The fourth and penultimate round of the 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship powered by Anlas, Kineo and HKC Koopmann will be staged this coming Saturday (14 September) at Vechta in Germany and with home riders Martin Smolinski and Lukas Fienhage currently sitting one-two in the standings it could be a famous night for the host nation.
- 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship reaches penultimate round on Saturday
- Martin Smolinski and Lukas Fienhage lead German one-two on home soil
- Rising stars to contest FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup on Friday evening
The defending FIM Long Track World Champion, Smolinski leads by just four points after racing to two wins and a third in the first three Finals as he attempts to become the first rider to take back-to-back crowns since Finnish legend Joonas Kylmäkorpi won his fourth consecutive title back in 2013.
In previous years Smolinski’s fantastic form might have been enough for a much bigger advantage, but Fienhage – who was the top scorer at last weekend’s FIM Long Track of Nations – has also been flying this season with victory at round two in Marmande in France sandwiched between two third-placed finishes ensuring he remains in contention.
It is, however, by no means a two-horse race and the British pairing of Zach Wajtknecht and Chris Harris are only a handful of points adrift, although both know that their title ambitions could hinge on their performances on Saturday in the Reiterwaldstadion Vechta where the five-hundred-and-thirty-five-metre oval – the second shortest on the 2024 calendar – produces intense, explosive racing.
Looking for his first victory since 2022 when he won the two final rounds on his way to a silver medal, Wajtknecht lost third last season on a tie-break and currently sits third just two points behind Fienhage after following up back-to-back second-placed finishes at the opening two rounds with fourth last time out in Scheessel in Germany in August.
Last year’s silver medallist, Harris has also been incredibly consistent this season with two fourths and a second at the opening three rounds putting him just four points behind his compatriot.
While the 2024 FIM World Champion will almost certainly come from this leading quartet who have so far monopolised the podium positions this season, behind them there are some seriously talented riders all determined to get solid results under their belts to make sure of an automatic place in next year’s series.
Lying fifth in the standings, Dutch racer Romano Hummel won the title in 2021 and while he has yet to make a Grand Final this season he has the ability to challenge for the podium, as does his compatriot Mika Meijer who is seventh in the points.
The dynamic Danish duo of Kenneth Kruse Hansen and Jacob Bukhave are also both capable of racing at the front and do not discount Max Dilger who played a vital supporting role in Germany’s FIM Long Track of Nations victory at Morizès and will be hoping to carry his form across.
The evening before, Vechta also hosts the FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup that brings together competitors aged between sixteen and twenty-three from six different nations.
Following on from last year’s successful inaugural event, the second edition is part of the FIM’s ongoing mission to encourage, inspire and develop the sport’s younger riders. The event follows the same format as the FIM Long Track World Championship, giving the next generation of racers access to a much bigger stage and represents a major investment in up-and-coming talent.
With permanent FIM Long Track World Championship riders not allowed to compete, Friday’s entry includes nine riders who contested last year’s event and fans should be familiar with a number of competitors who have had limited experience of top-flight racing this season.
These include France’s Mathias Trésarrieu who was second in 2023 and who represented his country at the 2024 LToN, as did Denmark’s Patrick Kruse and Dutch racer Mika Meijer. Trésarrieu and Meijer have also scored points in this year’s Long Track Under 23 World Cup.
The FIM Long Track Under 23 World Cup gets under way at 19:00 local time on Friday 13 September with the first Heat in the FIM Long Track World Championship scheduled for 19:30 local time on Saturday 14 September. For more information click here.
All five of this season’s Finals along with the FIM Long Track of Nations can be streamed LIVE on FIM-MOTO.TV for just €34.90. To sign up click here.
Start List
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Under 23 Start List
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Words by FIM Longtrack – Jesper Veldhuizen
