Martin Smolinski (born 6 December 1984) is a German motorcycle speedway rider. He is three-times world longtrack champion and eight times champion of Germany.
 Smolinski riding for Coventry in 2007 | |
| Born | 6 December 1984 Munich, West Germany |
|---|---|
| Nationality | German |
| Career history | |
| Germany | |
| 1999–2008 | MSC Olching |
| 2010–2012, 2021–2023 | AC Landshut |
| Poland | |
| 2006–2007 | Rybnik |
| 2008 | Grudziądz |
| 2008, 2013 | Krosno |
| 2009 | Toruń |
| 2011 | Gniezno |
| 2017 | Lublin |
| 2019 | Zielona Góra |
| Sweden | |
| 2007–2008, 2010, 2013 | Hammarby |
| 2020-2021 | Masarna |
| Denmark | |
| 2004 | Outrup |
| 2007 | Slangerup |
| 2013, 2017 | Grindsted |
| Great Britain | |
| 2004–2007, 2009 | Coventry |
| 2013 | Birmingham |
| Individual honours | |
| 2018, 2023, 2024 | World Longtrack Championship |
| 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 | German Champion |
| 2003 | German Under-21 Champion |
| 2011 | European Grasstrack Champion |
| 2012, 2013, 2016 | German Longtrack champion |
| Team honours | |
| 2019, 2023 | World Longtrack Team silver |
| 2007 | Elite League Champion |
| 2007 | Elite League KO Cup Winner |
| 2007 | Craven Shield Winner |
Personal life
editSmolinski was born on 6 December 1984 in Munich, West Germany.[1] He is of Polish descent through his paternal grandfather from Katowice.[2]
Career
editSmolinksi began riding in his natiove Germany for MSC Olching. He became the German junior champion in 2003 and after reaching the final 2003 Speedway Under-21 World Championship he signed for Coventry Bees in England.[3]
Coventry retained him for the following two seasons and his form improved over the next two seasons.[3] In 2006, he signed for his first Polish club Rybnik[4] and in 2007 became the German Champion for the first time.[5] Also in 2007, he won the league and cup double with Coventry during the 2007 Elite League speedway season.[3]
He was a regular team member of the German speedway team at senior level and represented them in the annual Speedway World Cup. In 2010, he won his third German title and began concentrating mainly on Long track. On 14 September 2014, the 390 metre track record was broken by Martin Smolinski who recorded 64.5 sec. The record still stood as of 2024.[6]
He would win eight German speedway Championships but his finest success came in 2018 when he won the 2018 Individual Long Track World Championship.[7]
In 2019, he was part of the German team, along with Lukas Fienhage and Max Dilger, that won the silver medal at the 2019 Team Long Track World Championship.[8]
In 2023, he was part of the German team that competed at the 2023 Speedway World Cup in Poland.[9] He then went on claim a second Individual Long Track World Championship[10][11] and the silver medal at the 2023 Team Long Track World Championship.[12]
In 2024, Smolinski successfully defended his World Longtrack title, winning three of the five rounds in the process.[13]
Major results
editSpeedway
editSpeedway Grand Prix
edit- 2008 Speedway Grand Prix - 31st
- 2014 Speedway Grand Prix - 12th (81 pts) inc New Zealand GP win
- 2016 Speedway Grand Prix - 17th (8 pts)
- 2017 Speedway Grand Prix - 17th (25 pts)
- 2018 Speedway Grand Prix - 32nd (1 pt)
- 2019 Speedway Grand Prix - 26th (1 pt)
World team championship
edit- 2003 - 10th place (1 point in Event 1)
- 2004 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 1 (14 points)
- 2005 - 8th place (2 points in Event 2)
- 2006 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 1 (9 points)
- 2007 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 1 (13 points)
- 2008 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 1 (12 points)
- 2009 - 2nd place in Qualifying round 1 (10 points)
Other
editWorld U-21 World Championship
Team U-21 World Championship
- 2005 - 2nd in Qualifying Round 1 (8 points)
Longtrack
editGrand-Prix Series
| Year | GP | Points | Pos | GP Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 | 23 | 16 | 0 |
| 2011 | 6 | 83 | 6 | 2 |
| 2012 | 6 | 128 | 2nd | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 78 | 4 | 1 |
| 2014 | 5 | 71 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | DNC | |||
| 2016 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1 | 25 | 16 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 | 109 | 1st | 3 |
| 2019 | 5 | 113 | 2nd | 2 |
| 2020 | DNC | |||
| 2021 | 2 | 30 | 2nd | 1 |
| 2022 | DNC | |||
| 2023 | 6 | 106 | 1st | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 96 | 1st | 3 |
World Longtrack Best Grand-Prix Results
Herxheim First 2018, Second 2019
La Réole First 2019
Mariánské Lázně First 2011- Marmande First 2011, Third 2012
- Mühldorf First 2018, 2019, Second 2016, Third 2014
Roden First 2018
Rzeszów First 2013- Vechta Second 2012
World Longtrack Team Championship
- 2010 Morizes (First) 49pts (rode with Matthias Kröger, Stephan Katt, Richard Speiser)
- 2011 Scheeßel (First) 56pts (rode with Stephan Katt, Richard Speiser, Jorg Tebbe)
- 2016 Mariánské Lázně (Runners-up) 44pts (rode with Michael Hartel, Jorg Tebbe, Stephan Katt)
References
edit- ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
- ^ "W moich żyłach płynie polska żużlowa krew - rozmowa z Martinem Smolinskim". sportowefakty.wp.pl. 14 January 2013.
- ^ a b c "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "Smolinski, Martin". Polish Speedway Database. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "HISTORYCZNE ZESTAWIENIE WYNIKÓW 1991-2013". Speedway History. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Chronik". MSC Olching. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "World Longtrack World Champions". Grasstrack GB.
- ^ "World Longtrack Championship". GrasstrackGB. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "WELCOME TO SWC". FIM. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
- ^ "Home hero Smolinski races to 2023 FIM Long Track World Championship". FIM.
- ^ "Speedway ace becomes world champion - and dedicates the title to a special person". Merkur. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
- ^ "24 September 2023 in Roden". Bahn Sport (In Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ "Storming Smolinski retains FIM Long Track World Championship". FIM Long Track. Retrieved 29 September 2024.