EUROPEAN REPORT - SGP Warsaw

Robert Lambert returned to the Grand Prix podium with a tremendous performance to take third place in Warsaw on Saturday. Lambert still awaits that elusive first victory but he is now firmly establishing himself as one of the true consistent forces of the series, and he was also involved in some of the best action in Round 2 at the PGE Naradowy.

And one of the most dramatic moments of an entertaining meeting saw him snatch second place from Jack Holder on the run to the line in the first Semi-Final, following on from a great battle with Bartosz Zmarzlik and Szymon Wozniak for second place in Heat 8, with Lambert coming out on top in that particular scrap too.

The Final was won from the gate by Jason Doyle as he fended off Zmarzlik to take his first GP victory since 2017, whilst Lambert held a comfortable third place over Martin Vaculik.

Dan Bewley was also a Semi-Finalist but his hopes were dashed at the hands of Zmarzlik and Vaculik, although eight points in the qualifiers was certainly a step forward from Croatia.

Tai Woffinden also looked set for a big step in the right direction with five points from his first two rides, but he could then add just one from his last three and exited the meeting before the Semis.

But prior to that, the GB riders created a unique slice of history when all three qualified for the series’ first-ever sprint race on Friday afternoon, by finishing top of their respective qualifying groups.

Bewley took the honours in the race itself, overtaking Leon Madsen to claim a bonus four GP points, with Woffinden in third place ahead of Bewley.

The overall position now sees Doyle holding a handy six-point lead over Holder and Zmarzlik, with Lambert in fourth place on 29, nine off the top.

Bewley is up to eight place, helped by the sprint win, with a total of 18, whilst Woffinden is in 13th place on nine.

Due to the Grand Prix it was a quiet week for league action in Poland with no Ekstraliga meetings scheduled, and just two matches taking place in Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga.

Krosno took over at the top of the table with a 55-35 win over Poznan, with Vaclav Milik top scoring on 12+2, and they join Rybnik on eight league points with all sides having raced four matches.

Elsewhere Ostrow moved into the top four with a 47-43 win over Rzeszow, with Gleb Chugunov racking up 16 points from six rides for the hosts as they operated rider replacement for Tobiasz Musielak.

There was no action in the National Speedway League with Adam Ellis unable to line up for Pila at Tarnow as that match was postponed.

Lambert then kept up his great form with a paid maximum in Sweden on Tuesday, scoring 14+1 from five rides in a big home win for Vastervik.

They defeated Rospiggarna 58-32 to make it two wins from two matches so far this season, a feat matched by both Indianerna and Lejonen.

The Indians were 50-40 winners over Dackarna with Patryk Dudek scoring 15-point maximum, whilst Bewley was absent for the visitors who operated rider replacement.

Meanwhile Lejonen racked up a massive 68-22 over Vargarna with Zmarzlik, Jarek Hampel, Kacper Woryna and Oliver Berntzon all unbeaten. Chris Harris scored three points from five rides for the visitors.

The final match of the round saw Piraterna get their first win of the season, 50-40 against Smederna who are scoreless from two rounds, with Maciej Janowski top scoring for the home side on 12+2.

In Tuesday’s Polish Under-24 Ekstraliga action, Czestochowa joined Leszno at the top albeit having raced one match more, with a 52-38 away win at Zielona Gora.

There were three Great Britain riders in action with Connor Bailey the highest scorer as he collected 7+1 for Wroclaw in their 55-35 win over bottom club Krosno.

Elsewhere, Anders Rowe scored five points for Torun in a 46-44 away win at Grudziadz, for whom Dan Gilkes totalled 4+2. The other meeting between Lublin and Gorzow finished all square at 45-45.

And five more places in the Speedway Euro Championship have been confirmed following Sunday’s SEC Challenge at Daugavpils. Janowski won the meeting and was joined in the top three by Piotr Pawlicki and Milik, with a four-man run-off deciding the remaining places in the top five in favour of Woryna and Jevgeny Kostygovs.

That meant recent GP racer Anders Thomsen missed out, although organisers now have to confirm five more nominated places to join the top five from last season in the field, with the series getting underway in Debrecen on June 8.