Czech charger Vaclav Milik returns to the nation’s biggest speedway event after being named as wild card for the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on Saturday, June 1.
Milik dons the famous No.16 race jacket in the year the city celebrates its record 30th SGP round since the series debuted in picturesque Prague in 1997.
The Caslav-born racer remains the only rider representing the host nation to have appeared in the FIM Czech Republic Speedway GP final, finishing third in 2017.
Milik has been a real force for his country on the world stage, helping them to fifth place in the 2022 FIM Speedway of Nations Final at Danish track Vojens on a night when the Czechs finished ahead of both Poland and Finland. They followed this up by reaching the Monster Energy FIM Speedway World Cup Race Off in Wroclaw, Poland last summer.
This will be Pardubice rider Milik’s 14th Speedway GP appearance and he won’t be flying the Czech flag alone. The Prague club’s own Jan Kvech qualified for the 2024 SGP series to become Czech Republic’s first full-time Speedway GP rider since Lukas Dryml in 2008, and the 2022 SGP2 and SON2 silver medallist will be determined to make the most of home advantage at Marketa Stadium.
The Czech duo are not the only riders treated like home heroes in Prague as Slovakia’s world No.3 Martin Vaculik crosses the border, seeking his third straight Speedway GP victory at Marketa Stadium, where he watched and was inspired by the sport’s biggest stars as a child.
The line-up for the Orlen FIM Czech Speedway GP is completed by track reserves Adam Bubba Bednar and Daniel Klima. At just 17 years old, former SGP3 rider Bednar hopes to make his Speedway GP debut on his home track as he wears the No.17 race jacket. He’s joined by 2022 SGP2 rider Klima, who lines up at No.18.
Words by SpeedwayGP – Feature Image by Taylor Lanning
