Lebedevs awarded Wild Card

Latvian sensation Andzejs Lebedevs is set for his senior World Championship debut when he lines up in the Rietumu Bank Latvian FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Daugavpils on August 17. The FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship finalist has been making waves on the world stage this year. He was part of the Latvian team which achieved its greatest ever finish of sixth place in the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup last month. Lebedevs scored seven points in Event 1 at Czestochowa on July 13 and five at the Race Off in Prague on July 18. The Daugavpils rider, who has also been snapped up by British Elite League team King’s Lynn, finished third with 11 points in the opening round of the World Under-21 Final at Polish circuit Pila on June 29. He was only denied second place after losing a run-off to Kacper Gomolski. Lebedevs, 18, dons the No.16 race jacket for what will be the biggest meeting of his career to date. He is joined in the event by Monster Energy SWC and Daugavpils team mates Kasts Puodzuks and Maksims Bogdanovs. In-form Puodzuks led the scoring for Latvia in the Race Off on 10 points and dons the No.17 race jacket, while 2010 World Under-21 Final bronze medallist Bogdanovs is No.18. The referee will be Poland’s Marek Wojaczek.