The ATPI FIM Women’s Speedway Academy (WSA) and the opening round of the 2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship were launched today with a joint press conference at the National Speedway Stadium in Belle View, Manchester, England.
The WSA was represented by a six-person panel comprising of FIM Speedway Grand Prix Race Director Phil Morris, three-time FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Champion Jason Crump, Belle View Speedway CEO Mark Lemon, Speedway riders Celina Liebmann and Katie Gordon and reigning FIM Women’s Enduro World Champion Jane Daniels.
Following last year’s inaugural event at Diedenbergen in Germany, the WSA will be staged at the National Speedway Stadium on 4-5 August. Created to promote gender inclusivity in the sport, the WSA will be attended by between fifteen and twenty riders aged from sixteen years old. Instruction in all aspects of the sport will be led by Morris and Crump.
The National Speedway Stadium will also host the opening round of the 2023 FIM Flat Track World Championship on 5 August and the panel to launch the event was led by Morris, Crump and Lemon who were joined by riders Tim Neave and Archie May.
Janika Judeika, FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission (CFM) Director, said: “The FIM Women’s Commission is proud to support the 2023 edition of the ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy, which will be held in Manchester in partnership with the FIM Track Racing Commission. The CFM is devoted to making motorcycling an open, inclusive and benevolent environment for all and it is great to see the ATPI FIM Women’s Speedway Academy gaining momentum in such a short space of time thanks to the professional team behind the event.
“The goal of our commission is to develop sports and activities for women – talented riders, motivated organisers and dedicated colleagues make working for this goal a real pleasure! I would like to thank everyone involved in this project and especially sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible and look forward to seeing it come to life in August.”
Armando Castagna, FIM Track Racing Director, stated: “This year’s WSA in Manchester will surely have a big impact. With so many women from different countries, with such great trainers and the overall professional organisation at such a venue, it will be tremendous for sure. The CFM has been on our side to develop this project and together we will focus on future projects that hopefully will take off next year. Thank you to all our partners involved in the past months to make this possible.
“Together with the WSA, Manchester will host the first round of the FIM Flat Track World Championship, a discipline in Track Racing that has developed tremendously in the last few years, with new riders from new countries so I’m sure this year’s championship will be very interesting. Manchester is also the perfect circuit in terms of racing technique and speed. A weekend full of racing is waiting in Manchester next month.”