Martin Smolinski
Martin Smolinski (born 6 December 1984, in Munich, West Germany)[1] is a former international motorcycle speedway and Grasstrack rider from Germany.[2][3] He is 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 |
| 2010–12 | AC Landshut |
| Sweden | |
| 2007–2008, 2010, 2013 | Hammarby |
| 2020-2021 | Masarna |
| Poland | |
| 2006–2007 | Rybnik |
| 2008 | Grudziądz |
| 2008, 2013 | Krosno |
| 2009 | Toruń |
| 2011 | Gniezno |
| Denmark | |
| 2004 | Outrup |
| 2007 | Slangerup |
| 2013, 2017 | Grindsted |
| Great Britain | |
| 2004–2007, 2009 | Coventry |
| 2013 | Birmingham |
| Individual honours | |
| 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 | German Champion |
| 2003 | German Under-21 Champion |
| 2018, 2023 | World Longtrack Championship |
| 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 |
Career
Smolinksi 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.[2]
Coventry retained him for the following two seasons and his form improved over the next two seasons.[2] In 2006, he signed for his first Polish club Rybnik[3] and in 2007 became the German Champion for the first time.[4] Also in 2007, he won the league and cup double with Coventry during the 2007 Elite League speedway season.[2]
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.
He would win eight German speedway Championships but his finest success came in 2018 when he won the 2018 Individual Long Track World Championship.[5]
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.[6]
In 2023, he was part of the German team that competed at the 2023 Speedway World Cup in Poland.[7] He then went on claim a second Individual Long Track World Championship[8] and the silver medal at the 2023 Team Long Track World Championship.[9]
Speedway Grand Prix
| Race no. | Grand Prix | Pos. | Pts. | Heats | Draw No |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 /11 |  German SGP |
17 | - | - | 17 |
| permanent speedway rider | |
| wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve | |
| rider not classified (track reserve who did not start) |
Major results
World team championship
- 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
World U-21 World Championship
Team U-21 World Championship
- 2005 - 2nd in Qualifying Round 1 (8 points)
U-19 European Championship
European Pairs Championship
Longtrack
Grand-Prix Series
| Year | GP | Points | Pos | GP Wins | OP |
| 2010 | 2 | 23 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 6 | 83 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 6 | 128 | 2nd | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | 5 | 78 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | 5 | 71 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | DNC | ||||
| 2016 | 1 | 25 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 | 25 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 5 | 109 | 1st | 3 | 0 |
| 2019 | 5 | 113 | 2nd | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | DNC | ||||
| 2021 | 2 | 30 | 2nd | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | DNC | ||||
| 2023 | 6 | 106 | 1st | 1 | 5 |
World Longtrack Best Grand-Prix Results
- Herxheim First 2018, Second 2019
La Reole First 2019
Marianske Lazne First 2011- Marmande First 2011, Third 2012
- Mühldorf First 2018, 2019, Second 2016, Third 2014
Roden First 2018
Rzeszow 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 Marianske Lazne (Runners-up) 44pts (rode with Michael Hartel, Jorg Tebbe, Stephan Katt)
References
- Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
- "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.
- "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.
- "24 September 2023 in Roden". Bahn Sport (In Dutch). Retrieved 25 September 2023.