Polish shooting star Wiktor Przyjemski is ready to carry the weight of expectation after storming to a sensational six-ride maximum to win the Virkvarn FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on Friday.
The reigning FIM Speedway Under-21 world champion raced to victory in the 2024 SGP2 series opener in Malilla, and he repeated his triumph in the Swedish forests – this time with an outstanding unbeaten display, defying the wet conditions caused by a heavy rain shower after heat 16.
The Lublin star was a class apart as he won all five heats to qualify for the final automatically, before holding his nerve to win SGP2 round one ahead of Denmark’s William Drejer in second place, Poland’s Kevin Malkiewicz in third and Ukrainian star Nazar Parnitskyi in fourth spot.
Przyjemski was delighted to deliver another magical moment in Malilla. And while the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship favourite knows the pressure is on him to make it back-to-back SGP2 world titles, he’s ready to use it as a positive.
He said: “I will say it how it is. Obviously, there is a little bit of pressure on myself – I am not going to hide it. But it’s good for my head in the league racing and the international events. I feel like I am in good form and that creates a little bit of pressure.
“It’s great to be victorious here again. Obviously, I have such a bond with this place after winning here again in Sweden. The track changed a little bit after the rainfall, but I did it.
“It went perfectly for me from the very beginning. Even though I won all of the races in the main round, in my mind before the final, I had a lot to think about before the gate selection. I wasn’t sure if I made a good choice, but overall, red was a good choice.”
Runner-up Drejer saw his 2024 SGP2 season curtailed by a broken collarbone, forcing him out of the final round in Torun, Poland. So he was delighted to bounce back in style in Sweden.
He said: “Obviously, I was looking for the win. I felt fast, though, so I am very happy. I was a bit unlucky last year, when I broke my collarbone ahead of the last round. I also had a fall in Riga. But my team worked hard to keep my head up and keep me focused, and now I am back.”
Drejer admits a few pointers from Danish team manager and triple Speedway GP world champion Nicki Pedersen helped him in Malilla. He said: “Nicki supports me. When I think about changes on the bike, I listen to what he is saying. But most of all, he works on my mind and makes me believe in myself.”
Third-placed Malkiewicz finished 10th on the heat score chart – only just scraping into the last-chance qualifiers. But the 17-year-old made a sublime start from gate four in LCQ2 to take his place in the last four, before fending off Parnitskyi for third on the run to the line.
He said: “I am over the moon with third place after such a poor start. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it and be in the final. Ending up on the podium is a big thing for me and I am very happy with that. This is my first big podium, so I am very happy that I am here.
“In the last-chance qualifier, I didn’t really have a choice. I had to make the start from gate four. I just dropped the clutch and found myself in a good position in the first corner. I needed to be flexible on the bike to make the most of the opportunity.
“In the final, I felt I was under threat from Nazar, but I made it to the finish line in third position and that’s a big thing for me.”
The racing continues at the Skrotfrag Arena as the sport’s elite take centre stage for the Virkvarn FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday night. Tickets are still available for Sweden’s biggest night of racing HERE.
Result
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Words by Speedway GP – Feature Image courtesy of Taylor Lanning
