HANCOCK HAILS ZMARZLIK PASSION

American great Greg Hancock admits double world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik’s passion for the sport is making him tough to beat.

The Californian called time on his career almost a year ago, but still follows the action closely from his home in the States.

Four-time SGP champion Hancock was one of the dominant stars of the last decade, winning three world titles between 2011 and 2016, with his first coming way back in 1997.

Zmarzlik cemented his status as the new king of the sport in 2020, when he became only the third rider in SGP history to win back-to-back world titles.

Hancock admits the Gorzow and Vetlanda hero’s desire is currently giving him the edge over his rivals.

He told Sportowefakty.pl: “It is a great time for Bartosz Zmarzlik, who is in an excellent position to break new records.

“He loves speedway and it shows on the track. I am convinced that he works very hard and he enjoys riding even in practice. It's not just about training if you want to be fast; you ride speedway because you love it.

“All this is shown by Bartosz Zmarzlik. If other speedway riders in the world do not find the same sort of passion as Zmarzlik, he will escape them again and win more titles.”

Hancock hopes to return to Europe when the coronavirus pandemic abates. He has no plans to make a racing comeback, but he is keen to organise a farewell tournament to bring the curtain down on his career properly.

He added: “I plan to organize such a tournament when the situation with the Covid-19 pandemic improves and we return to a new normal world.

“It's fun to be called a legend of the sport. I am grateful to all the fans that have supported me throughout my career.

“It would be an honour to give all these fans one more moment of joy during my farewell tournament. Be patient. I'll organise something for sure.”