Pole Joins Up To Make Mildenhall History!
The city of Gorzów in Poland’s industrial belt may seem many poles apart from the agricultural surroundings of West Row in the Suffolk Fens – but the latest rider to make his debut for the Mildenhall Speedway club bridges that gap.
32-year-old Patryk Daniszewski will don the famous Fen Tigers’ race jacket for a first time this Tuesday (26/8) as the Suffolk side mark stage one of their track comeback with an ‘overseas’ trip of their own – crossing the Solent to take on the Isle Of Wight Warriors.
And the British-based Pole has a remarkable link with the rider who for the past three years has been World Speedway champion because the Lubusz Voivodeship-born Daniszewski was a schoolboy riding team mate of world number one Bartosz Zmarzlik, when together as teenagers in the junior Stal Gorzów team back in the year 2010 before giving up his professional licence and moving with his family when aged just 20 to live in the UK.
Now based in East Yorkshire, Daniszewski (who had a spell also racing in Ice Speedway) returned to the shale a few years ago riding regularly in amateur events at his local circuit in Scunthorpe and now at last gets the team opportunity he’s been waiting for. Thankful for the opportunity team boss Keiran Phillips and fellow Mildenhall Supporters Trust coordinator Steve Ribbons have given him, Patryk explains, “Without a British passport I’ve not been able to pursue a professional career in Speedway, as the rules in place in the National Development League (the sport’s official third tier) haven’t allowed me to make a start there. I’ve had offers to ride but, as I say, the aiuthorities have blocked them.” “I’m hoping now with the five NORA-sanctioned matches with Mildenhall, the Isle of Wight this week and then the four home meetings at West Row – that these will be my big chance and can open doors for me at last.”
Fen Tigers Travel To IOW For Track Comeback!
Mildenhall Fen Tigers return to full-scale team action (after a couple of junior team victories in second half racing at Ipswich which heralded the Suffolk club's return to the sport) with a NORA Challenge match against the Isle of Wight Wightlink Warriors at Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde on Tuesday 26th. August.
Team Manager, Kieran Phillips announced the line up who will be crossing the Solent next week,
"We have a great 1-6 team which combines youth, experience, and a foreign twist. Youngsters Kenzie Cossey, Max Broadhurst and Harrison Rogers who were in our victorious Development side at Foxhall Heath are joined by local favourite, James Shanes (a twice European Grasstrack champion and World Long Track competitor who loves the super fast Smallbrook circuit); and a rider with West Row blood coursing through his veins, third generation Fen Tiger, Connor Coles. Connor's grandfather Bob was one of the 'original' Fen Tigers 50 years ago. And making a Fen Tigers debut will be Polish prospect, Patryk Daniszewski."
It's hoped that the match-up with now fellow NORA side the Warriors may be reciprocated with the Isle of Wight visiting West Row next month, in which case the challenge could become a two-legged affair - but for now it's concentrating on getting the famous Fen Tigers racing bibs in full match action for a first time since 2023.
As Phillips explains it's been a long road to get here,"First and foremost, it’s taking a lot of hard work to get to where we are: phone calls, text messages, emails morning noon and night, radio and podcasts interviews, social media posts. It felt sometimes like we took a step forward then got booted back five . It's not been an easy ride and it felt like we wouldn't ever get Speedway back at West Row, much less take a team to the Isle of Wight as part of their summer season of NORA racing."