JACK HOLDER’S 2022GP DUTY CALL

Australian Jack Holder leads the list of 2022 FIM Speedway Grand Prix substitute riders to complete next year’s World Championship line-up.

The main SGP 2022 field features 15 permanent riders, led by new world champion Artem Laguta, Poland’s double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik and new world number three Emil Sayfutdinov.

But if one of the regular SGP stars is forced out of a round due to injury, illness or other reasons, the FIM calls up a rider from the substitutes list to replace them. It’s a scheme that continues to offer those outside the SGP 15 a golden opportunity to gain priceless experience on the sport’s biggest stage.

Holder has been handed the chance to serve as first reserve for 2022 after two sensational seasons in Poland’s PGE Ekstraliga. He helped Gorzow to the 2020 play-off final, as well as leading Torun to promotion in Poland’s First Division. He then starred again as Torun retained their Ekstraliga status this year.

The New South Wales-born racer, who also rides for Sheffield Tigers in the UK, made his series debut as a wild card at the 2020 Torun SGP of Poland double-header, scoring 12 championship points over two nights and will be keen to build on that next season.

The second reserve is Dan Bewley, the British Championship runner-up who played a pivotal role in Polish club Wroclaw’s PGE Ekstraliga title win this season. He also races for SGB Premiership side Belle Vue in the UK.

Former European champion Andzejs Lebedevs of Latvia is named as the third substitute rider.

His selection comes just weeks after he inspired his country into their first-ever Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Final in Manchester next week following their historic second place at Semi-Final 2 in Lebedevs’ home city Daugavpils on September 18.

Poland’s new FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion Jakub Miskowiak is the fourth substitute star. He lifted junior speedway’s biggest prize at Czech track Pardubice on October 1 after a stellar season with Czestochowa in Poland.

FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship runner-up Mads Hansen of Denmark is named as fifth reserve, with American ace Luke Becker sixth on the list and France’s David Bellego at number seven after they both starred for their respective countries at the Monster Energy SON Semi-Finals in Daugavpils.

If any further substitute riders are needed, the SGP Commission will nominate additional riders on a meeting-by-meeting basis.

FULL 2022 FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX LINE-UP:

1. Artem Laguta (MFR)

2. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)

3. Emil Sayfutdinov (MFR)

4. Maciej Janowski (Poland)

5. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)

6. Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)

7. Leon Madsen (Denmark)

8. Max Fricke (Australia)

9. Jason Doyle (Australia)

10. Robert Lambert (Great Britain)

11. Anders Thomsen (Denmark)

12. Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)

13. Pawel Przedpelski (Poland)

14. Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)

15. Patryk Dudek (Poland)

SUBSTITUTE RIDERS:

SR1. Jack Holder (Australia)

SR2. Dan Bewley (Great Britain)

SR3. Andzejs Lebedevs (Latvia)

SR4. Jakub Miskowiak (Poland)

SR5. Mads Hansen (Denmark)

SR6. Luke Becker (USA)

SR7. David Bellego (France)