Last Sunday the FIM World Team Long Track Event took place at Swingfield in Kent. With the event incorporating the Don Godden Trophy for the winning Nation, Team GB were keen to take the title.
For as long as the FIM Team Long Track World Championship had been in existence, the Germans had won it every year, but yesterday in Swingfield in the UK, the Dutch finally ushered in a new era!
In front of 4000 people, the French team was ahead throughout the race, finishing just two points behind the indomitable Dutch. Spurred on by team captain Stéphane Trésarrieu, France clinched the runner-up spot with maximum points ahead of England, Finland and the Czech Republic.
The Dutch squad scored points throughout the heats and Théo Pijper scored a full house with 30 points out of 30. Jannick de Jong scored 21 points and Dirk Fabriek 14; the “joker” in the team, Mark Stiekema, didn’t race but his technical team did sterling work and it really paid off.
Everything came down to the last heat where the Dutch trounced the German team by scoring maximum points for a win.
The Dutch team therefore gets to take home the Don Godden Trophy, named after a great long-track personality well known as a rider, technician and parts manufacturer who died in 2011.
The home team took the third step on the podium ahead of the Germans, the Australians, the Finns and the Czechs.
Chris Holder, reigning World Speedway Champion, the legendary Barry Briggs and the wife of Don Godden were the VIP guests at this event and presented the teams with their well-earned trophies.
Text Lydia Robin