ŻUŻEL/NEWS/PGEE: Krystian Plech: Promotion and the possibility of experiencing emotions with such stars is something beautiful for fans

On April 4th, at Moto Arena in Łódź, the best riders of the PGE Ekstraliga will compete again for victory in the MAXTO ITS IMME named after Zenon Plech. – We can be proud that the PGE Ekstraliga is the league that provides the opportunity to compete for the best in the world – said Krystian Plech, the son of the legendary speedway rider, in an interview for ekstraliga.pl. Tickets are available at biletynazuzel.pl.

• The upcoming MAXTO ITS IMME will be the fifth edition named after Zenon Plech.
• Personally, I think these will be very interesting competitions – said Krystian Plech in an interview for ekstraliga.pl.
• ORLEN OIL MOTOR Lublin will try once again to defend the Polish Championship title, but last year already showed that other teams want to challenge them. While last season’s background seemed exciting until the very end, this one promises to be even more so – he noted regarding the inauguration of the PGE Ekstraliga and the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga.
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The Individual International Championships of the Ekstraliga for five editions have been a tribute to the memory of Zenon Plech – a world championship medalist (including bronze in 1973 and silver in 1979 in individual tournaments). For Krystian Plech and his family, it is a special moment. – From the very beginning, when the first proposals to commemorate Dad came, we wanted the competitions to have the right rank and lineup. In the years when Dad was competing, he raced with the best in the world in what was then the best league globally, which was the British league. Among the great champions, all those who wanted to succeed on the international stage wanted to race in the British Isles. It was the same for Dad. Currently, we can be proud that the PGE Ekstraliga is the league that gives the opportunity to compete for the best in the world, and the competitions in which its best riders will compete are a special distinction for us. We are very grateful to the entire team of the Speedway Ekstraliga, led by President Wojciech Stępniewski, for allowing us to honor the memory of Dad in such a distinguished lineup again – said Plech in an interview for ekstraliga.pl.

The highest number of victories in the history of the competitions is held by Bartosz Zmarzlik. The rider of ORLEN OIL MOTOR Lublin has 6 wins to his name and will again be one of the main favorites in this year’s edition. However, Zmarzlik finished last season’s PGE Ekstraliga in 2nd place in the individual classification, behind Artem Laguta. Will there be a breakthrough in Łódź, signaling a tight competition in the league season?

– Indeed, the recent editions were won by Bartosz, but let’s remember that in the past other riders also won the IMME named after Zenon Plech. Personally, I think these are going to be very interesting competitions. We will have exactly the confrontation that the media were very interested in last season. The best in the PGE Ekstraliga Artem and the best in the world Bartosz, in individual competitions, on a foreign track. But I wouldn’t count out the other riders. It’s the start of the season. I think many of them also felt the chance to achieve significant successes last season, and such competitions are certainly an opportunity for them to confirm those words, including Robert Lambert or Martin Vaculik. Additionally, for me, such competitions are an opportunity for those we won’t see in the Grand Prix this season — Leon Madsen, Emil Sajfutdinow, or Patryk Dudek. Surely, with such competitions, they want to show that they belong to the world’s elite. I personally couldn’t point out one favorite to win the tournament – explained Krystian Plech.

The MAXTO ITS IMME named after Zenon Plech will not lack young riders who make their presence known on the international stage – Wiktor Przyjemski and Oskar Paluch. – This only shows that young riders also work hard and can race among the best. For young riders like Wiktor and Oskar, it certainly is a reward for what they have earned themselves. It should also be an additional motivation for them, but also an opportunity for further learning. The more competitions they participate in such a lineup and rank, the more it will help them in future competitions. I believe it will translate into their results on the international stage, and, importantly, for our national team in the coming years. I think we should be happy that we have more names in the junior category – noted our interviewee.

Last year’s edition of the PGE Ekstraliga championships in Łódź was watched by a full house. They were also the events that opened the season at Moto Arena. The tournament’s lineup and the local track, considered one of the best for several years, suggest good attendance at the start of the speedway spring again. – Last year’s decision to organize the competition in a city that doesn’t have such frequent opportunities to see such names, in our opinion, was sensible and necessary for the discipline. Promotion and the chance to experience emotions with such stars for Łódź fans is something beautiful, and this is what we should aim for in sports. Additionally, I believe it is also a distinction for all those involved in the Łódź speedway development project – the city council that invested in such a facility and the local activists who care about the discipline. It is also a clear signal to other centers that speedway fans are hungry for such events, and the best names in the world can appear in any city. That’s why the investments that are currently happening in Poland make it possible for such championships to appear in every part of our country, and I think that together with the Speedway Ekstraliga’s management, we will strive for this so that IMME named after Zenon Plech can also promote our discipline – explained Krystian Plech.

The week after the MAXTO ITS IMME named after Zenon Plech will be the inauguration of the PGE Ekstraliga and METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga. How does Krystian Plech see the approaching competitions? – I believe the upcoming season will be very interesting. ORLEN OIL MOTOR Lublin will try to defend the Polish Championship title once more, but last year already showed that other teams want to challenge them. BETARD SPARTA Wrocław will still be strong and certainly interesting with their new acquisition – Brady Kurtz. Personally, however, I think KS Toruń and STELMET FALUBAZ Zielona Góra will mix up the competitions quite a bit. Both teams will be dangerous and may cause a surprise at the end of the season. In the METALKAS 2. Ekstraliga, exciting matches await us again. ABRAMCZYK POLONIA Bydgoszcz was close last year, and I think they want it very much. FOGO UNIA Leszno wants to return quickly to the PGE Ekstraliga and seem to be the favorites, but we’ve had cases in history, like with FALUBAZ, where it wasn’t so simple. I think other teams also interestingly used the market situation. Woffinden and Przedpełski are riders who can give a lot to the team from Rzeszów. While last season’s background seemed exciting until the very end, this one promises to be even more so. I think we all already want the 2025 season to start – he said.

Ticket sales for the events are ongoing (50 PLN regular, 25 PLN reduced, 150 PLN VIP), which can be purchased on the website https://www.biletynazuzel.pl/.

Discounted tickets are intended for children and youth up to eighteen years old. Only they are entitled to this kind of discount on the MAXTO ITS IMME named after Z. Plech. Before entering the stadium, school IDs or personal IDs of people holding discounted tickets will be checked. The VIP ticket price includes a parking space and a program for the event.