SGP of Croatia: Magical night in Međimurje dazzles Donji Kraljevec

(Photos: Julien Duval/SGP of Croatia)

Bartosz Zmarzlik won his second consecutive first season Speedway GP, which was also held in Croatia for the second year in a row! It all started unpredictably, and the impression was intensified by rain, which delayed the start for about 20 minutes.

Pure energized magic could be felt in Donji Kraljevec last night at the beginning of the Speedway GP season, which, like last year, began in Croatia. On a cool evening, the sounds of the assembled fans echoed through the full stadium, who excitedly followed the events at the Milenium Stadium in Donji Kraljevec with sighs and many accompanying activities.

(Photo: SGP of Croatia)

After a hot and sunny day, just before the start of the main part of the program, a downpour appeared, which made the situation on the field difficult, but also contributed to the unique atmosphere that practically cut the anticipation with a knife.

Over the past weekend, 14 trucks of equipment, 4 TV trucks, 35 kilometers of cables, and 7,000 people who came to watch 16 drivers flooded the stadium and its surroundings, while more than 10 million viewers followed the race on small screens in 56 countries.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

Over the past 18 years, a large number of races and events have been held in Donji Kraljevec, and in the international sports calendar of the World Motorcycle Federation (FIM), this Grand Prix is ​​listed as the 71st race organized at the Milenium Stadium.

The organizers once again showed that Croatia belongs to the very world-class in preparing everything needed for a top sports event. This is evidenced by the fact that many drivers consider the Milenium Stadium their favorite track, extremely technical and practical.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

This is not surprising, given the fact that father and son Zvonimir and Jurica Pavlic themselves achieved success as drivers in this increasingly popular sport. The fact that Darija Pavlic is a representative of the FIM, that is, the World Motorcycle Federation, speaks volumes about how involved the family is in the sport.

In the end, the highest place on the podium was taken by the triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, not entirely unexpectedly, but after various adventures, showing determination and phenomenal fighting spirit. This is his 19th GP victory and second (in a row!) in Croatia. Zmarzlik struggled for the title in a battle with top drivers like Robert Lambert, Fredrik Lindgren, Jason Doyle, and Tai Woffinden.

(Photo: SGP of Croatia)

“I am very happy with the result. I had a pretty tough weekend. Not everything worked out best, but thanks to my team for a very good job. In the fifth heat, there was a mistake; I was waiting for the perfect moment to start, but that’s happening too. I already felt much better by the final,” Zmarzlik said after winning the trophy, who managed to return during the race and make up for the (too) fast start for which he was excluded from the fifth race. After a tense final in which Jason Doyle was also a favorite alongside Zmarzlik, the latter ran off the track.

Despite any mistakes or difficulties, it is important to stay focused. “After making a mistake, I just waited for the next ride to show what I know,” said the winner briefly. Lambert, the second-place winner, believes that the rain actually helped him in the race, where all the drivers had to adapt to the weather conditions.

“I wasn’t that fast in qualifying. I didn’t start the final race well, but I managed to stay ahead of Freddie. I work hard to soon achieve my first GP victory, I am sure it awaits me in the future,” Lambert said determinedly.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

Freddie Lindgren, who finished third on the podium, qualified for the semifinals thanks to his fourth-place finish in the Speedway GP season of 2022. He and Australians Jack Holder and Max Fricke had the same number of points (8) after the first 20 rides.

“Today, the conditions were difficult for all of us. It was lucky for me that Tai Woffinden entered a little too fast at one point in the semifinals, so I was able to pass him,” said Lindgren.

Međimurje hosted the 16 best drivers in the world. As a Croatian wildcard, “an old friend” of the Pavlic family and stadium, Matej Žagar, also participated.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

Dubravko Horvat, director of the eco-industry Tehnix, presented the third-place trophy to Fredrik Lindgren, while Hakan Leeman, a member of the FIM management, presented the second-place trophy to Robert Lambert. The winner received the trophy from the representative of the Prime Minister, Tomislav Družak, the Secretary of State for Tourism and Sports.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

The next race is the Orlen FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland – Warsaw, which will be held on May 13th.

SPEEDWAY GP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 Bartosz Zmarzlik 20, 2 Robert Lambert 18, 3 Fredrik Lindgren 16, 4 Jason Doyle 14, 5 Tai Woffinden 12, 6 Mikkel Michelsen 11, 7 Dan Bewley 10, 8 Martin Vaculik 9, 9 Jack Holder 8, 10 Max Fricke 7, 11 Patryk Dudek 6, 12 Anders Thomsen 5, 13 Leon Madsen 4, 14 Maciej Janowski 3, 15 Kim Nilsson 2, 16 Matej Zagar 1.