Speedway Grand Prix: 'Revolutionary' SGP4 bike will allow future stars to race 'on equal terms', says Tony Rickardsson
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Published 13/07/2023 at 19:47 GMT+1
It is a bumper weekend of action with the Skrotfrag Arena in Malilla, Sweden hosting the first ever SGP4 event as fans get to look at potential stars of tomorrow. The meeting will feature a special new entry-level bike, designed by Speedway legend Tony Rickardsson, who believes it will provide the next generation with the perfect startinfg point in the sport.
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Sweden is the venue for the latest round of FIM Speedway Grand Prix action, however the weekend will not solely be about the SGP championship.
The festivities at the Skrotfrag Arena in Malilla will begin on Friday with the final of the Speedway Youth World Championship, SG3, and future stars will also be in the spotlight with the launch of SGP4.
The revolutionary new youth category is part of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ 10-year vision to nurture FIM Speedway’s future stars, and with the help and expertise of six-time world champion Tony Rickardsson, will see a new entry-level bike, aimed at 11 to 13 year olds.
Following a year of testing and development, the 190cc, four-stroke bike will make its international debut in a special SGP4 test event on Saturday, ahead of the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden.
Young riders from around the world will be invited to take part and Rickardsson is hopeful the new bike he helped design, and SGP4 as a whole, will allow the sport to become more accessible and popular among young people.
“We see that it’s been extremely difficult to recruit new and young riders,” he said in an exclusive interview with Eurosport. “And that’s not just in speedway, it’s a general trend in most motorsports.
"Absolutely in speedway where we have very, very few newcomers to the sport of a young age.
“This will definitely help. It will not revolutionise the chance for young riders to come through, but it will definitely help to have a finished bike that you can buy without having to build your complete own bike by yourself for your son or daughter to start riding.
“It is extremely important that we start to look after both the families and the kids so they can have a chance to enter the sport."
At present, youth riders around the world start racing on different bikes, with Scandinavian nations,for example staging 85cc competitions and other countries running 125cc categories for potential stars of tomorrow.
Swedish legend Rickardsson believes having one standard bike for youth riders levels the playing field for those taking their first steps in the sport on the road to possible Speedway Grand Prix stardom.
“That is the main aim,” he added. “To make it easier for families to go and buy a complete bike, which has [already] been the case in some countries but the problem is that different countries or national federations have different regulations.
“So even if you buy one bike, for example, two-stroke, other countries might ride with a four-stroke so they’ve never been able to compete against each other on equal terms.
“This gives a chance for all to get together and ride against other young kids from other nations on equal terms.”
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Stream every round of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix season live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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