Fan Power Fuels Lindgren's Speedway
GP Home Win
S
wedish hero Fredrik Lindgren
admitted that the energy gen-
erated by his home fans helped
him defy a horrific crash to top
the Scandinavian FIM Speedway
Grand Prix podium in Malilla,
Sweden, August 18.
Lindgren triumphed in the final
ahead of new world champion-
ship leader Leon Madsen, Maciej
Janowski and Artem Laguta, with
"Fast Freddie" Lindgren claiming
his first SGP success on home
ground since his Gothenburg vic-
tory in 2012.
It was a moment to savor for
Lindgren, as the yellow and blue
flags flew high at the G&B Arena.
Despite sustaining a suspected
right-knee injury in heat six, Lind-
gren picked up the pace as the
meeting progressed. He admitted
the excitement in the stands only
inspired him on the bike.
"It's always great to win, but it's
always extra nice to win in front
of your home crowd," Lindgren
said. "I could see the atmosphere
building because I think the fans
saw my form was picking up go-
ing into the semi. I think they had
big hopes for the final, as I did,
and I think everyone just went
crazy as I crossed the line."
Lindgren was forced to do it
the hard way after being involved
in an ugly three-rider spill in heat
six, when Patryk Dudek ran out
of room as he challenged Mikkel
Michelsen for the lead. Dudek
bounced off the back-straight
fence with his bike falling across
the path of Lindgren and Max
Fricke. Both men jumped the
stricken machine motocross-
style, barely missing Dudek and
careered into the air fence. Mi-
raculously, all three riders walked
away from the crash, but Lind-
gren is set to be assessed with
concerns over his right knee.
"It was a tough night, espe-
cially with the crash and the pain
growing more and more in the
leg. I came into it in a very awk-
ward position—the worst you can
be as a speedway rider. When
someone crashes in front of you
going into the turn, we don't have
any brakes, and it's hard. You
can't stop."
Runner-up Madsen received a
pain-killing injection in his ankle
ahead of the meeting and said
it made all the difference, as he
racked up 14 points to go six
points clear at the world champi-
onship summit.
"I owe Srecko [Margetic], the
FIM doctor, a big thanks for mak-
ing me available to race," Mad-
sen said. "Without his help, it
would have been impossible with
all the pain I had."
Third-placed Janowski edged
up to seventh in the standings with
his 15-point haul. While he was
somewhat disappointed not to
top the box on his Swedish home
track, he was content with a third
straight double-figure return.
John Hipkiss
1. Fredrik Lindgren (16)
2. Leon Madsen (14)
3. Maciej Janowski (15)
4. Artem Laguta (16)
5. Mikkel Michelsen (9)
VOLUME 56 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 20, 2019 P33
Fredrik Lindgren,
leading Leon
Madsen and Maciej
Janowski, claimed
the Speedway
Grand Prix victory
in front of his home
fans in Sweden.
