GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE
 
SVEN SVENSSON, who finished 9th in the GP this year, just 2 points away from automatic qualification, won this meeting, hotly contested as always, to seal a return to the GP Series for next season.  There will be some fresh blood in the series next season though as, amazingly, the other 4 automatic qualifiers were all not part of the GPs this year.  LOUIS JOOSSENS, returning from injury, looked sluggish as he ran a last in his first race but he found his form to reach 11 points and qualify.  He beat STEVE EDGAR in a run-off for 2nd although neither rider seemed too worried about it as both had already achieved their main target of course.  RAY FRANCE scored 10 points from his first 4 rides, meaning his last race didn't matter and he coasted around at the back with the job done to reach the GP Series for the first time, after his stunning showing to win the British GP as a Wild Card this year.  The final qualifier was RUDI JURITZEN who scored steadily before the interval but improved after the break to see himself to 9 points and take the all important 5th place.
 
Of course Joossens and France will only be 21 years of age when they line up in the series next year but after the meeting the GP Committee confirmed that they won't be the youngest permanent competitors in the series by giving PETR MARKO, who will be just 20, a Wild Card place.  It seems just reward for a youngster who has won the World Under 21 and World Pairs Finals this season, only finished 1 point off Juritzen in 5th in this meeting and looks set to improve even more in the coming years.  The final Wild Card spot will go to JACEK KLECHA, who finished 6th in this meeting, showing his true form after an awful start that left him with just 2 points from 3 races and he is another rider who looks well set to compete at the highest level after winning his GP Challenge Semi Final and reaching the latter stages of the final GP of the series this season too.
 
From the rest Nikita Federenko, winning 2 heats but not doing enough in between, and Ricky Antunovich, who scored steadily but crucially failed to win a heat, came close to regaining their places in the GPs after competing this season.  Several others showed flashes of form but couldn't get their acts together enough to challenge the top 5 - surprises amongst them being 2-times World Champion Liam Reay, 2017 champion Gabrys Irzyk, who has been on the rostrum in each of the last 3 seasons, and Steen Eriksen, 2nd behind Irzyk when he won the title.  Young Alex Golden started with 2 points but then struggled although his very appearance at this stage at just 19-years-of-age holds great promise for the future.
 
  1. Sven Svensson............. 3  3  1  3  2  12   ---   QUALIFIED
  2. Louis Joossens............ 0  3  3  2  3  11   ---   QUALIFIED
  3. Steve Edgar............... 2  2  3  2  2  11   ---   QUALIFIED
  4. Ray France................ 3  1  3  3  0  10   ---   QUALIFIED
  5. Rudi Juritzen............. 1  2  1  2  3   9   ---   QUALIFIED
  6. Jacek Klecha.............. 0  1  1  3  3   8   ---   WILD CARD
  7. Nikita Federenko.......... 3  1  0  1  3   8
  8. Petr Marko................ 1  3  2  0  2   8   ---   WILD CARD
  9. Ricky Antunovich.......... 2  2  2  2  0   8
 10. Doug Monaghan............. 3  0  3  0  1   7
 11. Liam Reay................. 1  2  0  3  1   7
 12. Steen Eriksen............. R  3  2  1  0   6
 13. Gabrys Irzyk.............. 2  0  2  1  1   6
 14. Marek Czaja............... 1  1  1  0  2   5
 15. Alex Golden............... 2  0  N2 0  0   2
 16. Ila Niemi................. 0  0  0  1  1   2
 
 No. Results
  1: Ray France, Ricky Antunovich, Petr Marko, Louis Joossens 
  2: Sven Svensson, Steve Edgar, Marek Czaja, Jacek Klecha 
  3: Nikita Federenko, Alex Golden, Rudi Juritzen, Steen Eriksen (R) 
  4: Doug Monaghan, Gabrys Irzyk, Liam Reay, Ila Niemi 
  5: Sven Svensson, Liam Reay, Ray France, Alex Golden 
  6: Louis Joossens, Rudi Juritzen, Jacek Klecha, Doug Monaghan 
  7: Petr Marko, Steve Edgar, Nikita Federenko, Ila Niemi 
  8: Steen Eriksen, Ricky Antunovich, Marek Czaja, Gabrys Irzyk 
  9: Ray France, Gabrys Irzyk, Jacek Klecha, Nikita Federenko 
 10: Louis Joossens, Steen Eriksen, Sven Svensson, Ila Niemi 
 11: Doug Monaghan, Petr Marko, Marek Czaja, Alex Golden (N2) 
 12: Steve Edgar, Ricky Antunovich, Rudi Juritzen, Liam Reay 
 13: Ray France, Steve Edgar, Steen Eriksen, Doug Monaghan 
 14: Liam Reay, Louis Joossens, Nikita Federenko, Marek Czaja 
 15: Sven Svensson, Rudi Juritzen, Gabrys Irzyk, Petr Marko 
 16: Jacek Klecha, Ricky Antunovich, Ila Niemi, Alex Golden 
 17: Rudi Juritzen, Marek Czaja, Ila Niemi, Ray France 
 18: Louis Joossens, Steve Edgar, Gabrys Irzyk, Alex Golden 
 19: Jacek Klecha, Petr Marko, Liam Reay, Steen Eriksen 
 20: Nikita Federenko, Sven Svensson, Doug Monaghan, Ricky Antunovich 
 21: Louis Joossens, Steve Edgar