Aussies on top of the world in Warsaw FIM Speedway GP of Poland

2025 FIM Speedway GP

Round Two – Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw

The Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland in Warsaw saw Czech champion Jan Kvech win Friday’s Qualifying showdown at PGE Narodowy. The Prague racer triumphed in the Warsaw sprint race ahead of Aussie ace Brady Kurtz, who collected three championship points for the second sprint on the bounce.

In the main game on Saturday night, however, it was Kurtz’s countryman Jack Holder who defied his 2023 heartbreak to triumph in the world’s biggest speedway event on Saturday night.

Holder came agonisingly close to topping the Warsaw podium in 2023, taking a commanding lead in the final, only for the race to be stopped due to a crash, with the Lublin and Sheffield rider forced to make do with second spot behind Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren in the rerun.

But Holder took the chequered flag two years on, beating first-time Speedway GP World Championship leader Brady Kurtz in the final as the pair completed an Australian one-two.

Kurtz finished second to move five points clear of Poland’s Bartosz Zmarzlik at the top of the standings, with Polish wild card Patryk Dudek taking third place on the night and his fellow countryman Dominik Kubera fourth.

The night belonged to Holder, who won five of his six races – beaten only by runner-up Kurtz in his final heat. And there’s no doubt he thrived in the white-hot atmosphere of Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy, as he triumphed in front of the sport’s biggest crowd.

Jack Holder

“We like these events! Of course, we like these big crowds and there is a roof overhead here in Warsaw. There is no rain – the roof takes that off your mind. It’s also one of the biggest crowds and the Polish fans are crazy. It’s a great atmosphere. It was one of those nights where I didn’t change anything until the last heat when Brady beat me. Before my last heat, I had a really long time because they had a couple of crashes. I didn’t touch the bike until I got that second in the last heat. Then I did something to the bike for the final. I took a gamble with the inside gate for the final and backed myself. I made the start and just tried to hit every rut as well and straight as I could. I could hear people buzzing around me everywhere, but I just put my head down, tried not to stuff it up and hoped the red lights didn’t come on. That’s an Aussie one-two – thank you!”

Holder wasn’t the only Aussie celebrating as Kurtz topped the Speedway GP standings on only his fourth SGP appearance. While the 2024 FIM SGP Challenge winner knows he has work to do to stay there with eight rounds remaining, he’s delighted with a fine start to Speedway GP life.

Brady Kurtz

“It’s wild to think that I am leading the whole thing. I’m not going to get carried away with it. It has only been two rounds, and we have a long way to go yet. It’s definitely where you want to be, so it’s a nice feeling for sure. I came into the series wanting to be world champion – just as the other guys do. I have put in a lot of work and things have been going well. I am sure there will be some tough ones to follow, and that’s something I will have to navigate when the time comes.”

Third-placed Dudek admits racing as a wild card seems to bring out the best in him as he built on two semi-final appearances as a No.16 last year by reaching his first Warsaw podium since 2019.

Patryk Dudek

“Years ago when I made the podium, it was a different feeling because I was racing all of the rounds in Speedway GP. This time, it was just one night, and I don’t know if I will race next time. There wasn’t big pressure for the meeting, so I had big fun here. Last year I had the wild card two times, and my results were not bad. Maybe I must race all rounds as a wild card. It would be better because it isn’t the same pressure as normal.”

Fourth-placed Kubera has endured some nightmare visits to Warsaw in recent years – crashing out of Qualifying with a back injury in 2023 and scoring two points last year.

Dominik Kubera

“It was a really enjoyable night for me. I was really happy to be in the final at this stadium. It was amazing. We were so close to being on the podium. Before the meeting, if someone had told me I would make the final, I would have said, ‘yes’ and taken it. I have it and 14 points more on my board. We will fight in the next round.”

Next up is the FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on Saturday, May 31, preceded by FIM Speedway Youth World Championship action on Friday, May 30 as the sport’s top 250cc, under-16 stars compete in the FIM SGP3 Final – also at Marketa Stadium.

2025 FIM Speedway GP of Poland Results

1. Jack Holder 20
2. Brady Kurtz 18
3. Patryk Dudek 16
4. Dominik Kubera 14
5. Andzejs Lebedevs 12
6. Robert Lambert 11
7. Fredrik Lindgren 10
8. Bartosz Zmarzlik 9
9. Max Fricke 8
10. Anders Thomsen 7
11. Mikkel Michelsen 6
12. Jason Doyle 5
13. Dan Bewley 4
14. Jan Kvech 3
15. Martin Vaculik 2
16. Kai Huckenbeck 1

FIM Speedway GP Standings

Images Taylor Lanning