smart work– they really pulled through for me."
It was also an epic night for Latvian hero Andzejs Lebedevs in his home event as he topped the heat score chart on 14 race points. But he suffered a cruel semi-final exit after Zmarzlik and Lindgren made electrifying starts to end his night.