Speedway Grand Prix qualifying as it happened - Bartosz Zmarzlik and Dan Bewley star as Tai Woffinden struggles
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/04/2022 at 14:31 GMT
Welcome to Eurosport's coverage of qualifying for the first race of the 2022 FIM Speedway Grand Prix from Gorican, Croatia. As riders look to secure fastest laps in order to ensure first choice of starting numbers for the main event later in the day. The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+
Bartosz Zmarzlik tops Speedway GP qualifying in Croatia
13:33 - Ready for tonight's main event
And that’s qualifying all done. Join us later today at 5;30 for coverage of the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix in Gorican, Croatia.
The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+ with live race action also on Eurosport 2
13:27 - Draw results
Each rider has picked their starting position.
- 1 – Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland) - 5
- 2 – Dan Bewley (United Kingdom) - 13
- 3 - Anders Thomsen (Denmark) - 11
- 4 – Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark) - 9
- 5 – Max Fricke (Australia) - 14
- 6 – Robert Lambert (United Kingdom) - 2
- 7 – Martin Vaculik (Slovakia) - 8
- 8 – Leon Madsen (Denmark) - 12
- 9 – Maciej Janowski (Poland) - 16
- 10 – Jason Doyle (Australia) - 1
- 11 – Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) - 10
- 12 – Pawel Przedpelski (Poland) - 6
- 13 – Patryk Dudek (Poland) - 4
- 14 – Tai Woffinden (United Kingdom) - 15
- 15 – Matej Zager (Slovakia) - 7
- 16 – Jack Holder (Australia) - 3
13:22 - Final qualifying order
Here's you final qualifying order for the first race of the season.
- 1 – Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
- 2 – Dan Bewley (United Kingdom)
- 3 - Anders Thomsen (Denmark)
- 4 – Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark)
- 5 – Max Fricke (Australia)
- 6 – Robert Lambert (United Kingdom)
- 7 – Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
- 8 – Leon Madsen (Denmark)
- 9 – Maciej Janowski (Poland)
- 10 – Jason Doyle (Australia)
- 11 – Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
- 12 – Pawel Przedpelski (Poland)
- 13 – Patryk Dudek (Poland)
- 14 – Tai Woffinden (United Kingdom)
- 15 – Matej Zager (Slovakia)
- 16 – Jack Holder (Australia)
13:18 - Draw being held
The draw for each rider's start position number is now commencing.
13:11 - And that's the last runs done
The final runs have been completed and we now have our final qualifying order.
Woffinden and Holder will be disappointed with 14th and 16th respeciatively. The stars of the show were Zmarzlik, whose early time of 14.339 couldn’t be beaten, and Bewley who rode to second on his debut.
13:10 - Faster time for Holder
Jack Holder has been able to get a faster time out of his bike of a 14.781, but he still sits in 16th.
13:08 - Coming to an end
We’re now in the dying stages with the last few riders setting their final laps. Are we going to have a late surprise?
13:00 - Times aren't getting faster
Most riders are now setting times in the low 15s. Looks like we may have our winner in Zmarzlik.
12:57 - More downtime
We’ve got a few more minutes of break for some track preparations. The final laps will soon start.
12:50 - Rookie high
Rookie rider Dan Bewley is currently sitting in second. Impressive run from the Brit.
12:48 - Final runs commence
Riders are now starting their final runs, hoping to beat those earlier times.
12:42 - Favoured go again
The two favoured, Zmarzlik and Woffinden, are out on track but are both struggling to beat their fastest set time.
12:39 - Next three out on track
Pawel Przedpelski, Mikkel Michelsen and Martin Vaculik are the next out on track for their second run. Times have been improved but still not as quick as the times earlier in the session.
The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+ with live race action also on Eurosport 2
12:33 - Break time
There’s another small break in the session. Zmarzlik is looking very comfortable on top.
12:28 - Early runs have proven best
Those that went out first have seemed to have received the best track conditions. Australia’s Jack Holder has the slowest time in the top 16 of 14.911.
12:25 - Zmarzlik still the one to beat
No-one's been able to topple Zmarzlik yet. There’s still plenty of time in this session for someone to put in a faster time.
12:18 - Back with more action
After a small break in proceedings, we now have the next three riders out on track but none of them are able to touch Zmarzlik’s time.
Zmarzlik now fastest
Two-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik has knocked Thomsen off the top with a time of 14.339.
Tai Woffinden is now heading on track to set his first flying lap but his time only puts him 11th fastest so far.
Top for a minute
British rider Robert Lambert had set the fastest lap time briefly of 14.525 but was quickly beaten by Denmark's Anders Thomsen who was just ahead with 14.435.
And we are a go
The first handful of riders head out on track to give us all the first piece of action of the 2022 season.
‘I don’t care what people think’ – Woffinden ahead of new season
Tai Woffinden harboured ambitions to match Tony Rickardsson and Ivan Mauger’s record haul of six Speedway GP world titles as soon as he collected his first back in 2013.
And he was in punchy mood ahead of the new season. Here is what he said.
“I remember when I said that I wanted to be the greatest of all time, people gave me so much stick for it, especially in Poland. But those people giving me stick are probably happy living where they live and working 9-5. They probably haven’t got the motivation to do anything.
“I always strive to be the best and I don’t mind saying it. I don’t care what people think. I still enjoy riding my bike. I love every single aspect of it. I am looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.”
Hello and welcome
We will bring you live comments from the first qualifying practice of the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix held in Gorican, Croatia. Three-time world champion Tai Woffinden is back to compete for a fourth title but the favoured Bartosz Zmarzlik will be out to claim the title for a third time himself.
How to watch?
Discovery+ will provide live, ad-free coverage of every race as well as interactive services. Race action will also be live on Eurosport 2, with highlights and reaction on the Eurosport website.
How qualifying works
Qualifying takes place on the same day as the race and allows the rider to secure first choice of starting number.
Every rider will start from each of the four gates at least once, but will start from one gate twice. Qualifying practice provides the opportunity to ensure they have the right starting positions at the right time.
Riders take to the track in groups of three, trying to clock the fastest laps in three blocks of two minutes. The rider who records the fastest lap is rewarded with first choice of starting number for the event. Second place chooses next and this continues right down to 16th place selecting last.
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The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+ with live race action also on Eurosport 2.
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