MEET THE TEAMS | POLAND

SpeedwayOfNations.com shines a spotlight on our Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations Finals contenders. Today, we feature Poland.

The Poles are no strangers to lifting world titles, having won the FIM Speedway World Cup eight times in 13 years between 2005 and 2017.

Russia denied them what would have been a third straight gold medal at the inaugural Monster Energy SON Finals in Wroclaw last summer. But one of the sport’s superpowers heads to Togliatti next Saturday, determined to avenge that loss and better their 2018 bronze medal.

Despite sitting out Race Off 1 in Landshut, skipper Maciej Janowski is recalled to the side to partner Bartosz Zmarzlik.

Team manager Marek Cieslak enjoys an embarrassment of riches in being able to leave out Patryk Dudek – one of the current FIM Speedway Grand Prix frontrunners and the man who stepped in for Janowski in Landshut.

But Janowski has roared into form with Polish club Wroclaw and Swedish side Dackarna and also finished third at the Norrbil Swedish SGP in Hallstavik last Saturday.

Zmarzlik is also riding the crest of a wave in league action with Gorzow in Poland and Vetlanda in Sweden, where he is on a staggering 2.882 points-per-race average from 10 meetings. He maintained his strong form with victory at the Individual Ekstraliga Riders Championship in Gdansk on Friday.

To add extra spice to the Polish side, they can also call on one of the sport’s top junior stars in 2017 World Under-21 champion Maksym Drabik, who comes into the trio in place of reigning junior champion Bartosz Smektala.

Drabik has also been piling up the points in Poland and Sweden and taking on the sport’s top stars in Togliatti will hold no fears for a man who makes his full World Championship debut at the Betard Wroclaw SGP on August 3.

He will be guaranteed at least one ride in Togliatti and offers Cieslak an interesting option as the most successful national team boss of the 21^st century chases more top honours.