Successful Chase by Janowski After Dudek. BETARD SPARTA Rider Becomes Polish Champion!

The third and decisive final of the Individual Polish Championships was held at the Best Auto Arena in Lublin. Maciej Janowski won the gold medal with a successful chase after Patryk Dudek. The podium was completed by Bartosz Zmarzlik.

The beginning of the competition reinforced the belief that it was futile to look for any regular patterns regarding the field in Lublin. This rule was confirmed throughout the tournament as the percentage of victories from fields A, B, and D was almost evenly distributed.

The form on the track was impressive for returning riders to Lublin, former captain ORLEN OIL MOTOR, Jarosław Hampel and Piotr Pawlicki. These riders tried to thwart the plans of Maciej Janowski, Patryk Dudek, Bartosz Zmarzlik and Dominik Kubera until the very end.

The turning point proved to be race number 19. In the first corner after the start, Kubera and Zmarzlik fell. The younger of the mentioned duo lifted the front wheel on the entry into the corner, bounced to the right, and consequently caused the fall. Fortunately, neither hit the track or the barrier with force, allowing them to quickly and safely return to the pit area. Kubera was excluded, and it was already known that the same trio of riders as last year would stand on the podium at the 2024 IMP.

In the playoff for the right to participate in the final, Jarosław Hampel, Patryk Dudek, Bartłomiej Kowalski, and Bartosz Zmarzlik competed. After a thrilling battle, Dudek and Zmarzlik advanced, which postponed the emotions related to the final arrangement of the podium until the final race.

In the decisive race, Pawlicki fell in the first corner after the start. He hit Zmarzlik’s rear wheel and fell very dangerously, hitting his head on the track. Ultimately, the NOVYHOTEL FALUBAZ Zielona Góra rider was excluded. The fastest in the 3rd Final of the Individual Polish Championships was the uncatchable Maciej Janowski. The BETARD SPARTA rider thus became the Individual Polish Champion on a speedway. The silver went to Patryk Dudek, and the bronze to Bartosz Zmarzlik.

Results (according to WP Sportowe Fakty):

1. Maciej Janowski – 18 (3,3,3,3,3,3) +1 for the most race wins
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik – 13 (1,3,2,3,2,2)
3. Patryk Dudek – 11 (3,2,2,2,1,1)
4. Piotr Pawlicki – 12 (2,3,3,3,1,w)
5. Bartłomiej Kowalski – 7 (0,1,1,2,3) +3rd place in the playoff
6. Jarosław Hampel – 10 (3,0,3,2,2) + 4th place in the playoff
7. Krzysztof Buczkowski – 7 (1,2,0,1,3)
8. Kacper Woryna – 7 (3,1,1,2,0)
9. Dominik Kubera – 7 (2,1,1,3,w)
10. Przemysław Pawlicki – 7 (2,0,2,1,2)
11. Mateusz Cierniak – 6 (0,0,2,1,3)
12. Bartosz Smektała – 6 (1,3,1,0,1)
13. Szymon Woźniak – 6 (2,2,0,0,2)
14. Robert Chmiel – 5 (1,1,3,0,0)
15. Janusz Kołodziej – 3 (0,2,0,0,1)
16. Paweł Przedpełski – 1 (0,0,0,1,0)

Michał Kesler