May 3, 2022 - At the biggest sporting event in Međimurje's history, 6,500 fans from all over the world cheered for their favorite motorcycle riders at the sold-out Millennium Stadium in Donji Kraljevec for the Tehnix FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Croatia.
After 23 runs, the best was Bartosz Zmarzlik from Poland, two-time world champion and runner-up for 2021!
After the final qualification race for the World Championship was held at the Millennium Stadium for two years, Međimurje hosted 16 of the best riders in the world last weekend. The wild card went to the best Slovenian driver Matej Žagar, the winner of these qualifications. The two reserves were domestic riders from Slovenia and Hungary, Nick Škorja and Dennis Fazekas.
Twelve days of construction, 14 production trucks, four television houses, and the work of almost 200 members of the production and organizational team culminated in a painting of Međimurje to the world. Over 40 countries broadcasted the first World Speedway Championship race, TEHNIX FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX OF CROATIA.
Doyle, Holder, Dudek, and Lambert faced off in the first run, and the first victory of the evening went to Lambert, whose pre-season training in Croatia paid off. Nick Škorja got on the track in the third run to the delight of almost a thousand Slovenian fans when the Danish driver Anders Thomsen started too early and tore the starting line.
“This was one of the best Grand Prix races ever. The riders took advantage of every inch of the track, and we witnessed the spectacular rides of the best in the world! The organization of such an event is very complex and exhaustive, especially because this was the first race for the promoter after they took over the license from FIM. Nevertheless, we gave our best, and I think it was visible to every viewer live and on television. We are honored and proud to have organized the biggest event in the history of Međimurje and Croatian motorcycling," said race director Darija Pavlic.
Matej Žagar was extremely combative as a wild card and ended the evening with third place in the second semifinal run. Great rides launched him into an elite group of just 11 riders in the history of the Grand Prix competition, with over 1000 points won.
"Thank you to the organizer for the invitation. It is a great honor to ride on a track that I know well and where the atmosphere is always special. I feel at home and thank the whole Pavlic family and the club for their hospitality. Great track and organization, which is why I hope that the Grand Prix tradition will continue here," said Matej Žagar after the race.
To the delight of hundreds of Polish fans and the crowded Millennium Stadium, the winner of the race was Polish rider and multiple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik!
"It feels great, even though I'm tired. We had the Polish league on Friday, covered over 1,000 kilometers, and arrived just in time for training," said Zmarzlik. "At the beginning, I felt a bit insecure on this track, but after four runs, everything was sorted. I am happy to have won tonight. The trail in Donji Kraljevec is short, I didn't feel safe in the corners at first, but after we warmed up, everything was great."
Maciej Janowski finished second, ninth in the qualifications and was the second-best before the semifinals:
“I felt great from the beginning of training. We hit some issues with the engine, maybe it was not seen in the qualifications, but when we got to the race, everything went well."
European champion Mikkel Michelsen opened his season on this track at a training camp with the Danish national team:
"I am happy the season started with entering the finals. Of course, you always want to win when you get that chance, but the season is long, we are collecting points, and I am satisfied with the race!"
The award for the first place was presented to Bartosz Zmarzlik by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Sandra Herman, the award for the second place to Maciej Janowski was presented by the Deputy Director of FIM, World Motorcycle Federation Damiano Zamana, and the award for the third place was presented by Tehnix Eko industry Željko Horvat.
Francois Ribeiro, director of Discovery Sports Events, owner of the rights to organize Speedway Grand Prix races for the next ten years, also watched the race from the stands:
"I’m sure thousands of fans enjoyed the great speedway. Our goal was to offer additional experience through LED screens, fan zones, and new statistics. We are all looking forward to the next race in Warsaw on May 14."
Photos by Marko Kis
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