Antone runner-up at SGP4 Youth World Cup in Sweden | Canning P4

2023 FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla
SGP3/SGP4

SGP4

Australia’s Cooper Antone has finished runner-up to Danish star Elias Jamil at the first-ever FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4), Jamil earning the 15-point maximum at Swedish track Malilla on Saturday, to Antone’s 13-points.

Launched as a vision to train a new generation of champions, the SGP4 project has been developed over the past two years, with six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson designing a bike for the sport’s newest riders, aged between 11 and 13.

Riders from 12 different countries and four different continents headed to the iconic Malilla racetrack in the Swedish forests, where they took part in two practice sessions under Rickardsson’s watchful eye.

Two four-time world champions Erik Gundersen – Denmark’s master of youth development – and American legend Greg Hancock were also on hand to offer their pearls of wisdom, with the Speedway GP riders watching the racing today.

Jamil was unbeaten over five fantastic rides, culminating in a fine pass on Czech racer Karel Prusa on the final lap of heat 20 to seal his title ahead of Australian star Cooper Antone in second on 13 points. Denmark’s Niklas Bager took third spot after winning a run-off with Australia’s Kobi Canning for the bronze medal.

The delighted Jamil loved his first SGP4 experience, witnessed by hundreds of fans, who packed the stands of the Malilla training track for one of the biggest crowds ever witnessed for an event of this level.

Elias Jamil – P1

“I am happy because I won. I am feeling really good right now. The start in that last race was not so good for me, so I needed to make a move, but Karel blocked me. On the last lap, I took him on the inside. I have had a good weekend. I think the bike is going fast. I enjoyed my weekend, and the bike is good.”

Runner-up Antone made the long trip to Malilla from Albury-Wodonga – located on the New South Wales-Victoria border and home to an Australian Championship round. He loved his first experience of the SGP4 bike.

Cooper Antone – P2

“I’m stoked. I have never been this far from home before, so I am super stoked. This is the best bike I have ever been on. They are super grunty, which I love. It makes you a lot more disciplined.”

Third-placed Bager also took to the SGP4 class brilliantly

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Niklas Bager – P3

“I am feeling good. It was a nice weekend. The SGP4 bike is really good. It was really awesome to ride this. Thank you to Tony Rickardsson and all his team.”

Fourth-placed Canning from Adelaide, South Australia – one of the top speedway cities Down Under – admitted the SGP4 machine was his new favourite junior bike.

Kobi Canning – P4

“This bike is a lot faster. They are heaps better than the ones at home. I’m feeling stoked. I didn’t get much luck in the run-off, but I am here in fourth place, and I am pretty happy. Congratulations to everyone else.”

Swedish legend Rickardsson was blown away with the standard of riding on show and paid tribute to the riders and their families for playing their part in an historic weekend for youth speedway.

Tony Rickardsson

“I didn’t really know what to expect and my ambition was that it really could be a family weekend out. I know it is a world cup event, but at this young age, it is so important that we are having fun together and we respect each other on and off the racetrack. We have to realise that even if we have had a couple of practices, these guys have only been on those bikes for eight minutes yesterday and four and a half minutes today if you are looking at track time. The shape of this training track makes it really difficult to ride and that put a lot of pressure on me and the riders. But if they can ride this track with its long straights and really tight corners, they can ride any track with this bike. For them to have raced the bikes the way they did, wow! I am blown away. Well done to the riders and well done to their parents who make this all happen.”

While riders from 12 nations took part in the SGP4 weekend, Rickardsson looks forward to welcoming more riders and nations to a class that is set to become the first step on the road to Speedway GP success.

Tony Rickardsson

“Everybody is welcome into this project. I really hope all the national federations will try to follow suit. This is not a class that should take over different countries’ national classes. They should keep the classes they have. This will be an extra option and I hope this will continue for many years to come, make the youngsters happy and give them a nice stepping stone on to the next size bike.”

FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) Scores

SGP3

Swedish sensation Rasmus Karlsson defied the nerves of a dramatic last-heat decider to win the Lantmannen Maskin FIM SGP3 Final – Malilla in front of a delighted home crowd on Friday.

Karlsson got the better of a stellar field in the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship – the sport’s under-16 250cc competition – registering two heat wins and two second places in his opening four rides to give himself four laps to become a world champion in heat 20.

Despite reigning champion Mikkel Andersen getting the better of him early on, which would have forced Karlsson into a run-off with the Dane, as well as Poland’s Maksymilian Pawelczak for the gold medal, the Swede swooped for the win with an epic move on lap two, bend four.

Karlsson celebrated wildly on one wheel in front of his home fans as he became Sweden’s first-ever winner of the sport’s biggest youth competition on 13 points.

He triumphed ahead of Pawelczak, who took second spot on 12. 2022 SGP3 champion Mikkel Andersen defeated Poland’s Kacper Mania in a dramatic run-off for the bronze medal after they tied on 11. But the day belonged to Karlsson, sparking big celebrations in Malilla.

Rasmus Karlsson – P1

“I feel amazing!” the elated 15-year-old said. “Before the last race, I had a little bit of pressure, and I was very nervous. But I managed to push through it. It felt amazing to celebrate this win in front of the Swedish fans. It felt like a dream. Of course, gold was what I was hoping for and now I would like to win the European Championship (in Riga on August 19) as well. I want to say a special thank you to (Swedish rider) Noel Wahlquist, who helped me throughout the day. I race at Indianerna in Kumla. I hope I will be able to ride in the Elitserien. My main goal – to get into the Ekstraliga in Poland.”

Karlsson is set to step up into 500cc competition next year and has his sights set on racing in European speedway’s biggest leagues.

Swedish fans will be delighted with Karlsson’s performance as they search for a long-term successor to world No.4 Fredrik Lindgren, who continues to represent his country with distinction on the world stage.

Pawelczak won FIM SGP3 Semi-Final 2 in Vastervik to qualify for Friday’s event and brought his fine form into the Final. While a third place in his opening race cost him gold, he was rightly pleased after ending with three wins and a second place to secure silver.

Maksymilian Pawelczak – P2

“I was trying my best today. In my first heat, I went with my second bike, which I thought was better, but I didn’t go well, and I only got one point. Then we changed the bike and the setup, and I managed to score enough points to be here on the podium. I am very happy about it. It has been a long journey for me. I am very happy about the Semi-Final I won in Vastervik. I was hoping I would get on the podium here and get the gold medal, but Rasmus was there today. Congratulations to the boys and thanks for the races. I am staying in the 250cc classes for now, so maybe see you next year.”

This is the first of three FIM Speedway World Championship events taking place in Malilla this weekend. As well as Saturday night’s Holmgrens Bil FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla, featuring the sport’s top stars, the Skrotfrag Arena stages the FIM Speedway Youth World Cup (SGP4) on Saturday afternoon at 14:30 CET.

The inaugural SGP4 event will be raced on the 190cc bikes designed by Sweden’s six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson, as part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ vision to train a new generation of champions.

The bikes were tested by talented riders all over Europe and Pawelczak was one of Rickardsson’s key test riders in Poland.

The charismatic star from Bydgoszcz was delighted to play his part in creating the final product and team up with one of the sport’s all-time greats.

Tony Rickardsson

“I have awesome memories of working with Tony. He is a really good man. I was testing the SGP4 bikes, and I was really happy about them. It was my last season in mini speedway, and I thought the bikes were pretty good. I will definitely be watching tomorrow’s competition.”

Andersen was gutted he couldn’t make it back-to-back SGP3 gold medals, after clinching the 2022 title in Polish city Wroclaw last summer. He is now set to start his 500cc career in 2024.

Mikkel Andersen – P3

“I was not really feeling too good after the final. I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to the run-off. Of course, I have been trying a 500cc bike this year and I look forward to being on one next year.”

Polish starlet Mania lost out on a podium place in a run-off and took fourth spot for the second straight season. There’s no doubt starting his final ride from the testing gate four cost him dearly, as he missed out on the victory needed to secure gold, finishing last to end up in a battle for bronze.

Kacper Mania – P4

“I didn’t have much luck. Obviously, my thoughts before the meeting were about becoming world champion, and I am really upset about the fourth place because I wanted to win gold this season. I was racing from gate four in my last heat, which was obviously the worst one. I could see that from the beginning of the meeting. It wasn’t very fortunate and that’s why I lost out in that heat. Now my dream is to become world champion. That’s my ultimate goal and I am planning on trying 500cc next season.”

Lantmannen Maskin FIM SGPR3 Final – Malilla Scores