ELITSERIEN: Lejonen and Lambert high score in Quarterfinals

The regular season is over and now there are just two weeks left of the speedway season in Sweden with the semi-finals and final to go.

Gislaved, Kumla, Avesta and Västervik win

This week saw Lejonen crush Piraterna, as expected, whilst Indianerna beat Dackarna with surprising ease. Masarna and Västervik also won their matches against Rospiggarna and Vetlanda.

The rules have been very flexible this year, allowing many more riders to come in and out of the teams to allow for the fact COVID-19 restrictions have also changed as the season has been underway.

Many have questioned the impact of this and the effect can be seen in this week’s results. That said, Lejonen and Piraterna made little or no changes to their teams. The Gislaved team put up some high numbers as they beat the Motala squad.

The week’s top score was Robert Lambert a double maximum of 30 points, whilst the highest scoring Swede was Mathias Thörnblom with 18.

Indianerna v Dackarna

Indianerna brought in Australian SGP rider, Max Fricke, but it was their Danish riders that led the charge. First was a high calibre, late season signing Niel-Kristian Iversen who took 25 points. Meanwhile Jonas Jeppesen continued in the form of his life scoring 22 pts across the two matches.

Dackarna’s poor performance cannot simply be put down to Pawel Przedpelski, who was the only new signing available for the quarters. But their losses are also down to a dismal display from an otherwise competent team. Swedes Jacob Thorssell and Oliver Berntzon as well as veteran Dane, Hans Andersen all under performed in both matches. The Swedish champion top scored with just 16 over the two games. In hindsight they really could have done with Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek, who were both were in their squad, to actually have been available in Sweden this week.

Masarna v Vetlanda

This game showed the impact of late season signings perhaps more than any other.

World Champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik had ridden one match with Vetlanda and scored a perfect maximum of 15 points, but due to illness was unable to represent the Småland club in this playoff. They were still able to win the first leg with help of Brady Kurtz and Simon Wozniak, the latter who had come in from Zmarzlik’s Gorzow team.

But in the second leg at the in Avesta, only Wozniak was available alongside four Swedes and Dane, Andreas Lyager.

Masarna already have SGP rider, Antonio Lindbäck, in their squad. And Sweden’s second SGP rider had one of his best matches all season when he scored 13+1. They have also been lucky with the return from injury of David Bellego. But the club have also managed to booster their squad with Przemyslaw Palwicki and Nicki Pedersen. The Danish three times World Champion scored 27 points with a paid maximum at home, underlying that the 43 year old has still got it when it counts.

There is no doubt that Vetlanda were beaten by the better team. The question remains whether it was more to do with clever boardroom signings that raw skill on the track.

Västervik v Rospiggarna

Rospiggarna were also beaten by a combination of missing key riders and a much stronger opposition.

Finn/ Swede, Timo Lahti was able to race in their first meeting in Västervik. But it was no beforehand that it was his last meeting of the year as he was due to have surgery on a major thumb injury. He scored 10+1 but without him they were overrun in the return match in Hallstavik.

Västervik have been able to add to of the top SGP riders this year, with Jason Doyle and Artem Laguta coming to the club. The pair scored 21 points each in the two matches to be the west coast’s team’s top scorers.  In their first match they were also able to have Dane Anders Thomsen, who raced in the Gorzow SGPs as a wildcard less than month ago.

Of course, success in sport is connected to money. Perhaps in this Coronavirus affected season, that is even more clear in an Elitserien which will be won by the team with the least injuries and the best signings from the Ekstraliga.

Top 5 Scorers from Quarterfinals

Robert Lambert       (LEJ)        30        (15 plus 15)

Nicki Pedersen       (MAS)      27+1    (14+1 plus 13)

Niels-K Iversen       (IND)        25+2    (13+1 plus 12+1)

Rohan Tungate       (LEJ)        25+1    (13+1 plus 12)

Andzejs Lebedevs   (ROS)      22+2    (12+1 plus 10+1)