Mateusz Szczepaniak: the final will be tough

ABRAMCZYK POLONIA completed the formalities and it was they who reported to the final of METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga in the 2024 season. Speedway riders from Bydgoszcz joined the INNPRO ROW Rybnik team and will fight for promotion to PGE Ekstraliga. The key element that allowed them to defend the advantage from the first match was navigating the first corner after the start in each race – this is the conclusion drawn by Mateusz Szczepaniak.

After the match, the captain of the guest team assessed his performance as the best in years. His individual score (7 points with two bonuses) contributed to the promotion. – This match was a bit calmer. We are happy to be in the final. I’m glad that I finally recorded a better result in Ostrów than usual. This week I worked well – training in Czestochowa, a lot of tests, three motorcycles… many setups, but managed to find something – admitted the ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz rider.

During the first half of the match, the hosts took the initiative and tried to reduce the difference from the match in Bydgoszcz. The key race turned out to be the 11th one, before which the Ostrów team was only 8 points behind in the double-match. A solid double win by the riders from Bydgoszcz allowed them to maintain control over the course of the match. – Honestly, I didn’t change anything for the 11th race, because I knew that in the previous races, the tracks were different. That’s why after the first start I got a warning and I was definitely very careful not to move. During the 11th race, I was fully focused. A good start from the second lane and I managed to cover Frederick and finish at 5:1 – this was crucial. The starting lanes mattered. The third and fourth are similar, but much further when approaching the first corner. Certainly, you need to win the start decisively to make something happen – described the speedway rider from the Bydgoszcz club.

For Mateusz Szczepaniak it was one of the best results on the track in Ostrów. Another visit to the stadium at Piłsudskiego Street allowed the elimination of previous mistakes and equipment changes to be better fitted. – I remembered what mistakes I made with the motorcycle settings in the first match of the regular season. We changed a lot and this track definitely requires different settings, which we found, because I was fast in the first race. Maybe there was a slight lack, but it’s great that the whole team scored at a good level, and we managed to advance – commented the rider.

Before the ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz team, the most important two games lie ahead. These will decide who wins the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga and earns the right to compete in the PGE Ekstraliga in the 2025 season. – The final will definitely be tough. INNPRO ROW Rybnik will prepare to achieve a very good result at home. We will fight for the best possible result and victory to make the return match at home a bit calmer. Currently total concentration and work until the last moment. We still have 30 races left. We’re going to go all out – announced Mateusz Szczepaniak.

Łukasz Kolski