RICKARDSSON SAYES ZMARZLIK IS POTENTIAL RECORD BREAKER

Swedish legend Tony Rickardsson hopes he lives to see a rider smash his shared record of six FIM Speedway World Championships.

Rickardsson is busy coaching the next generation of stars as young riders from four different continents compete for the FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4), which takes place on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 CET – just hours before the 3P Logistics FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla.

The sport’s youngest stars, aged between 11 and 13, will race on the 190cc bike designed by the Avesta-born legend, and it is hoped these riders will one day battle it out in Speedway GP competition.

Rickardsson currently shares the all-time record of six FIM Speedway World Championships with New Zealand legend Ivan Mauger. But Poland’s four-time Speedway GP World Champion Bartosz Zmarzlik is closing fast on that mark.

The series leader could pull level on five titles with Swedish icon Ove Fundin this season, and the 29-year-old has plenty of time to surpass Rickardsson and Mauger in the record books.

If he or any other rider wins seven Speedway GP world titles or more, Rickardsson would not be sad to lose a very proud record.

He said: “I have always said I hope I will be alive and around when somebody beats the record. Every record is there to be beaten, and so is mine. I just hope I will be around to shake that person’s hand whenever the time comes.”

Zmarzlik led the 2022 and 2023 Speedway GP standings from start to finish, but he only gained top spot after round three this year. He is also still waiting for what would be a record-breaking 24th SGP win. Despite going four rounds without a win this year, Zmarzlik still holds a 12-point advantage in first place, and Rickardsson admits the Lublin and Lejonen star remains very much the man to beat.

He said: “Bartosz was running away with the title last year until Vojens, when it became really close towards the end. Right now, he is head and shoulders above the rest, even if he hasn’t always led so far. When he has a bad meeting, the thing is it isn’t that bad. It’s up to the rest of the field to challenge him. Everybody can challenge Zmarzlik on a good day, but when they have a bad day, some of them have a really bad day.”

This weekend’s event in Malilla also features the 3P Logistics FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on Friday evening – the opening round of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

The SGP2 meeting sees Malilla make history as the first speedway venue in the world to have staged rounds of Speedway GP, SGP2, SGP3 and SGP4.

Rickardsson is delighted to see the sport’s youngsters competing at the same venues as their Speedway GP heroes.

“I think it benefits the championship massively,” he said. “Just being on the same track as the GPs are held is great and having everyone involved in top-flight racing there too. It’s a super nice package that Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has put together.

“There will be some exciting races in Malilla. I am really looking forward to watching SGP2 as well as Speedway GP and SGP4 this year.”