TEAM POLAND,DENMARK AND GERMANY TO RACE IN MILDURA

Following the conduct of the two FIM Team Speedway Under 21 World Championship semi finals held in Europe over this past weekend, it will be the strong team from Poland, who will come to Mildura as World Championship favourite after they convincingly won their meeting in Opole, Poland, while the Danish Team secured their trip to Mildura in October at Gustrow, Germany, with a well ridden 46 points, just 6 points ahead of home Team Germany, who finished 10 points ahead of Team Great Britain on 30, leaving Finland to score only 6 points in the meeting. Poland scored a massive 55 points, 26 points ahead of second team, the Czech Republic, with another 5 points further away being third placed, Russia, with 24 points and Team Sweden languishing in fourth place with a 20 point score line. The Poles showed great depth in their team, which was well led by Captain and current World Under 21 Individual Champion, Piotr Pawlicki, who gathered 15 points ahead of the Wild Card for the forthcoming Gorzow Speedway Grand Prix to be held next week, Bartoz Zmarzlik, who scored 14 points. Team mates, Pawel Przedpelski and Maksym Drabik both scored 13 points to secure a massive win for Team Poland. This was a most consistent team performance on their home track, but their domination was sufficient to secure World Under 21 Team favouritism once again. The Danes, in Gustrow, were consistent too with Mikkel Michelsen and Mikkel Bech Jensen both top scoring with 13 points while Anders Thomsen scored 11 points and Nikolaj Busk Jacobsen collected 9 points, to give the Danes a comfortable win and a trip to Australia. The German meeting provided two countries that will come to Australia for the October 31^st meeting at Mildura, as Team Germany fought off a hard trying English team to secure the “best second place score” by scoring 40 points to the English 30 points. The Germans were well served by Valentin Grobauer, who scored 15 points with Michael Hartin collecting 13 points while the Riss brothers, Erik, the current World Long Track Champion and Mark gathered just 12 points between them which was still enough to see them secure the final place in the Mildura meeting ahead of the English, who fell away in the final round of heats. Straight after the Opole meeting Polish Captain, Piotr Pawlicki said “that the Polish team was keen to come to Mildura and take home a Gold Medal, such was the commitment to their sport and their country.” If all the teams stay as they were in both Germany and Poland, there will be no European riders who have ever been “down under” let alone to race at Olympic Park, Mildura, Sitting back making his assessment of the tough European meetings has been Team Australia Manager, Mark Lemon, who will bring a skilled and experienced squad to his home track to contest against the Poles, the Danes and the Germans. Lemon will possibly use Brady Kurtz, Nick Morris, Max Fricke and Jack Holder as the core of his Kangaroos team. All the Australian riders are well used to Mildura with Fricke riding Mildura many times in his career and Morris and Holder doing quite well here at last year’s Australian Solo final. More particularly all four riders are in good form in British League racing with Kurtz being a standout at his home track Somerset and Morris and Fricke enjoying their British Elite League racing, while Holder has been having a good season as well. Each team may only have four nominated riders, with No Reserve rider being available, under any circumstances, so pressure is on the teams in respect to injuries during the racing, as a heat replacement is not able to be made. The scene is set for a tough and fast meeting at Mildura on the last day of October, with the many foibles of Team Cup racing being brought to the fore, especially with the use of the “Joker” as a “Wild Card” option and the selection of the final four heats being entirely up to the Team Managers. The Team Managers actually select their riders in their last four heat positions, in the predetermined gate positions with the lowest scoring team getting first selection and second bottom taking second pick through until the top points scoring team gets to fill in the places left, with their riders, with the best gate positions already being set and taken by the lower ranking teams. This selection process brings a massive element of surprise with the many combinations which are available. When used, the “Joker” can earn a team double points, if their points deficit is at the required level prior to any heat, so these Team meetings can go right down to the wire, with an “unknown” always in the offing as a score line can be altered so quickly. It was generally expected that Teams Poland and Denmark were the most likely Semi final winners, but the Germans success, to many people, would not have been widely expected. Mildura Motor Cycle Club (MMCC) will be operating a “free” Internet Café for local patrons who do not have computer access or who are uncomfortable in using the Internet to make bookings and purchases. The Internet Café will be open from 9:00am until 12 Noon on each of this coming Saturday 29^th August, Saturday 5^th September and Saturday 12^th September at the Reception room of the Setts, in 8^th Street, Mildura. MMCC members will man the computers and patrons will be able to make their selections and purchases with a single operator, pay for their requirements and take away a receipt which will be able to be taken to the Alfred Deakin Centre (Cnr 12st and Deakin Ave, Mildura) during Race week, from Tuesday 27^th October to collect their tickets, passes and merchandise. Tickets can also be purchased online on the Mildura Motorcyle Club Website www.milduramotorcycleclub.org.au

TEAM POLAND,DENMARK AND GERMANY TO RACE IN MILDURA

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