CRUMP: SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR ZMARZLIK

Feature photo courtesy of Zmarzlik’s family photo archive:  Aussie legend Jason Crump says the FIM Speedway Grand Prix class of 2024 is facing “the Ivan Mauger or Tony Rickardsson of their era” in Bartosz Zmarzlik after the Pole smashed the three-time Speedway GP world champion’s record victory haul.

Zmarzlik zoomed to top spot in the 3P Logistics FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, June 15 to set a new all-time record of 24 SGP wins.

The Lublin and Lejonen star matched Crump’s previous mark of 23 when he sealed Speedway GP World Chamoionship number four at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Torun on Setpember 30, 2023, putting him closer to Mauger and Rickardsson’s all-time record of six FIM Speedway World Championship wins.

Zmarzlik had gone four rounds without winning a Speedway GP at the start of 2024. But that ended with his fourth victory in Malilla – adding to his 2017, 2021 and 2022 triumphs at the Swedish forest venue – as he broke a long-standing SGP record Crump set with his 23^rd and final win at the FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Copenhagen on June 9, 2012.

Crump is delighted to watch Zmarzlik rewriting the sport’s history books and paid tribute to a former rival who continues to set new standards on the track. 

He said: “Honestly, it is not a surprise that he has broken the record. If you look at Bartosz and his consistency in the last five years, it’s quite remarkable. It’s a pleasure to watch and the record is not something I am disappointed to lose.

“Every record is made to be broken and losing a record to a rider of his skill and passion is something you don’t worry about too much. I certainly don’t anyway.

“I rate the guy in all aspects, and not just as a speedway rider. I rate the way he operates, the way he rides and the way he goes about his business. I think he is a credit to himself, his family and to speedway. I wish him all the success in the world.

“One thing is for sure – the generation of riders now have the Ivan Mauger or Tony Rickardsson of their era to look up to and to try and match and better. They have a hell of a job on their hands.” 

Crump raced his final Speedway GP season in 2012 – the year Zmarzlik made his series debut, with the Gorzow academy graduate finishing a surprise third as a wild card in his local event, the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow at Edward Jancarz Stadium.

But their paths crossed long before this moment. “My memory of Bartosz goes back many, many years,” he said. “I remember seeing him tearing around Gorzow as a little kid before league matches and open meetings.

“There’s a cracking photo of me on the podium at an open meeting in Gorzow with him stood in front of me. He sent me the photo. I sent him a message when he won the World Championship for the first time and he came back to me with the photo, saying, ‘Do you remember this?’ It was quite amazing.” 

Asked what qualities he believes have put Zmarzlik on top of the speedway world, Crump responded with one key word: “Hunger,” he said. “He gets his motivation from being a better rider than he was yesterday – not from what the results say.

“He wants to continue to achieve and get as close to perfection with his riding as he can. To have that motivation and drive to continually want to improve and better yourself is an amazing trait in a sportsman.

“That’s what sets these guys apart. It’s the same as Ivan had in the sixties and seventies, Tony had in my era and Hans Nielsen (four-time FIM Speedway world champion) had in his era. Their level of performance was not based on what others were doing. It was based purely on their own motivations and desires to be better than everybody all of the time.

“Ove Fundin (five-time FIM Speedway world champion), I do not know so much about, but clearly, he was motivated to win too. We all have different levels of this and Bartosz is in the absolute elite group with his level of performance and motivation. His motivation is to better himself all the time and that’s a hell of a motivator to have.” 

At 29 years old, Zmarzlik still has plenty of time to add to his four Speedway GP World Championships and 24 SGP wins – starting in his home event at the ISS FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow on June 29.

Asked how many he believes Zmarzlik could go in to win, Crump replied: “Genuinely, when you say the sky is the limit for somebody, I believe that’s the case for Bartosz in speedway. At the moment, the odds are stacked in favour of Bartosz dominating the sport for the foreseeable future. 

“There are obviously guys who are going to try and stop him. Artem Laguta took a championship off him in 2021. There are riders in Speedway GP that have the talent on a bike; the question is whether they have the full skillset required to beat him over a 10 or 11-GP season.”