GILLMAN HOSTS FIM SGP ACADEMY JANUARY 22-24 2025

Twenty-three young riders are set for a speedway masterclass as six-time FIM Speedway world champion Tony Rickardsson (Sweden), Aussie Speedway GP star Max Fricke, FIM Track Racing Commission director Armando Castagna and FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris coach the next generation of stars at the FIM SGP Academy – Down Under this week.

The first FIM SGP Academy of 2025 takes place at Adelaide’s Gillman  Speedway from Wednesday until Friday (January 22- 24), before the famous circuit hosts the FIM Oceania Championship this Saturday (January 25), with the winner earning a spot in the 2025 Speedway GP qualifiers.

Building on the earlier success of the FIM SGP Academy in Czech capital Prague, as well as two previous academies Down Under, the three 2025 FIM SGP Academies will feature on-track training sessions, as well as off-track coaching in many aspects of the sport, including sporting and anti-doping regulations, starting and riding techniques, bike preparation, media and social media, sponsorship, fitness and health. Riders can also ask questions about making it into the sport’s professional leagues in Europe.

Phil Morris (second from right) and Max Fricke (far right) coached at a previous Motorcycling Australia training camp

The 20 young guns from across Australia include the likes of SON2 bronze medallist James Pearson, 2024 SGP3 finalist Jordy Loftus and his sister, Anika Loftus, who was third in the inaugural FIM Women’s Speedway Gold Trophy in Teterow, Germany last June. The Queenslander is one of two female participants along with Adelaide’s Ruby Chapman.

Two-time SGP4 silver medallist Cooper Antone, who attended the 2024 FIM SGP Academy in Prague, heads for Gillman, along with Kobi Canning, who took fourth place at the first-ever SGP4 event in Malilla in 2023.

Ashley Jansen-Batchelor took part in the 2022 SGP3 Semi-Finals and another familiar name is Blake Schlein – nephew of former Aussie international and 2020 British Champion Rory Schlein.

New Zealand will be represented by Julian Rees and Kadin Cracknell, with Britain’s Senna Summers, son of Adelaide-born rider Aaron Summers, also taking part as he prepares for his second WSRA National Development League season with Oxford Chargers this year.

There will be two further FIM SGP Academies in Europe in 2025, with Swedish club Malilla also hosting a training camp in early July as part of its FIM Speedway GP of Sweden (July 5) and FIM SGP2 of Sweden (July 4) double-header weekend.

Polish city Torun will also play host to an FIM SGP Academy as part of FIM Speedway of Nations week from September 30 until October 4, giving young riders a golden opportunity to witness their national teams in action up close, while getting some words of wisdom both on and off the bike.

SGP global ambassador Rickardsson will be training the stars of tomorrow at the 2024 FIM SGP Academy in Prague.

He said: “I have some special memories of competing in Australia, so it’s a real pleasure to come back and coach the young riders at the first-ever FIM SGP Academy – Down Under, staged in partnership between WBD Sports, the FIM and Motorcycling Australia.

“Our FIM SGP Academy in Prague was a real success and attracted youngsters from all over the world. It was the perfect opportunity to help riders develop their skills on the track away from the pressure of a race meeting.

“It was also a chance to give them and their families some important information about other aspects of the sport – from managing the media and sponsorship commitments to taking care of their health and fitness.

“I can’t wait to meet the riders and their families at Gillman Speedway for what should be an unforgettable few days, and I look forward to coaching our young stars in both Malilla and Torun later in the year.”

FIM Track Racing Commission director Armando Castagna will be among the coaches Down Under.

Castagna commented: “I am looking forward to being back at Gillman for the first stop of the 2025 FIM SGP Academy calendar, and meeting a generation of riders who will hopefully make it into FIM Speedway competition in the coming years.

“We thank our partners at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports and Motorcycling Australia for their efforts in bringing this project to fruition, and with FIM SGP Academies in both Europe and Oceania in 2025, we hope to offer our young riders the best possible chance of building a great career in the sport.”

Morris added: “Riders from Australia and their families really do travel a lot of kilometres for meetings and practice sessions Down Under, with the dream of making it into the European leagues and FIM Speedway events one day.

“We hope staging our first FIM SGP Academy of the year at Gillman will inspire and support young riders hoping to achieve that ambition. With a six-time world champion in Tony [Rickardsson] making the trip, this truly is a unique opportunity for riders to learn from one of the all-time greats, as well as a current Speedway GP star in Max [Fricke].”

Motorcycling Australia CEO Peter Doyle commented: “After hosting two successful academies Down Under previously, we look forward to teaming up with WBD Sports and the FIM to deliver another fantastic event at Gillman.

“We have an incredible coaching team in Tony [Rickardsson], Max [Fricke], Armando [Castagna] and Phil [Morris] – all of whom can offer our riders and their families invaluable advice as they bid to take their careers to the next level.

“I thank everyone involved for making this project possible – both in Australia and beyond – and we can’t wait to host our young riders at Gillman.”

FIM Speedway World Championships director Laura Manciet of WBD Sports commented: “We are delighted to join forces with our partners at the FIM and MA, as well as Tony Rickardsson and Max Fricke, to bring the FIM SGP Academy to Gillman.

“With four Australian riders lining up in Speedway GP this year, there has never been a better time to inspire a new generation of riders to follow Jason Doyle, Jack Holder, Max Fricke and Brady Kurtz into the SGP series one day.

“That starts with offering the young riders and their families the best possible coaching, and we will definitely have that at Gillman.”