Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik insists he will leave others to keep track of his astonishing statistics as he bids to set a FIM Speedway all-time record at the Boll FIM Speedway GP of Croatia on Saturday.
Sixteen riders from 10 different countries battle it out at the Speedway Stadion Milenium in Donji Kraljevec in the opening round of the 2024 Speedway GP World Championship.
Zmarzlik has topped the podium at the past two season-openers in Croatia on his way to becoming a four-time Speedway GP world champion, and he has now led the Speedway GP standings non-stop since April 30, 2022.
He clinched world title No.4 with victory at last year’s final round in Torun – matching Aussie great Jason Crump’s all-time record of 23 Speedway GP wins in the process. A third straight victory at Speedway Stadium Milenium would see Zmarzlik surpass this figure.
Speedway GP victory No.24 would further cement the 29-year-old’s status among the sport’s all-time greats. But Zmarzlik insists he will leave others to measure his achievements while he focuses on delivering his best form on the track.
Chasing history
Zmarzlik has the chance to match Swedish legend Ove Fundin’s haul of five FIM Speedway World Championships in 2024, as well as an opportunity to become only the second rider in history to win three world titles in a row – following in the footsteps of New Zealand’s six-time champion Ivan Mauger, who topped the podium in 1968, 1969 and 1970.
But a modest Zmarzlik is only focused on delivering his best performances on the track and not on chasing records.
“It is very interesting for me, but I don’t want to say too much about this,” Zmarzlik said. “I am just thinking about what I can do to be the best from day to day. Tomorrow when I wake up, I am thinking about what I can do to improve as a person and a rider. That’s my focus.”
Speedway Stadion Milenium – owned and operated by the Pavlic family – stages its sixth Speedway GP, having hosted the FIM Croatian Speedway GP from 2010 until 2012, with the series returning in 2022.
Packed grandstands are expected for the region’s biggest speedway event, which draws fans from across Croatia, as well as neighbouring nations including Slovenia, who will be represented by wild card Matej Zagar – a five-time former Speedway GP winner, who is always followed across the border by an army of fans.