EUROPEAN REPORT

Image courtesy of Taylor Lanning Photography

And Robert Lambert is also likely to be part of the title-deciding series with Torun, although their top six finish is yet to be confirmed with the bottom five clubs in the league covered by just three points, with two matches to go.

Wroclaw are almost certain to finish in the top three, after moving on to 16 points with a bonus point at Leszno on Sunday, where the home team won the meeting 47-43 to keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation.

Bewley was absent from the clash with concussion following his accident at Leicester last Thursday, but all being well he expects to return this weekend, whilst Woffinden is still sidelined but is also targeting a comeback from a broken elbow later this month.

Wroclaw’s problems at Leszno also included a crash for Artem Laguta, who raced on to score ten points, whilst Janusz Kolodziej led the way for the hosts with 14+1.

The result moved them up to nine points, but they had already received bad news on Friday when Grudziadz, who would also have had nine if they had not scored over the weekend, defeated Gorzow 46-44 in an extraordinary meeting which now means they could well finish in the top six.

Gorzow raced into a 17-7 lead after four races but were reeled back in with Grudziadz eventually going ahead in Heat 13 and clinching the win in the next race thanks to back-to-back 5-1s.

Max Fricke (12+1), Vadim Tarasenko (10+1) and Michael Jepsen Jensen (10) led the scoring, whilst Anders Thomsen picked up 12 for Gorzow, who remain second with two matches remaining. No bonus point was awarded due to the bilateral walkover in the reverse fixture.

Leaders Lublin weren’t at their best at Zielona Gora but they still came away with a 47-43 win, Bartosz Zmarzlik top-scoring with 14 from five rides, with Zmarzlik and Mateusz Cieniak collecting a 3-3 behind Rasmus Jensen and crucially ahead of Przemyslaw Pawlicki in Heat 15.

Zielona Gora are now seventh in the table, one point ahead of Leszno, and the fight also includes Czestochowa who lost 49-41 at Torun but did collect the bonus point.

Lambert scored 9+1 for the home team, with Patryk Dudek scoring 13+1 and Emil Sayfutdinov 12+1.

But all the talk was in the visitors’ pits where the crews of Mikkel Michelsen and Leon Madsen, who top scored with 14, clashed after the final race, with the club denying reports of aggression between the two Danish riders.

With two rounds to go, Czestochowa have a chance to secure safety – and move into the play-off places – as they face Zielona Gora at home this weekend, whilst the losers will be under threat from Leszno, who are unlikely to score at Lublin but then race at home to Gorzow in Round 14.

In Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga, Ostrow are a point clear at the top with one match remaining, after defeating Krosno 55-33 with Gleb Chugunov scoring a 15-point maximum and Tobiasz Musielak being unbeaten from four rides.

Bydgoszcz are the only team who can deny them top spot ahead of the play-offs, after they won impressively 48-41 at Rybnik, and both of the top two also collected bonus points.

Elsewhere Poznan moved up to fourth place with a convincing 54-36 win at Rzeszow, with Aleksandr Loktaev scoring a 15-point maximum and Ryan Douglas adding 11+2, which means Gdansk are yet to be officially relegated after their match at Lodz was rained off.

However, the bottom side are six points adrift with three matches remaining, including a double against Rybnik this weekend.

In the National Speedway League, Adam Ellis scored 5+2 from four rides for Pila in their 48-42 win at Landshut which moved them into fourth place and left the German side bottom of the table.

Tuesday’s action in Sweden saw Lejonen take over at the top as Vastervik dropped a bonus point to Smederna after a 48-42 home win, with Lambert scoring nine points from five rides. They had lost the reverse fixture by 16 points back in May.

That means Lejonen are now ahead on race points difference after beating third placed Indianerna 55-35 thanks to a 17+1 paid maximum from Dominik Kubera, which was easily enough for the bonus point. Tom Brennan, who had been rained off with Gdansk at the weekend, impressed for the visitors with 10+1 at reserve.

Vargarna remain bottom of the table after a heavy 63-27 defeat at Piraterna, with Ellis scoring 4+1 and Chris Harris four for the visitors, whilst the other fixture saw Dackarna get the better of Rospiggarna 49-41.

In the Under-24 Ekstraliga, Leszno remain on top after a thumping 63-27 win over Lublin, whilst nearest challengers Wroclaw also won, 51-39 at Torun despite a 10-point haul from Anders Rowe for the hosts.

Gorzow are up to third after defeating Zielona Gora 54-36 with Czestochowa beaten 50-39 at Krosno, although there was a 10+2 score for Leon Flint for the visitors.