Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik was elated to end his yearlong wait for a record-extending 30th FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory at the FIM SpeedwayGP of Poland in Wroclaw on Saturday evening, June 20.
Photos by Marcin Karczewski
Zmarzlik was visibly emotional after topping the podium, with British Champion Robert Lambert in second and Danish star Michael Jepsen Jensen in third. Zmarzlik achieved his first SGP win since June 14, 2025, when he triumphed on night two of a Manchester doubleheader.
The fact that Zmarzlik, who recaptured the World Championship lead from fourth-place Aussie ace Brady Kurtz, had waited more than a year for a SpeedwayGP win is a notable stat for a rider who won a record-tying sixth World title last September.
But his victory in the 300th SpeedwayGP event told only a fraction of the story on one of the most dramatic SGP nights since the series was launched at Wroclaw’s Olympic Stadium on May 20, 1995.
Racing was delayed for around two and a half hours after severe rain and thunderstorms left the circuit and pits flooded, with the local fire brigade called to pump water from the pits while track staff and officials worked miracles to get the bikes on track.
“It was so tough; such a long day,” Zmarzlik said. “It was a dramatic day. It felt like everything was possible, and I am very happy because I have had a bit too long a wait for my 30th win in the GPs, so that was a special moment for me and my team.
“We made it, and we did a good job. Maybe I wasn’t the fastest, but in the final I was feeling it. When I win in the GPs, I always feel something different. Before this one, there was a little bit of stress. I didn’t know what I was feeling—something like this can be stress before something bad or maybe something nice.
“This time, I felt something nice, and I am very happy. I have achieved my next dream. I was on the top step of the podium with my sons, and that was the best moment for my family. All the time, I am thinking about my sons. I want to do a good job whenever they are watching me.”
Zmarzlik now holds a three-point lead over Kurtz in the SpeedwayGP standings at the halfway stage. He could be five rounds away from breaking new ground as the sport’s first-ever seven-time SpeedwayGP World Champion.CN
2026 FIM SpeedwayGP Round 5 Results
FINAL (Top 5)
- Bartosz Zmarzlik
- Robert Lambert
- Michael Jepsen Jensen
- Brady Kurtz
- Anders Thomsen
Click here to read the 2026 FIM SpeedwayGP of Poland Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
