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Ekstraliga (speedway)

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PGE Ekstraliga
Sportmotorcycle speedway
Founded2000
CEOLeague Commissioner:
Wojciech Stępniewski
No. of teams8
CountryPoland
Most recent
champion
KS Toruń (3rd title)
Most titlesUnia Leszno (8 titles)
BroadcastersEngland: Premier Sports
Poland: Eleven Sports PL, CANAL+ Sport
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toMetalkas 2 Ekstraliga
WebsiteOfficial site

The Speedway Ekstraliga (English: Speedway Extraleague, Polish: Ekstraliga żużlowa), officially known as PGE Ekstraliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of motorcycle speedway in Poland and determines the winner of the Team Speedway Polish Championship. It has been called the "richest and most popular speedway league in the world",[1] and attracts riders from all over the world. The Ekstraliga has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland not counting football.[1]

With the fall of communism in Poland in the 1990s and the resultant sharp increase in the value of the Złoty, the sport began to attract a wider range of star riders from other countries. The first of these was Denmark's Hans Nielsen.[1]

In 2000, the First Division was renamed Ekstraliga, and the number of teams was reduced.[1] Since 2015 the official sponsor of Ekstraliga is the Polish energy company PGE, which signed the financial contract for three consecutive seasons in 2021.[2]

2026 PGE Ekstraliga

[edit]
Locations of the 2026 Ekstraliga teams

In the 2026 season Ekstraliga will feature 8 teams. KS Toruń are the defending champions.

Club 2025 Position
KS Toruń 1
Motor Lublin 2
Sparta Wrocław 3
GKM Grudziądz 4
Falubaz Zielona Góra 5
Włóniarz Częstochowa 6
Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski 7
Unia Leszno Increase 1 (M2E)

Teams

[edit]
CityClubCurrent team nameSeasons in EkstraligaTotal Seasons
WrocławWTS WrocławBetard Sparta Wrocław2000–2627
LesznoUnia LesznoFogo Unia Leszno2000–24, 202626
ToruńKS ToruńPres Grupa Deweloperska Toruń2000–19, 2021–2626
CzęstochowaWłókniarz CzęstochowaKrono-Plast Włókniarz Częstochowa2000–14, 2017–2625
Gorzów WielkopolskiStal Gorzów WielkopolskiGezet Stal Gorzów2000–02, 2008–2623
Zielona GóraZKŻ Zielona GóraStelmet Falubaz Zielona Góra2001, 2003–05, 2007–21, 2024–2622
TarnówUnia TarnówUnia Tarnów2004–08, 2010–16, 201813
BydgoszczPolonia BydgoszczAbramczyk Polonia Bydgoszcz2000–07, 2009–10, 2012–1312
GrudziądzGKM GrudziądzBayersystem GKM Grudziądz2015–2612
LublinKM Cross LublinOrlen Oil Motor Lublin2019–268
GdańskWybrzeże GdańskZdunek Wybrzeże Gdańsk2000, 2002–03, 2005, 2009, 2012, 20147
RzeszówStal RzeszówTexom Stal Rzeszów2006–08, 2011–13, 20157
RybnikŻKS ROW RybnikINNPRO ROW Rybnik2004, 2006, 2016–17, 2020, 20256
PiłaPolonia PiłaPolonia Piła2000–034
GnieznoStart GnieznoStart Gniezno20131
Ostrów WielkopolskiTZ Ostrovia Ostrów WielkopolskiArged Malesa Ostrów20221
KrosnoWilki KrosnoCellfast Wilki Krosno20231

Ekstraliga Champions

[edit]

Riders’ Championship

[edit]

Starting in 2014, a League Riders’ Championship has been held annually. The current format sees 16 riders competing; the top 14 ranked in league averages from the previous season, the top ranked Junior rider and a wildcard, typically from the host club.

YearVenueWinnerClub
2014TarnówRussia Emil SayfutdinovApator Toruń
2015LesznoRussia Grigory LagutaApator Toruń
2016GdańskPoland Krystian PieszczekFalubaz Zielona Góra
2017GdańskDenmark Leon MadsenWłókniarz Częstochowa
2018GdańskPoland Patryk DudekFalubaz Zielona Góra
2019GdańskPoland Bartosz ZmarzlikStal Gorzów
2020ToruńPoland Bartosz ZmarzlikStal Gorzów
2021ToruńAustralia Jason DoyleUnia Leszno
2022ToruńPoland Bartosz ZmarzlikStal Gorzów
2023ToruńPoland Bartosz ZmarzlikMotor Lublin
2024ŁódźPoland Bartosz ZmarzlikMotor Lublin
2025ŁódźDenmark Michael Jepsen JensenGKM Grudziądz
2026ŁódźAustralia Brady KurtzSparta Wrocław

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 Kevin Meynell & Marcin Babnis (7 July 2004), History of Polish Speedway. Main competitions. Rules. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Speedway from Around the Globe - Poland PGE Ekstraliga". Speedway Star. 10 September 2022. p. 42.
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