Brady Kurtz Claims Maiden Speedway GP Win in Gorzow with Gritty Ride Through Injury

Australian racer Brady Kurtz conquered pain and pressure to claim his first-ever FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow, delivering a gritty and emotional win at one of the most iconic venues on the calendar.

After a crash just one week earlier at the British round in Manchester left him with a battered and swollen wrist, the 28-year-old from Cowra defied the odds with a determined ride to the top step of the podium at Edward Jancarz Stadium. He held off none other than five-time world champion and Polish hero Bartosz Zmarzlik, with Dan Bewley and Fredrik Lindgren rounding out the top four.

Despite being in his debut full-time Speedway GP season, Kurtz had already made five finals in the first six rounds. But the win had proved elusive—until now.

“I’ve lost out in the final so many times that I didn’t know if it was ever coming,” Kurtz admitted after the race. “We have worked so hard for this and it’s so nice that it has happened, and I finally got the job done in the final.”

The road to the top step wasn’t easy. The wrist injury he sustained in Heat 15 in Manchester had left his hand swollen and immobile. “Last Sunday, my hand was so swollen – my whole arm was black,” he explained. “I couldn’t close my hand at all. It was stuck. I was in Wroclaw all week getting physio for five hours a day… just to try and get the swelling out. When it came to dropping the clutch, I was lucky my two fingers on the right of the hand are good.”

Backed by his Polish club Sparta Wroclaw, Kurtz underwent intensive treatment—similar to that used by injured triple world champion Tai Woffinden—and returned to action with a flawless PGE Ekstraliga maximum on Friday night, before lining up for GP glory 24 hours later.

“I knew my only option was to make the start because I was never going to pass Bartek if he got in front,” Kurtz said. “I think that was one of the longest races of my life. All I could hear was Bartek behind me. I was counting the laps and I was glad to finally see the chequered flag.”

Kurtz’s triumph was made even sweeter by the location: Zmarzlik’s home track, where the Polish superstar has secured three of his 29 career GP wins. “It’s nice to beat Bartek anytime on any track,” said Kurtz. “I said to him that he got me twice last week on my home track in Manchester. I have only got him once, so I still have some more to go.”

Despite finishing runner-up, Bartosz Zmarzlik was gracious in defeat and proud of his performance. “I am very happy and proud because I was in the final again, and I think it was a good job for me and my team,” he said. “Brady did a really nice job at the start. He kept going and won his first GP. Big congrats for that because he should remember that the first one is always the best.”

Zmarzlik added, “Maybe a small mistake in the final cost me at the start, but second place is also nice. Always when I come back to my home track in Gorzow, it’s an amazing feeling. I want to thank a lot of people because they gave me big support. I felt this, and it felt like we went on the track together for the races.”

Zmarzlik’s second-place finish, combined with his earlier sprint race podium and qualifying efforts, was enough to maintain his 11-point lead in the World Championship standings heading into the summer break.

British contender Dan Bewley also had a strong showing, finishing third in the main event and claiming victory in the afternoon sprint race for a total of 20 championship points. It marked a breakthrough at a venue that had previously kept him from the finals.

“I have topped the heat score chart here before, but I have never made the final,” Bewley said. “That was a little monkey off my back. I felt like I made a really good start in the final. It didn’t quite work out for me. Congrats to Brady and Bartek too. Gorzow is always one of my favourite tracks. It’s pretty cool.”

Bewley and Kurtz will both return to Gorzow again soon, representing Wroclaw in the Polish league next Friday.

The series now takes a brief pause before heading to Sweden for the Virkvarn FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla on Saturday, July 5. The Under-21 stars will also take centre stage the night before in the opening round of the 2025 FIM SGP2 World Championship at the Skrotfrag Arena.