![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.mcnews.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2026-SpeedwayGP-Latvia-Zmarzlik-in-Riga-MK.jpg\")
<\/a>Elation for Zmarzlik in Riga \u2013 Image by Marcin Karczewski<\/p>\nRiga\u2019s revamped Bikernieki circuit hosted two nights of major international Speedway action, with Denmark first securing the final place in the FIM Speedway World Cup Final on Friday before Zmarzlik defeated Robert Lambert and Kurtz in Saturday\u2019s DEWALT FIM Speedway GP of Latvia.<\/p>\n
Kurtz had arrived in Latvia wearing the Golden Race Jacket after moving to the top of the standings in last weekend\u2019s Lodz Speedway GP<\/a>, where Lambert won and Zmarzlik missed the final.<\/p>\n Riga swung the advantage back towards the six-time World Champion, but with Zmarzlik on 129 points, Kurtz on 125 and Lambert now on 119, only 10 points cover the leading three with 48 points still available.<\/p>\n Zmarzlik takes his 31st Speedway GP victory<\/p>\n Zmarzlik bounced straight back from his Lodz disappointment with a record-extending 31st Speedway GP victory and his third triumph from just four Grand Prix visits to Bikernieki.<\/p>\n The Polish superstar was quickly into his stride with victory in Heat Two. Kacper Woryna beat Kurtz and Zmarzlik in Heat Five, but from there Zmarzlik reeled off wins in Heats 10, 15 and 20 to finish the qualifying heats on 13 points.<\/p>\n That was enough to put him directly into the final, along with Lambert.<\/p>\n Kurtz and Woryna were forced to take the longer route through the Last Chance Qualifiers before joining them in the decider.<\/p>\n Zmarzlik then made the most of the inside gate in the final to defeat Lambert, with Kurtz third from gate four and Woryna fourth.<\/p>\n The victory extended Zmarzlik\u2019s extraordinary record in the Latvian capital. He won the first two Riga Speedway GPs in 2023 and 2024 before Kurtz claimed victory there in 2025.<\/p>\n Bikernieki is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 and underwent a significant overhaul ahead of this year\u2019s event, with the corners widened, additional banking introduced and the track resurfaced.<\/p>\n Zmarzlik is attempting to become Speedway\u2019s first seven-time individual World Champion, having already equalled Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardsson with six crowns.<\/p>\n Rather than viewing the increasingly intense championship battle as an unwelcome complication, Zmarzlik appears to be enjoying having Kurtz and Lambert applying the pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThe boys push me all the time, but I got into the final again. This is exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Kurtz came within a single point of denying Zmarzlik the 2025 championship and has again emerged as his closest rival this season, while Lambert\u2019s recent surge has turned the contest into a genuine three-way affair.<\/p>\n Zmarzlik is trying not to frame the remaining two rounds in terms of what he must achieve.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think \u2018I must\u2019, only \u2018I can.\u2019 I am super happy after Riga because I had the problem in Lodz. This was better and now we have two more rounds \u2013 let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n Kurtz makes it seven straight Speedway GP finals<\/p>\n Brady Kurtz might have surrendered the Golden Race Jacket, but another podium represented a valuable points haul on a night that did not entirely go his way.<\/p>\n The Australian opened strongly by winning Heat Four ahead of Lambert, then followed Woryna home in Heat Five.<\/p>\n Kurtz added victories in Heats 12 and 14 and looked well positioned before finishing last in Heat 19, leaving him on 11 heat points and sending him into LCQ1.<\/p>\n He responded by winning the Last Chance Qualifier ahead of home hero Andzejs Lebedevs, fellow Australian Jason Doyle and Leon Madsen, extending Kurtz\u2019s sequence to seven consecutive Speedway GP finals.<\/p>\n Gate four proved a tougher proposition in the decider and Kurtz eventually completed the podium behind Zmarzlik and Lambert.<\/p>\n Kurtz was not dwelling on the four-point championship swing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s only one final away from being back to exactly where we were before Saturday. I am not really too concerned about that.\u201d<\/p>\n The Australian acknowledged that navigating the LCQ was not ideal but was happy to salvage another strong finish.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just grateful to get through that and get into the final. It wasn\u2019t my best. I made a decent start off four and thought I might have had a chance. Gate one was just way too good, but congratulations to Bartek.\u201d<\/p>\n The title battle now pauses while the Speedway World Cup takes centre stage later this month.<\/p>\n Lambert now only 10 points from the lead<\/p>\n Robert Lambert\u2019s late-season charge continued in Riga as the British rider reached his fourth consecutive Speedway GP podium.<\/p>\n Even more significantly, all four of those results have been top-two finishes.<\/p>\n Lambert followed consecutive second places in Wroclaw and Malilla by winning in Lodz and taking another runner-up finish in Riga.<\/p>\n He scored 12 points through Saturday\u2019s five heats to advance directly into the final alongside Zmarzlik, and the 18 championship points he collected for second place took him to 119.<\/p>\n That leaves Lambert six points behind Kurtz and 10 behind Zmarzlik.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great thing for people to be talking about \u2013 there\u2019s some excitement around the top three,\u201d Lambert said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll just ride my bike and do the best I can, and we\u2019ll see where it leaves me at the end of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n With Zmarzlik, Kurtz and Lambert having now shared three of the last four Speedway GP finals, there is precious little separating the championship contenders heading towards Vojens and Torun.<\/p>\n Doyle and Fricke also make the LCQs<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s other two starters in Riga, Jason Doyle and Max Fricke, both progressed from the heats into the Last Chance Qualifiers.<\/p>\n Doyle recovered from a scoreless opening ride with consecutive second places in Heats Seven, Nine and 14 before adding another point behind Zmarzlik and Lambert in Heat 20.<\/p>\n His seven-point tally put him into LCQ1 alongside Kurtz, where he finished third and missed the final.<\/p>\n Fricke also accumulated seven points, highlighted by second place behind Zmarzlik in Heat Two and another runner-up result behind Lambert in Heat 11.<\/p>\n Fricke finished third behind Woryna and Patryk Dudek in LCQ2.<\/p>\n Doyle was consequently classified seventh overall and collected 10 championship points, with Fricke eighth and earning nine.<\/p>\n Jack Holder remained sidelined through injury, with Jan Kvech replacing him in the Riga field.<\/p>\n<\/a>Zmarzlik and Lambert go wheel to wheel in Riga \u2013 Image by Taylor Lanning<\/p>\n<\/a>Brady Kurtz took third spot in Riga \u2013 Image by Taylor Lanning<\/p>\n<\/a>Lambert reached his fourth straight Speedway GP podium \u2013 Image by Taylor Lanning<\/p>\n