28 confirmed starters will compete in the opening round of the 2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium on August 5 with the first race at 6:00pm.
Riders will compete over 16 qualifying heats, a last-chance heat and grand final to determine the winner on the night, with seven riders in each heat.
Included in the line-up is a whole host pf global Flat Track stars, including Great Britain’s Tim Neave and Jack Bell, and racers from at least 10 other countries.
Reigning champion Gerard Bailo begins the defence of his title in Manchester, with World No.2 Matteo Boncinelli and World No.3 Ervin Krajčovič also set to take part.
Those unfamiliar with the discipline will be pleasantly surprised by its similarities to Speedway, with the main differences being the bikes themselves.
Flat Track machines are considerably heavier than Speedway bikes, are fuelled by unleaded petrol, have brakes and can achieve speeds in excess of 120 mph.
Belle Vu CEO Mark Lemon said: “We are thrilled to host such a prestigious weekend of world class motorsport in Manchester, again demonstrating the versatility of the National Speedway Stadium.
“We were delighted to welcome the many young ladies for Belle Vue’s inaugural Women’s Speedway Academy which was a tremendous day for all involved.
“And we are very excited to welcome such a world-class line-up for the 2023 FIM World Flat Track Championships, with such a eye-catching line-up of riders.
“This is another first for Manchester and another feather in the cap of this magnificent venue and we are committed to making the event a success.”
Armando Castagna, FIM Track Commission Director, added: “Manchester will host the first round of the FIM Flat Track World Championship.
“This discipline in Track Racing has developed tremendously in the last few years, with new riders from new countries so I’m sure this year’s championship will be very interesting.
The FIM World Flat Track Championships begin in Manchester on Saturday, August 5. Meeting tickets, race day programmes and south stand parking are now available at bellevue-speedway.com/events.
FIM FLAT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – R1, MANCHESTER – SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 @ 6:00PM
FIELD: Giacomo Bossetti, Sébastien Jeanpierre, Eric Reverté, Sammy Halbert, Markus Jell, Ondřej Svědík, Hanson Schruf, Nico Sorbo, Jack Bell, Tim Neave, Vittorio Emanuele Marzotto, Marco Troiano, Klaus Mayr, Yasmin Poppenreiter, Sébastien Clément, Ervin Krajčovič, Florian Eder, Gerard Bailo, Ferran Sastre Martinez, Matias Lorenzato, Tomáš Kolařík, Matteo Boncinelli, Menno Van Meer, Santagio Arangio, Josep Piedra, Daniele Moschini, Jarred Brook, Daniele Tonelli
Image: Ian Charles