Images by Ubbo Bandy

Great job done by the staff of the MSC Bad Hursfeld, that worked extremely hard to ensure the event was completed, despite the bad weather that threatened to jeopardise the whole event.

A good crowd of approximately 2,500 people of all ages eventually witnessed a great evening’s racing, but the meeting itself was delayed due to a heavy downpour of rain, just as the riders came out to be presented to the crowd. Due to the surface water that was now laying on the track, the Jury agreed that the commencement of the meeting would be delayed until the track was in a suitable condition to race on. With the track maintenance team working together, fine wood chippings were spread on the track to assist in drying out the surface water that was laying on both corners.

After a delay of one hour, the track was finally in a suitable condition and the first three heats were completed without any incidents. However, due to the bad weather forecast, after a short break the next three heats followed very quickly.

It was during this third session of heats that race 8 produced the first of a number of exciting races. Dutch reserve Sven Holsten and passenger Dennis Smit came into the heat to replace the German team of Markus Venus and Markus Eibl. The Austrian team of Markus Hundsrucker and Florian Niedermeier made a fast start and lead the race, but Holsten was not done and chased Hundsrucker for three laps before finally beating his opponent in the run up to the finish flag.

With signs of more rain fading, it was agreed that the Solo support races would be brought back into the race programme, giving the European Sidecar riders a chance to catch their breath.

Once the support Solos had completed their races, the action return to the last section of qualifying heats for the Sidecars.

Race 11 had the spectators on their feet once again as one of the pre meeting favourites, English team Mitch Godden and Paul Smith, dropped the clutch and the bike stood on “up on end” 5 metres from the start. All three other teams were already into the corner as Gooden now had to get his head down, if he wasn’t going to lose vital points. One by one he picked off his opponents over the three remaining laps with only French team Remi Valladon and Dylan Fourcade between him and the finish flag. With great determination, Godden gave one last brave attempt to defeat his opponent with both teams neck and neck coming out of the last bend, with Godden getting the verdict as he just got his front wheel over the finish line before Valladon.

With the qualifying heats completed, all the riders were allocated into the C, B and A Finals.

With the first and second winning riders in B Final qualifying through into the A Final, this was always going to be a tough race.
Swiss team Imanuel Scramm and Nadin Foftier and German crew Markus Brandhofer and Sandra Mollema, fought let another hard race with both riders eventually beating their rivals for this last chance opportunity to have a crack at the European crown.

With the crowd rising to their feet, the four A finalists came out onto the track like Roman centurions entering the arena in their chariot’s. Brandhofer made another lightening start. Godden tried as he could to chase after the German for four laps, but was unable to make up the ground he needed. At the end Brandhoffer took the chequered flag and the 2023 title. Godden was second, Dutch team Wilfred Detz and Bonita Van Dijk third and Imauel Scramm fourth.

Top three:

1. Markus Brandhofer – Sandra Mollema, GER
2. Mitch Godden – Paul Smith, GBR
3. Wilfred Detz – Bonita Van Dijk, NED

The post Godden & Smith second in 2023 European Sidecar Grasstrack Championship – Race Report appeared first on Speedway Hub UK.

Images by Jesper Veldhuizen

That is the final result at the end of heat 16 and before the planned finals could be raced. In fact, at that point the FIME Jury declared that the conditions had deteriorated due to the heavy rain, such that the meeting could not safely continue any further.

Four race wins and 20 points, two points ahead of his nearest rival Chris Harris, allowed Hummel to get the title. The two fierce rivels faced each other in heat 4 after both comfortably won their opening races. “Bomber” Harris gated but Hummel hunted him down and produced a stunning high-speed pass that the Englishman couldn’t fight back from. Hummel then completed the clean sweep by gating and winning by some distance in his other two races.

As happened in the previous years, the rostrum was filled again with two British riders, as Harris took second after scoring 18 points and Andrew Appleton -riding under an Austrian licence- finished third with 16 points, after winning heat 16. Appleton won this race 10 seconds slower than the quickest time on the night, which fully demonstrated just how badly conditions had deteriorated before the decision taken by the FIME Jury President.
The unluckiest rider of the night was Dave Meijerink. The Dutchman finished fourth, but was left kicking himself for a self-inflicted error in heat 4, when he lost control and fell while he was leading the race by a clear 100 meters. Meijerink easily won his other three qualifying heats and so would have been tied level with Hummel but for his fall.

The top five see Mika Meijer and Henry Van Der Steen respectively fifth and sixth after scoring 15 and 11 points respectively.

Top three
1. Romano Hummel, NED
2. Chris Harris, GBR
3. Andrew Appleton, GBR

The post Hummel retains European Grass Track title ahead of Harris and Appleton on wet Wertle weekend – Race Report appeared first on Speedway Hub UK.

Images courtesy of FIM Europe

This year was no exception with fast, close and very competitive racing throughout the day, with this event being the first of two Semi Final.

The starting line-up consisted of 18 riders from 7 nations (Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Germany), with the top 9 riders qualifying through to the European Final, which will take place at Werlte, Germany, on 22nd July.

The meeting was held on a hot sunny day, but due to the recent wet weather in north Germany, there was a grippy patch on part of the 3rd and 4th bend, which lead to a few incidents early in the meeting. However, with a lot of work being undertaken by the track staff, improvements were made which then led to some very competitive racing and no further accidents.

The highlight of the day was the last race (the A Final), in which English rider Chris Harris, swopped places with “Flying Dutchman” Romano Hummel during the last two laps with Harris, just beating Hummel over the finish line by half a wheel.

The next event of the series will be held on 1st July in Tayac, in the South of France.

Individual Grass Track European Championship – Top three
1.    Chris Harris, GBR
2.    Romano Hummel, NED
3.    Jannick de Jong, NED

The post Bomber Harris flys to 2023 European Grasstrack Championship Semi Final win! appeared first on Speedway Hub UK.