KOLODINSKI CLAIMS RIGA SPEEDWAY GP WILD CARD

Latvian international Daniils Kolodinskis makes his FIM Speedway Grand Prix debut when he lines up as OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga wild card on September 7.

Kolodinskis made a strong FIM Speedway of Nations debut for Latvia in Manchester last month, teaming up with Speedway GP star Andzejs Lebedevs as they raced their way into only the country’s second-ever world team final.

Latvia took seventh place in the tournament, with Kolodinskis scoring 13 points across Semi-Final 2 and the Final, as well as snatching the all-important third place against Czech Republic in a Final Qualifier showdown that saw Lebedevs and Kolodinskis take Latvia into the Final.

The Riga wild card isn’t new to the world stage in 2024. He qualified for the 2021 FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship final series – now known as SGP2 – finishing 10th with 18 points.

Kolodinskis competes for Latvian club Daugavpils, which races in the Polish National League. The 23-year-old also rides for Krosno in Poland’s Under-24 Ekstraliga.

The OlyBet FIM Latvian Speedway GP line-up is completed by track reserves Francis Gusts and Ricards Ansviesulis, who wear the No.17 and No.18 race jackets respectively. Both riders helped Latvia win FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 bronze in Riga last summer – the country’s first world team medal in speedway of any kind. Riga-based Gusts is also in his fourth straight season as an SGP2 rider.

TOP U-21 RIDERS ALSO HIT THE TRACK 

The sport’s top under-21 riders also take to the Bikernieki track on Friday, September 6 for the DeWalt FIM SGP2 of Latvia – Riga.

Joining Gusts in flying the home flag for that event is wild card Nikita Kaulins, who was part of Latvia’s SON2 side, which took eighth place in Manchester last month. The 20-year-old captained Latvia in SON2, scoring seven points, and races for Daugavpils in the Polish National League.

The SGP2 field is completed by track reserves Damirs Filimonovs and Artjoms Juhno, who line up at No.17 and No.18 respectively.