PSZ Poznan and Polonia Bydgoszcz draw 45-45 in first leg of speedway promotion final

Early exchange and opening heats

The opening leg of the Metalkas 2. Ekstraliga final between Hunters PSZ Poznan and Abramczyk Polonia Bydgoszcz ended in a 45-45 tie at the Golecin stadium on Sunday afternoon. Bydgoszcz entered the fixture as favorites after going unbeaten during the regular campaign and winning 51-39 at the same venue in July. For the first time this season, Polonia deployed Wiktor Przyjemski alongside Maksymilian Pawelczak as their starting junior pairing. Club president Jerzy Kanclerz confirmed before the start that Kacper Andrzejewski moved to the reserve role to accommodate Przyjemski.

“This change was planned from the beginning. Already at the stage of contract talks with Kacper Andrzejewski, we warned him that a situation might occur where he would be a reserve and Wiktor would take his place. I consider this decision good because, I say this with full awareness, Wiktor and Maks are the best juniors in the league.”

The first block of four heats concluded at 12-12 after Bartosz Smektala and Kamil Witkowski beat Aleksandr Loktajew and Przyjemski in heat four. Krzysztof Buczkowski also suffered a non-injurious fall during the opening heats.

“The pressure on the team is greater than before earlier matches. They no longer matter and everything starts from the beginning. We came to Poznan for a victory. The track is well prepared, just like during other competitions.”

Rain and the red card incident

Controversy emerged in the fifth heat when Loktajew and Poznan rider Kacper Pludra collided on the first corner, prompting referee Bartosz Ignaszewski to exclude the Ukrainian rider. Kai Huckenbeck won the subsequent restart for Bydgoszcz, initiating a run where Polonia steadily extended their advantage. Captain Szymon Wozniak recorded consecutive race wins as the visitors pulled away to a 35-25 lead through ten heats. Weather conditions deteriorated rapidly across Poznan at this stage, with continuous rainfall softening the shale racing track.

The momentum shifted in heat 11 when Polonia manager Dariusz Sledz implemented a tactical substitution. Poznan pairing Ryan Douglas and Dimitri Berge took the lead off the start, while Wozniak lost control of his motorcycle on the wet entrance to the second corner. Ignaszewski halted the race and issued a red card to Wozniak after video analysis showed the rider was physically able to clear the track rather than waiting for an interruption.

Late fightback and mechanical failure

In the heat 11 restart, Loktajew overtook Berge when the French rider suffered a deflated rear tire. Berge recovered in heat 13, partnering Douglas to a 5-1 victory over Huckenbeck and Buczkowski. With Wozniak excluded from further participation and the starting juniors having reached their heat limit, Polonia turned to Andrzejewski in heat 14. Buczkowski passed Smektala to restrict Poznan to a 4-2 win, leaving Bydgoszcz with a 43-41 lead entering the final race.

Heat 15 saw Douglas and Berge establish a double lead over Huckenbeck and Loktajew, which would have secured an outright victory for the home side. On the final straight of the race, Berge suffered a second punctured rear tire, allowing the visitors to level the score at 45-45.

Promotion stakes in Bydgoszcz

The aggregate winner over the two legs will earn automatic promotion to the top-flight PGE Ekstraliga. Prior to the match, Poznan announced contract extensions for coach Eryk Jozwiak and manager Jacek Kannenberg, while Polonia confirmed Wozniak had committed to the club for the 2027 season. The decisive return leg takes place on 20 September at the Polonia stadium in Bydgoszcz, where the hosts need a draw or a win to secure promotion, while Poznan must win the match.