World's best juniors started the run for gold in Lublin. Fans gathered at the stadium were looking forward to watch another good meeting this year. Ultimately, it was Gleb Chugunov, who conquered Lublin and became the leader of this year's series.
Local fans were full of joy after their Speed Car Motor Lubin Team made them a huge surprise with a big-time win in Toruń. However, it all started for them with a small disappointment. Viktor Trofimov, starting with a wild card, didn't manage to beat any of his rivals in his first heat. On the other hand, we had Jaimon Lidsey showing some quality racing. In the first series of starts, everyone were looking forward to a clash between Maksym Drabik and Bartosz Smektała. While this second one seemend to have a better starting gate, it was "Torres" closing him right at the first corner and adding three points to his stat sheet.
From the very beginning, Gleb Chugunov looked strong. Russian impressed everyone with his good starts and a perfectly-balanced position on the distance. His good disposition presented in Sparta Wrocław was confrimed in the U21 World Championship. After two series of starts, Chugunov got himself on the top of the table, along with Maksym Drabik and Dominik Kubera. It were these three riders, who noted two heat wins.
Fans got thrilled with Jonas Jeppesen's racing in heat no.8, when Dane was fighting hard to overtake the current champion - Bartosz Smektała, and after all, managed to do so at the last lap. This was definitely the best heat of the first part of the series. Favourites in Lublin weren't disappointing. Local hero - Robert Lambert was keeping himself close to the top through the whole time. However, title's defender - Bartosz Smektałą, wasn't impressing with his speed and after three series, Pole was losing five points to the leader - Maksym Drabik.
Beginning of the fourth series brought joy to the Polish fans. Wiktor Lampart and Bartosz Smektała fot their wins, but it all went totally opposite with Rafał Karczmarz, who fell at the second corner, while racing as fourth. Polish riders was forced to withdraw from the meeting.
Another rider, who got some problems at the same spot was Jaimon Lidsey. This part of the track looked like needing some serious work and Robert Lambert's fall in the heat's repeat, had only confirmed this necessity. In the third attempt, Maksym Drabik defeated Gleb Chugunov. Ahead of the last series, some work had to be done with he track, but it didn't throw the favourites off balance. Lambert, Kubera and Maksym Drabik won their heats and added another "threes". The one, who impressed many with his bravery and prowess, was Czech rider - Jan Kvech, who would gather solid 8 points. Another one, making a great show, was Nick Skorja in heat no.20. Slovenian rider showed some top-notch racing with overtaking Wiktor Lampart and Jaimon Lidsey.
Semi-finals started with a sensation. Maksym Drabik, who had won the main series with maximum points, didn't manage to go through to the big final. After the start, "Torres" got himself at the fourth position and on the distance, he only managed to win with Jaimon Lidsey. Top two spots were reached by Gleb Chugunov and Bartosz Smektała and these two could enjoy their promotion to the final heat.
Second semi-final was a spectacular fight between Dominik Kubera and Robert Lambert. In the first attempt, Jan Kvech got himself into the fences. Bravely racing Czech rider, however, managed to stay on his bike, but referee Christina Turnbull decided to stop the heat. In the repeat, Wiktor Lampart was behind Kubera and Lambert, who showed some top-notch speedway. First, it was Lambert overtaking his rival, but Kubera was far from giving up and with a phenomenal tackle on the outside path, brough back first position. This was definitely a highlight of the night.
Last heat in Lublin brought Gleb Chugunov's win and it was Russian jumping on the top step of the podium in Lublin. Chugunov had a best start from under the tape and was simply uncatchable for his rivals. Second place for Smektała, who should be happy about it, after his struggle in the main series. Some bad luck can be put next to Dominik Kubera's name, whose bike wasn't working the right way in the final, which led to position's loss and being overtaken by Robert Lambert. Luckily for "Domin", he became the leader of the overall classification, along with Chugunov.
Meeting in Lublin was interesting especially in its latter phase, where we could watch a lot of good racing. A hidden gem and a surprise was definitely Jan Kvech's performance. For a long time, it looked like noone would find a method for Maksym Drabik, but semi-final teared this theory apart. Second round comes on 14th of September in German Guestrow.
1. Gleb Czugunow (Russia) 17 (3,3,2,2,1,3,3)
2. Bartosz Smektała (Poland) 13 (2,1,1,3,2,2,2)
3. Robert Lambert (Great Britain) 14 (2,3,3,w,3,2,1)
4. Dominik Kubera (Poland) 17 (3,3,2,3,3,3,0)
5. Maksym Drabik (Poland) 16 (3,3,3,3,3,1)
6. Wiktor Lampart (Poland) 11 (1,2,3,3,1,1)
7. Jaimon Lidsey (Australia) 8 (3,0,3,w,2,0)
8. Jan Kvech (Czech Rep.) 8 (1,1,2,2,2,w)
9. Jonas Jeppesen (Denmark) 8 (2,2,1,2,1)
10. Nick Skorja (Slovenia) 7 (0,2,1,1,3)
11. Frederik Jakobsen (Denmark) 6 (2,2,u,1,1)
12. Wiktor Trofimow (Poland) 5 (0,1,0,2,2)
13. Patrick Hansen (Denmark) 4 (1,t,2,1,0)
14. Rafał Karczmarz (Poland) 2 (1,1,0,w,-)
15. Tim Soerensen (Denmark) 1 (0,0,1,0,0)
16. Dominik Möser (Germany) 0 (0,0,0,0,0)
17. Kamil Nowacki (Poland) 0 (0)
18. Mateusz Cierniak (Poland) 0 (0)
Heat by heat:
1. Lidsey, Jakobsen, Kvech, Trofimow
2. Drabik, Smektała, Karczmarz, Moeser
3. Czugunow, Jeppesen, Hansen, Skorja
4. Kubera, Lambert, Lampart, Soerensen
5. Czugunow, Jakobsen, Karczmarz, Soerensen
6. Drabik, Lampart, Kvech, Nowacki
7. Lambert, Skorja, Trofimow, Moeser
8. Kubera, Jeppesen, Smektała, Lidsey
9. Drabik, Kubera, Skorja, Jakobsen (u)
10. Lambert, Kvech, Jeppesen, Karczmarz
11. Lampart, Czugunow, Smektała, Trofimow
12. Lidsey, Hansen, Soerensen, Moeser
13. Lampart, Jeppesen, Jakobsen, Moeser
14. Smektała, Kvech, Skorja, Soerensen
15. Kubera, Trofimow, Hansen, Karczmarz (w/u)
16. Drabik, Czugunow, Lambert (w/u), Lidsey (w/u)
17. Lambert, Smektała, Jakobsen, Hansen
18. Kubera, Kvech, Czugunow, Moeser
19. Drabik, Trofimow, Jeppesen, Soerensen
20. Skorja, Lidsey, Lampart, Cierniak
21. Czugunow, Smektała, Drabik, Lidsey
22. Kubera, Lambert, Lampart, Kvech (w)
23. Czugunow, Smektała, Lambert, Kubera
