Sweden pipped Poland victory at FIM Speedway of Nations Semi-Final 1 in Manchester on Tuesday evening as both countries qualified for Saturday’s Final alongside Germany.
It was a successful night for Fredrik Lindgren and Jacob Thorssell, as Sweden triumphed in the first Semi-Final with a total of 38 points - one more than Poland who also qualified automatically on 37.
After two crashes for Ukraine in their final heat with Sweden, Lindgren and Thorssell were awarded a 7-0 heat advantage that sealed them victory on the night.
Poland, who were leading after the first seven heats, saw reigning Speedway GP World Champion and captain Bartosz Zmarzlik crash with Ukraine’s Marko Levishyn in heat nine.
Zmarzlik got up to win the heat, but did not take part in any further races as a precaution. Fellow Polish stars Dominic Kubera and Maciej Janowski continued on to claim the second automatic qualification place in Saturday’s Final.
It was Germany, who scored 33 points, against Finland, who notched 23, in the Final Qualifier for the third and final berth in Saturday’s title showdown. Kai Huckenbeck and Norick Blodornraced to a 7-2 victory to secure Germany’s passage.
Wednesday’s Semi-Final 2 sees reigning champions Australia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Latvia, USA, Slovenia and Norway take to the track in the hope of claiming one of the last three spots in the Final.
Image: ©Belle Vue Speedway