VOLUME 73 NUMBER 29
8 COPPERGATE MEWS, BRIGHTON ROAD, SURBITON,
SURREY, KT6 5NE
EDITORIAL
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2 speedway star September 14, 2024
NEWSDESK
DANISH racer Mikkel Michelsen’s 2024 season is over as he faces surgery after suffering a catalogue of injuries at the OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga last Saturday.
Michelsen produced a fine first turn in Heat 4 and looked set to round World Champion Bartosz Zmarzlik but lifted fractionally with the pair in close proximity. The Pole locked up and, on an unforgiving Riga track, he ploughed the European Champion into the fence.
The horrifying crash involving Mikkel Michelsen and Bartosz Zmarzlik at Riga that ended the Dane’s 2024 season. Picture: JAREK PABIJAN
The Slangerup and Czestochowa star was taken to hospital for checks before being relocated to a hospital near Katowice – closer to his Rybnik base.
Posting on his official Facebook page on Tuesday morning, Michelsen’s team confirmed he will miss the final two rounds, in Vojens on Saturday and Torun on September 28, and he was due to undergo surgery as Speedway Star went to press on Tuesday morning.
The team’s post read: “On behalf of Mikkel Michelsen Racing, we would like to first of all apologise for the lack of information regarding Mikkel’s injuries. It has been a few hectic days since the accident in Riga, getting back to Poland and determining the extent of the injuries.
“Second; we would like to send our sincere gratefulness for all the concerns and get-well messages, as it means a lot in these difficult times.
“Regrettably, we must confirm that Mikkel’s racing season has come to an early conclusion. He has sustained significant injuries to his right shoulder that require immediate surgical
EUROPEAN U19 CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL: GÜSTROW SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 SCUNTHORPE’S Luke Harrison has qualified for his first major European Final at senior level.
Harrison scored a well-earned nine points in the FIM European Under-19 semi-final in Gustrow, Germany on Saturday, which included two race wins.
Harrison, who has previously competed in European finals at 125cc and 250cc levels, joins Oxford’s Luke Killeen in the European U19 Final which also takes place in Germany, at Herxheim, on October 3. Another Oxford youngster, Ashton Boughen, also hopes to be part of the event after he qualified as first reserve from Pila.
Britain’s other representative in Gustrow, Redcar’s Ben Trigger, scored three points but gained invaluable experience.
Denmark’s Bastian Pedersen won the qualifier. He dropped his only point to Oskar Paluch but as Paluch himself was beaten by fellow Pole Kacper Halkiewicz, a run-off was required to decide the overall winner. In the run-off, it was Pedersen who got the better of Paluch.
Third place on the podium went to Adam Bednar, who scored 11 points despite a fall in his first ride. Scorers: Bastian Pedersen (Denmark) 14+3, Oskar Paluch (Poland) 14+2, Adam Bednar (Czech Republic) 11, Sammy van Dyck (Sweden) 11, Kacper Halkiewicz (Poland) 11, Luke Harrison (Great Britain) 9, William Drejer (Denmark) 8 (all qualify). Jan Jenicek (Czech Republic) 7+3, Ben Iken (Germany) 7+2, Alfred Aberg (Sweden) 7+1, Tino Bouin (France) 6, Rasmus Karlsson (Sweden) 5, Hannah Grunwald (Germany) 4, Ben Trigger (Great Britain) 3, Otto Raak (Finland) 2, Magnus Klipper (Norway) 1, Magnus Rau (Germany, reserve) 0.
Report: CHRISTIAN WEBER
MICHELSEN
intervention, potentially within the next 24 hours.
“Additionally, Mikkel has suffered severe damage to his humerus and a fractured elbow, which we are hopeful will heal naturally. There is also damage to his right foot, which will be addressed after his shoulder surgery.
“Mikkel is currently receiving excellent care at Klinika Nieborowice (near Katowice), in the expert hands of Dr Krzysztof Onaczyszyn and Dr Henryk Noga. We extend our deepest gratitude to them and the entire medical team for their professionalism and support.”
Michelsen is set to be replaced in the final two rounds by SGP third substitute Kim Nilsson of Sweden. His early exit in Riga leaves him fifth in the standings on 101 points and opens the door to Britain’s Dan Bewley (sixth on 100) and Australia’s Jack Holder (seventh on 95) to overhaul Michelsen. It means he will almost certainly need a permanent wild card to retain his SGP status for 2025.
But having raced to victory at Landshut and reached two more finals, in Gorzow and Wroclaw, Michelsen has never had a better case to retain his SGP spot.
Danish fans will also be sweating over 2023 Vojens winner Leon Madsen, who suffered a heavy knock to the head when he crashed in Heat 18 in Riga last Saturday, casting doubts over his appearance in his home event on Saturday.
If he is also absent, Danish star Rasmus Jensen is waiting in the wings to replace him as fourth reserve – joining wild card Anders Thomsen in flying the home flag.
Report: PAUL BURBIDGE
Masters...back on! THE 2024 Grasstrack Masters Championship will be raced after all.
The dramatic news broken by the ACU on Monday comes after one of the sport’s former elite clubs, Wimborne MCC, stepped out of the shadows, with an offer to stage their first race meeting for six years on Sunday, October 20.
The sport’s governing body confirmed former promoter of the Sidecar Supercup, Paul Miller, has come on board to assist Wimborne in their bid to revive the club and so stage the Masters.
Merley Hall Farm, Corfe Mullen, will be the setting for the action, so evoking memories of the 2015 finals where James Shanes and Colin Blackbourn/Carl Pugh took the respective solo and sidecar honours.
We will have more on this developing story in next week’s issue.
Report: JON BATHAM
