Zach Wajtknecht

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Zach Wajtknecht
Zach Wajtknecht 2018.jpg
Born (1998-02-08) 8 February 1998 (age 24)
Saltford, Bristol, England
NationalityBritish
Current club information
British leagueSwindon Robins/
Birmingham Brummies
Career history
National League:
2015–2016Birmingham Brummies
2017Lakeside Hammers
Premier League/Championship:
2016Somerset Rebels
2018Lakeside Hammers
2019–Birmingham Brummies
Premiership:
2017–Swindon Robins
Individual honours
2012, 2013FIM 125cc Youth Gold Trophy Champion
2013British 250cc Youth Champion
2014FIM 250cc Longtrack Youth World Cup
2017British Under-19 Champion
2019European Grasstrack Champion
2018
2016British Sand Ace Championship
Team honours
2015National League
2017SGB Premiership

Zach Wajtknecht (born 8 February 1998) is a British speedway rider.

Career[]

At an early age Wajtknecht became a double World Champion, twice triumphing in the FIM 125cc Grasstrack Youth Gold Trophy. He followed up these successes by being crowned British 250cc Youth Champion in 2013 and winner of the FIM 250cc Longtrack Youth World Cup in 2014. These successes led to Zach being awarded the prestigious Pinhard trophy, a trophy he described himself as being "over the moon" to win.[1]

Wajtknecht was handed his big break in Speedway by the newly reformed National League Birmingham Brummies ahead of the 2015 season, the team's first season in the third tier of British Speedway. The team was put together by former manager Phil Morris, the newly appointed FIM Race Director for the Speedway Grand Prix series. Morris described Wajtknecht as having "what it takes to enjoy a very successful speedway career"[2]

In 2017, he won the British Under-19 Championship at Plymouth.[3] His 2017 season was cut short in July when a crash at Swindon resulted in a ruptured spleen and punctured lung.[4]

Speedway[]

British League Record[]

Year Team Matches Rides Points Bonus Total Average Full
Maximum 		Paid
Maximum
2015 Sheffield Tigers 3 9 4 1 5 2.22
2016 Somerset Rebels 15 48 31 7 38 3.17
2017 Swindon Robins 19 81 65 25 9 4.44
2018 Swindon Robins 22 106 114 22 136 5.13
2018 Lakeside Hammers 24 104 126 18 144 5.54
2019 Birmingham Brummies 8 35 50 5 55 6.29
2019 Swindon Robins 9 40 17 0 17 1.70

Grasstrack[]

Zach is also having a very successful Grasstrack career. As well as his two world championships he has been in two European Championship semi's only missing the 2016 final through injury. He has three British titles to his name have won the 250 class twice in 2014 and 2015 and in 2016 he won the British Sand Ace championship on Guernsey.

European Championship[]

Year Venue Points Pos
2015 Semi-finalist
2016 Semi-finalist
2017 Did not compete
2018 France Tayac 16 3rd
2019 Germany Bad Hersfeld 18 Champion
2020 Did not compete

British Masters[]

Year Venue Points Pos
2015 United Kingdom Wimborne 16 14th
2018 United Kingdom Gawsworth 37 Champion

Longtrack[]

World Championship Grand-Prix[]

  • 2019 - 2 apps (14th) 25pts
  • 2020 - 2 apps (4th) 32pts

World Team Championship[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Speedway: Zach Wajtknecht scoops prestigious award for young riders". Sky Sports. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  2. ^ "DOUBLE WORLD CHAMP JOINS BRUMMIES". Birmingham Brummies. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Results: Thursday July 6", speedwaygb.co, 6 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017
  4. ^ "Zach Ruled Out", speedwaygb.co, 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017

External links[]

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