Jack Holder Claims Redemption with Warsaw Speedway GP Victory

Jack Holder made a triumphant return to Warsaw on Saturday night, claiming victory at the Orlen Oil FIM Speedway GP of Poland in front of a packed PGE Narodowy.

The win marked sweet redemption for the Aussie, who narrowly missed out on the top step in 2023 after leading the final before a crash forced a restart, relegating him to second behind Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren.

Two years on, Holder finally crossed the finish line first, holding off fellow Australian Brady Kurtz in the final to complete an all-Aussie one-two. It was a standout performance from Holder, who dominated the night by winning five of his six races—his only defeat coming at the hands of Kurtz in his final heat.

“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,” Holder said, clearly relishing the electric atmosphere. “It’s also one of the biggest crowds and the Polish fans are crazy. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Holder revealed he stuck with the same setup all night until Kurtz beat him in the final heat. “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.”

Taking a calculated risk in the decider, Holder chose the inside gate. “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!”

While Holder savoured his Warsaw win, Brady Kurtz had plenty to smile about too. The 2024 FIM SGP Challenge winner not only secured second on the night but also surged to the top of the Speedway GP standings, now five points ahead of Polish hero Bartosz Zmarzlik.

“It’s wild to think that I am leading the whole thing,” Kurtz said after just his fourth Speedway GP appearance. “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.”

Asked whether he expected such a rapid rise, the 28-year-old admitted, “Obviously not, but we are all here to win. 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.”

Joining the Aussies on the podium was Polish wild card Patryk Dudek, who claimed third place in his first Warsaw podium appearance since 2019. He believes the one-off nature of the wild card entries works to his advantage.

“Years ago when I made the podium, it was a different feeling because I was racing all of the rounds in Speedway GP,” Dudek explained. “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.”

Rounding out the final was Dominik Kubera, who finally exorcised his Warsaw demons. After a horror 2023 that saw him crash out of qualifying with a back injury and finish with just two points, the Pole was all smiles after taking fourth place this year.

“It was a really enjoyable night for me,” Kubera said. “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.”

The Speedway GP series continues with the FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague on Saturday, May 31. The action kicks off a day earlier with the FIM Speedway Youth World Championship on Friday, May 30, where the sport’s top under-16, 250cc riders will battle it out in the FIM SGP3 Final at Marketa Stadium.