Speedway GP of Sweden as it happened – Bartosz Zmarzlik extends championship lead, with Robert Lambert now in second

What an incredible night of Speedway. Thanks for following the action with us.

The champion won his first Grand Prix of the season to extend his lead. Fricke got a fantastic start but Zmarzlik again went well wide and they split the lead a couple of times on the second lap before the champ began to pull away. Lambert finished in third, with Holder fourth.

Lambert started well but Kubera came through from fourth to take second. But then Zmarzlik went as wide as he could to take the lead and then hold off Lambert in a thrilling head to head.

The two Aussies battled it out with Fricke making his first final of 2024 in first. Michelsen and Bewley go out.

Holder 12
Lambert 11
Zmarzlik 11
Fricke 11
Lebedevs 11
Michelsen 9
Bewley 9
Kubera 9

Disappointment for local favourite Fredrik Lindgren who just missed out a place in the semi-final in ninth.

He had the advantage of the inside gate and took the lead immediately and did not look like losing it. Zmarzlik started badly but came back to take second from Fricke.

Holder took the lead on the first bend and Kubera got into second from fourth and the places stayed that way. Bewley crucially passed Wozniak to get a point for third.

Michelsen and Woofinden with a thrilling head-to-head battle and the Dane takes the win, with Huckenbeck back in third.

Lebedevs was given the win ahead of Lindgren after the Riga rocket took the lead from Gate 4 on the first corner. Vaculik crashed into the wall and was holding his wrist – hopefully not too big a problem.

Fricke 10
Holder 9
Zmarzlik 9
Bewley 8
Lambert 8
Lebedevs 8

Michelsen just holds off Kubera on the first turn and gets his second win. Vaculik held off Kvech for third.

Lebedevs challenged early but Wozniak just forced him out and nearly into the wall. Lambert finished in third.

Woffinden started well but he was taken by Bewley on the second lap who went on to win easily. Woffinden desperately tried to hold off Zmarzlik but he was taken on the last lap.

Huckenbeck with a poor start allows Holder to take the lead and from this point onwards won easily with Fricke just holding off Madsen in a good battle for second.

Frick 8
Zmarzlik 7
Lambert 7
Holder 6
Lindgren 6
Lebedevs 6

Kvech and Lebedevs threatened on the first lap but Bewley held on and took the race comfortably. Lebedevs second, Kvech third.

Wozniak then Fricke took the lead on the second lap but Lindgren got back in front. Wozniak finished third ahead of Michelsen.

Vaculik with another near crash, this time as he just fails to take Holder. Lambert beats Woffinden to get a single point.

That is why he is the champion! No one has won from Gate 4 tonight prior to this. He got into second after the first bend and then was in a battle with his compatriot which he just won by a bike length. Nilsson finished in third ahead of Madsen.

They are the only two who won both their heats and have six points, two clear of the field.

The Aussie finishes ahead of the Swede with Kvech taking third in front of Nilsson.

Zmarzlik wins, fireworks behind as Vaculik overtakes Huckenbeck but then the German ruthlessly takes second spot back.

He wins his second race, holding off Lebedevs, Woffinden lost his way on opening lap and is beaten by Kubera.

Bewley has to settle for second, holding off Madsen, with Michelsen a long way back in fourth after his earlier win. Two wins from two for the fastest qualifer.

Two races in one with Fricke holding off Vaculik and Nilsson beating Bewley for the solitary point.

Lebedevs had the lead from the inside gate and Zmarzlik lost his second spot to Michelsen who rode wide throughout and on the last lap took the lead.

He led from gate to tape with Kubera clearly in second, Lindgren took Huckenbeck midway through the race to seal third.

Wozniak got a jump from Gate 3 and Madsen could not get close to beating him. Woffinden threatened Madsen early but had to settle for third with Kvech far behind at the back, failing to score.

Lambert goes in Heat 2, Zmarzlik in Heat 3 and Bewley in Heat 4.

The experts think after three or four races the track should be behaving fairly normally.

Robert Lambert will be glad his speedy qualifying gets him the inside draw in his first heat. He thinks racing will start in half an hour. Officially it will not be before 1945.

At the earliest. They are doing everything they can to get the surface safe for the riders.

There is so much surface water still on the track. They will have an inspection before going ahead.

Conditions will be far from easy but if there is no great deluge, it looks like starting at 1930.

Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley were the quickest two in qualifying. There will be no action until 1915 our time.

There may just be racing here this evening.

Sensibly, they have extended the delay confirming there will definitely be no racing until 7pm British ‘Summer’ Time.

That is 7.30pm local time. And the way it is raining, it is hard to see action until much later than then.

There is teeming rain in Malilla and the riders will be unlikely to start on time.

Dan Bewley took first place in front of Martin Vaculik and Patrick Dudek.

After four rounds, Polish star Bartos Zmarzlik is 12 points clear of Australia’s Jack Holder, with our Brit Robert Lambert a point further back.

Thanks for joining our coverage of the Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden.