There are speedway meetings that stay in fans’ memories for years. The second round of the 2016 Speedway Euro Championship was undoubtedly one of them. The spectators in Daugavpils witnessed some truly outstanding racing. On the tenth anniversary of that memorable meeting in Latvia, we spoke to its winner. Grigory Laguta, a three-time Speedway Euro Championship medallist, admitted that he misses competing at the highest level of speedway.

The Situation After the Opening Round

The 2016 Speedway Euro Championship campaign got underway in Güstrow. Laguta was forced to miss the opening round due to the aftermath of a crash he suffered in the Russian league.

"It wasn't a serious crash. I was bruised up, but it wasn't too bad. I wanted to race in the opening round right until the very end. I came to the venue, but I simply wasn't able to do it," Grisha recalled.

The meeting in Germany was won by Martin Vaculík, ahead of Krzysztof Kasprzak and Kai Huckenbeck. In Daugavpils, Maksims Bogdanovs received the wildcard, while Kjastas Puodžuks and Jevgenijs Kostigovs were named as reserve riders. Together with Andzejs Lebedevs, the home crowd had four Latvian representatives to cheer on.

A flying Start

The action was spectacular right from Heat 1. Anders Thomsen defeated Martin Vaculík, Janusz Kołodziej produced a brilliant move to take the lead, while Maksims Bogdanovs edged out Przemysław Pawlicki on the finish line. However, it was Grigory Laguta who stole the show, charging from last place to first. Lap after lap, Grisha picked off Antonio Lindbäck, Nicki Pedersen and Andzejs Lebedevs. The Latvian launched one final attack on the last lap, but Laguta held on to take the victory.

"To be honest, my biggest advantage was that I'd probably completed more laps around that track than anyone else in the field. I knew every racing line," our interviewee added.

Following the track grading, Bogdanovs thrilled the crowd once again, Laguta enjoyed a superb battle with Leon Madsen, while Emil Sayfutdinov impressed with a sensational ride around the outside. Pawlicki and Sayfutdinov were the standout performers in the third series of heats, while the only major surprise was previously unbeaten Laguta finishing at the back of the field.

First Problems

After the third heat, the Russians emerged as the strongest. Peter Ljung made a great start, but Emil Sajfutdinov and Grigorij Laguta quickly passed him, with Laguta confidently taking the win.

Shortly afterwards, the first crash occurred. Martin Vaculik made a mistake just after the start and spectacularly hit the deck. Vaclav Milik won the restart. Krzysztof Kasprzak lost the lead after his own mistake, while Joonas Kylmäkorpi took another step towards the final.

The final heat of the series was packed with action. Hans Andersen was fighting tooth and nail to fend off the Latvian riders. At one point, he made heavy contact with Lebedevs, and the younger of the two home representatives somehow managed to stay on his bike. Bogdanovs was also involved in the battle, but the main protagonists were the aforementioned Dane and the future two-time European Individual Champion. Andersen won the heat through sheer determination. Lebedevs chased him all the way to the finish, but it was the Scandinavian who crossed the line first.

The Fight for the Final

After four series of heats, Grigorij Laguta and Przemysław Pawlicki were, on paper, the two riders who had secured direct qualification for the final. Both had nine points. Joonas Kylmäkorpi had the same tally, while the remaining places that offered a spot in the run-off were occupied at that stage by Emil Sajfutdinov, Maksims Bogdanovs and Anders Thomsen. The Dane was one of three riders who had scored seven points after their four rides. Leon Madsen and Andzejs Lebedevs had the same total.

Vaclav Milik took a major step towards joining the battle for the top six. The Czech won Heat 17 and, combined with Lebedevs' retirement and Thomsen scoring only two points, that result allowed him to leapfrog both riders in the standings.

The next heat brought the second crash. On the third lap, Nicki Pedersen, who was trying to move through the field, caused Peter Ljung to fall. Since Bogdanovs was already on the final lap, the referee decided to let the result stand. This sparked huge celebrations in the stands, as the Latvian suddenly found himself with a major opportunity to qualify directly for the final.

Kylmäkorpi was also in an excellent position. The Swede won his final scheduled ride, while Lindbaeck managed to get the better of Sajfutdinov in the closing stages of the competition. As a result, the Russian’s situation became significantly more complicated.

The line-up for the grand final was to be decided in Heat 20. Only Grigorij Laguta and Przemysław Pawlicki remained in contention, with Kasprzak and Andersen, who were no longer fighting for qualification themselves, joining them at the start. However, both wanted to bid farewell to the Latvian crowd in the best possible way. The pair held all the cards. Pawlicki made the best start, while the Dane built up speed around the outside. For a moment, they traded the lead between themselves before Laguta joined the battle.

The Russian briefly managed to pass Kasprzak, but had to back off when Andersen began making some unusual moves on the track. This allowed the Pole not only to regain second place but also to move into the lead. The Scandinavian then managed to reclaim first place. Laguta chased them all the way to the finish, but the Russian had to settle for a single point.

“It wasn’t easy, although it never is in a situation like that. When you see the rider in front of you making unusual moves, you never know what to expect. I think that’s why I didn’t pass him at that moment,” Grisza explained.

The Run-Off and the Final

Joonas Kylmäkorpi and Maksims Bogdanovs secured direct places in the final. Emil Sajfutdinov, Grigorij Laguta, Vaclav Milik and Przemysław Pawlicki, meanwhile, lined up in the last-chance run-off. The Russians settled the run-off on the very first lap. Laguta made a superb getaway from the tapes, while Sajfutdinov, riding close to the fence, managed to pass Pawlicki.

For the final, the riders selected the following helmet colours: Kylmäkorpi in red, Bogdanovs in blue, Sajfutdinov in white and Laguta in yellow. The Swede made the best start, but the race had to be restarted. Sajfutdinov and Bogdanovs collided on the exit of the first turn. The Latvian fell onto the track, but got back to his feet moments later. Referee Craig Ackroyd excluded him from the restart, but for the home fans in the stands, the most important thing was that their favourite was okay.

“I remember that situation very well because it happened right in front of me. The most important thing was that the guys were okay, because it was not a pleasant crash,” Grisza added.

The best SEC meeting in history?

There was plenty of action on the track. Speedway statistician Rafał Gurgurewicz calculated that there were as many as 65 overtaking moves throughout the meeting. No other SEC round that has been analysed reached such a figure. What is more, it is extremely rare for an international meeting to produce such a high number of overtakes.

“A round like the one in Daugavpils is the best possible advertisement for speedway. Unfortunately, as I have already said, I had to miss one round because of injury, which cost me the championship, because I then won the round in Togliatti and finished high up in Rybnik. Daugavpils was packed with fans. You could feel their support and the atmosphere, and I felt like I was racing at home.”

Our interviewee also had a few words for the fans.

“I am genuinely impressed by the Speedway Euro Championship. I remember very well when the One Sport team started organising everything. It was a real pleasure to compete in the Speedway Euro Championship. I hope the popularity of the series will continue to grow, because there are always interesting riders competing here. I hope these meetings will attract plenty of fans who will fall in love with speedway. Once you come to a meeting, you become addicted to this sport. The atmosphere in the stands at a speedway meeting is something that stays with you for the rest of your life,” he concluded.

Results

Kylmäkorpi led for a long time in the restart, but Laguta seized his opportunity at the beginning of the final lap and went on to claim victory.

“There was quite a long break after Maksims’ crash, so we had time to analyse everything. The restart looked much better and I set off in pursuit of Kylmäkorpi. I passed him during the race and the victory was mine.”