• Meissen next on 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship calendar
•  Former champion Ervin Krajčovič leads the charge into round two
•  Sammy Halbert aims to bounce back from disappointing fifth in Italy

The thirty-four-year-old from Prague – who was champion in 2023 – recovered from a Heat race fall at the opening round in Italy last month to take a dramatic victory in the Grand Final, but he knows that it is a long season and that consistency will be key if he is going to regain the crown he lost last year to American star Sammy Halbert.

Halbert ended the opening round at Terenzano in fifth – the first time he has finished off the podium since the penultimate round of the 2023 series – after incurring a start penalty in the Grand Final and the thirty-seven-year-old will be looking for a repeat of his victory last season in theSpeedwaystadion Meissen to get his title defence back on course.

However, lying between Krajčovič and Halbert in the standings are three highly-motivated and extremely fast riders who will have also set their sights on the top step of the podium.

Italian Daniele Tonelli (TM) struggled to make his presence felt last season, although on home soil at the end of May he was in fantastic form to sweep to second place ahead of Czech racer Ondřej Svědík (KTM) – who also received a bonus point for recording the fastest lap in the Grand Final – and Spain’s Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) who was champion in 2022.

While Halbert was clearly unhappy with his fifth-place finish, he was not the only rider disappointed with their performance in Italy and Britain’s Tim Neave (Yamaha) – who was among the pre-season favourites – knows his title chances this season are extremely slim after he came away from Terenzano with just a single point for twentieth.

Austria’s Max Hellmann (KTM), series debutant Marius Kircher (KTM) and Santiago Arangio (Yamaha) from Argentina all impressed at the opening round andKircher will be hoping to turn home advantage into a podium finish on Saturday to stay ahead of more experienced championship contenders including Italy’s Kevin Corradetti (Yamaha) and home wildcard rider Sebastian Thalhiem who will be looking to improve on his performance at the same meeting last year.

The action from Meissen is due to get under way at 18:00 (local time).To stay fully up to date with the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst please download the Sportity App and use the password FIMFT to access Flat Track news.

Taking the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all six rounds for FREE. 
 
For more details and to sign up click here.
 
For more information on the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst click here.The online reach will be extended by dedicatedFacebook, Instagram, Tik Tok channels where fans can interact with riders and like-minded enthusiasts. Please follow us!

• FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst gets under way in Italy
• Former champion Ervin Krajčovič draws first blood in Terenzano
• Defending champion Sammy Halbert fifth following start penalty

The thirty-three-year-old from Prague – who took the title in 2023 – won the final two rounds of 2024 before narrowly losing his crown to America’s Sammy Halbert and at Terenzano he found himself on the ground during the Heats, but recovered well to snatch a dramatic victory in the Grand Final.

Halbert’s debut appearance as defending champion was also not without incident and the thirty-seven-year-old received two startline penalties, the second coming in the Grand Final which put him at a disadvantage that he was unable to fight back from.

Having make no secret of his ambition to sweep the full six-round series, Halbert got his campaign under way with victory in the first Heat ahead of Austrian Max Hellmann and he was joined at the top of the leaderboardfollowing the opening block of racing by series debutant Marius Kircher from Germany and Krajčovič.

Czech racer Ondřej Svědík claimed his first win of the series in the second block of Heats from Hellmann and Kircher before Halbert eased to his second victory of the afternoon ahead of 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) from Spain, but Krajčovič – who crashed while chasing Halbert – had to pick himself up for fifth.
 
Underlining their fine form with wins in their third Heat races, Halbert and Krajčovič looked impressive and Kircher – with a second-placed finish in his third Heat behind Bailo – continued to turn heads as he separated the two more decorated riders at the top of the table.
 
Halbert’s unbeaten streak came to end in his fourth Heat when he was adjudged to have exceeded the start time allowance and was sent to the back of the grid. This allowed Krajčovič to claim an easier-than-expected win from Bailo and home favourite Kevin Corradetti (Yamaha), although Halbert’s fighting fourth saw him through to the Grand Final as highest scorer, one point ahead of Krajčovič and his compatriot Svědík who took victory in the final Heat of the day.
 
With the leading ten riders following the twelfth Heat gaining an automatic transfer to the Grand Final, the next ten went into the Last Chance Heat to fight for the remaining two grid positions with German veteran Markus Jell (KTM) and Argentina’s Santiago Arangio finishing one-two.

Halbert was then adjudged to have jumped the start at the beginning of the twelve-lap Grand Final and he was once again sent to the back of the grid from where he could do nothing to stop Svědík and Krajčovič from contesting the lead from the start.

Home hero Daniele Tonelli (TM) was also in the mix at the front as the top six – including Halbert – began to pull clear with Krajčovič riding wide lines and appearing to lose ground on Tonelli entering turns before sling-shotting around the Italian as they exited onto the straights.

With two laps remaining, Corradetti clipped Bailo’s back wheel while pushing for fourth and they both fellwhich caused the race to be red-flagged and handed victory to Krajčovič who held a narrow lead at the end of lap nine. Tonelli was awarded second from Svědík with Bailo credited as finishing fourth, once place ahead of Halbert, with Hellmann, Kircher, Arangio, Czech racer Vít Janoušek and Jell completing the top ten.

In a new rule introduced for 2025, Svědík also received a bonus point for recording the fastest lap in the Grand Final.

Watch the full replay of Terenzano onFIM-MOTO.TV.

Focus now shifts to Meissen in Germany for round two on 14 June.To stay fully up to date with the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst please download the Sportity App and use the password FIMFT to access Flat Track news.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Taking the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all six rounds for FREE. 
 
For more details and to sign up click here.
 
For more information on the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst click here.The online reach will be extended by dedicatedFacebook, Instagram, Tik Tok channels where fans can interact with riders and like-minded enthusiasts. Please follow us!

In just his second year in the championship, the former American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Grand National Champion and X-Games gold medallist raced to the title with a one-hundred per cent podium record – an impressive feat given the close and competitive nature of the sport – and this season he is looking for even more success.
 
“My goal is to win the championship, but also I’d honestly like to win every race,” he said. “It will not be easy by any means, but for sure I’d like to win more races than I did last year and if I can win or come close to winning every Grand Final that would be amazing. I know I’m capable of it and I’m hoping the bike this year that I’m riding is a little bit faster. I’m looking for more holeshots and more wins and, ultimately, the championship.”
 
Halbert’s 2024 run of two victories, three seconds and a third across the six rounds tells a tale of blistering speed and incredible consistency, but it was by no means easy for the rider from the Pacific Northwest and he had to fight every step of the way with his main opposition coming from last year’s defending champion Ervin Krajčovič.
 
The Czech hero remained in contention for the full duration of the campaign and won the last two Grand Finals of the year, but ultimately he had no answer to the American’s relentless pressure and Halbert clinched the crown by four points following a dramatic season showdown in Debrecen in Hungary.

“It felt great to win the title and it was a huge relief after going there in 2023 kind of expecting to win straight away and then not getting it done. I had a really consistent year last year with podiums at every round, but Ervin kept it close and kept the pressure on.

“Last year I was back at the top of my game in America as well – fighting for podiums and wins – and it was the same in Europe. I didn’t win every race [in Europe] like I wanted to and I think that shows how high the level is in the world championship. It’s a different style of racing so for an American to go over and compete is not an easy feat.”

Halbert’s 2025 season started in January with the Race of Champions at Valentino Rossi’s Italian ranch and then continued through to Daytona in March for one of the biggest AMA Flat Track races of the year. Now he is fully focussed on defending his FIM World Championship crown, making for a racing programme he describes as a series of waves where timing is crucial if he is to perform at his best.

“The way I do my schedule now is interesting. I did a big push in the winter to prepare to race at Rossi’s ranch in January because that’s one of the most physically demanding and challenging events I do. After that I kind of backed off a little and then pushed again for Daytona in Marchbefore taking a small break and lately I’ve been pushing hard and riding a lot and I feel as though I’m just starting to peak again now and I’ll carry that through until the season wraps up.”To stay fully up to date with the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst please download the Sportity App and use the password FIMFT to access Flat Tracknews.

Taking the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all six rounds for FREE. 
 
For more details and to sign up click here.
 
For more information on the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst click here.The online reach will be extended by dedicatedFacebook, Instagram, Tik Tok channels where fans can interact with riders and like-minded enthusiasts. Please follow us!

ITALIAN OPENER FOR 2025 FIM FLAT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst gets under way this coming Sunday (25 May) at Terenzano in north-east Italy and with seven of last season’s top-ten-ranked riders returning for another attempt at the title the action promises to be relentless from the get-go.

• 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship gets under way in Italy
• Extra point up for grabs for fastest rider in Grand Final
• American hero Sammy Halbert returns to defend his title

With six rounds spread across five countries in the space of four months, the 2025 calendar mirrors the short, sharp and incredibly intense nature of Flat Track racing itself and the entry for Sunday’s opening round is truly international with twenty-four riders lining up, representing twelve nations and three continents with three former and current FIM World Champions in action.

At each round riders will compete over a programme of twelve Heats with the top ten progressing directly to the Grand Final. Riders placed eleventh to twentieth will then take part in a Last Chance Heat with the top two finishers also earning a place in the Grand Final where, in achange for this year, on top of the regular championship points available an additional point will be awarded to the fastest rider.

The rider everyone wants to beat is defending champion Sammy Halbert from the USA. A former American Motorcyclist Association Grand National Champion and X-Games gold medallist, the thirty-seven-year-old from the Pacific Northwest was in dominant form last season and finished on the podium at every round with a Grand Final record of two wins, three seconds and a third.

In just his second full season in the championship, such incredible consistency should have seen Halbert take the title by a comfortable margin, but Ervin Krajčovič (KTM) – who won the crown in 2023 – had not read the script and the thirty-three-year-old from Prague in the Czech Republic was a constant threat, winning the last two Grand Finals of the season and falling just four points short of his American rival.

While last year’s top two will be looking to carry their dominance into this season, the retirement of 2024 bronze medallist Lasse Kurvinen – himself a two-time champion – leaves a vacant step on the podium. After losing third on a tie-break to the Finn, Britain’s Tim Neave (Yamaha) will be focussed on stepping up his title challenge, but he will face fierce opposition from Kevin Corradetti (Yamaha) – the 2021 silver medal winner – who ended 2024 just three points behind him in fifth and who will enjoy home advantage on Sunday.

Following a solid if unspectacular campaign last year, Spain’s Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) – the 2022 FIM Flat Track World Champion – completed the season in sixth, although failed to achieve a single Grand Final podium, an issue he will need to address this season if he is to strike gold for a second time.

Ondřej Svědík (Yamaha) only scored one podium last season on his way to eighth in the championship, and the charging Czech rider has won at this level and must be considered a threat if he can eliminate unforced errors and produce consistent results.

The final member of last season’s top ten, German’s Markus Jell (Schruf Racing KTM) won a bronze medal in 2021, though has not been able to replicate this form since over a full campaign and ended the 2024 championship in ninth.

Jell will team up with fast female Yasmin Poppenreiter (Schruf Racing KTM) who returns to action after opting to sit out the 2024 series. While the Austrian is unlikely to be pushing for a podium, she is extremely experienced having made her series debut in 2013 and will be hoping to score solid points at every opportunity.

From Terenzano, which is appearing on the FIM Flat Track World Championship calendar for the first time since 2019, riders will travel north to the more familiar surroundings of Meissen in Germany in mid-June before the series makes its Croatian debut with round three in Donji Kraljevec one month later.

Another venue new to the championship, Scheessel in Germany is next up in August before the championship concludes on consecutive weekends with a first-ever visit to Vasad in Hungary followed by the deciding sixth and final round at Pardubice in the Czech Republic.To stay fully up to date with the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst please download the Sportity App and use the password FIMFT to access Flat Track news.

STARTING LIST HERE

Taking the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst to a global audience, FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis with a season pass covering all six rounds for FREE. 
 
For more details and to sign up click here.
 
For more information on the 2025 FIM Flat Track World Championship powered by HKC Koopmann, Anlas, Kineo and Blackburst click here.The online reach will be extended by dedicatedFacebook, Instagram, Tik Tok channels where fans can interact with riders and like-minded enthusiasts. Please follow us!

ABOUT THE FIM (www.fim-moto.com) 
The FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) founded in 1904, is the governing body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. The FIM is an independent association formed by 123 National Federations throughout the world. It is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 
Among its 50 FIM World Championships the main events are MotoGP, Superbike, Endurance, Motocross, SuperMoto, Supercross, Trial, Enduro, Cross-Country, Speedway and E-Bikes. Furthermore, the FIM is also active and involved in the following areas: public affairs, road safety, touring and protection of the environment. The FIM was the first international sports federation to impose an Environmental Code in 1994.