MACIEJ Janowski is the latest big name to consider a shock return to the Spots Insure Premiership.
The Polish superstar has had initial talks with three different top-flight clubs and even though he hasn’t yet agreed terms with any of them he could be back racing in this country next season.
‘Magic’ has a huge gap in his calendar after being overlooked for a wild card slot in next year’s Grand Prix series and he has been advised to race in Britain again after a gap of eight years.
His last club was Poole in 2015, his fifth successive season in the UK after previously wearing the colours of Swindon (2010-11), King’s Lynn (2012) and the Pirates from 2013.
He finished on a nine-point plus average in his final season and was in the Dorset side that won the Elite League title three years in a row, beating Birmingham, Coventry and Belle Vue in successive Grand Finals.
With both Oxford and Birmingham being confirmed as definite starters in the 2024 Sports Insure Premiership, they will both be desperate to sign a big hitter to lead them into a new adventure and Janowski would fit the bill in every way.
There is the added advantage that he would be a big drawcard because he is also very much a crowd favourite with his cheerful personality.
He’s still one of the best riders in the world despite being shunned by GP bosses when they came to hand out their tickets to next year’s series.
He made his Grand Prix debut as a non-riding reserve at Bydgoszcz, Poland, in September 2008 and had his first race in the delayed final round of the season, re-arranged for Bydgoszcz again after the German round at Gelsenkirchen had been abandoned because of track conditions.
He didn’t become a regular in the series until 2015, winning his first GP at Daugavpils, Latvia, and since then he has won a further seven rounds, the most recent at the Czech Republic GP at the Marketa Stadium, Prague, in the opening event of 2021.
After riding in his 102nd round at Cardiff’s British Grand Prix early in September he missed the last two rounds because of a freak injury – he broke his ankle after he looped at the start in the Polish Ekstraliga semi-final following a major clutch malfunction – to finish a lowly 14th overall.
Despite his impressive record over the years, he missed out after failing to make a Final all season although he still averages close to eight points a meeting for Wroclaw.
And, having been named as second standby reserve for the series, behind Leicester’s Max Fricke he could be back on the GP stage if injuries hit those already among the 15 regulars.
If the 32-year-old does finally agree terms it will be another major boost for the Sports Insure Premiership as he will join other top-rankers Emil Sayfutdinov, Tai Woffinden, Jack Holder, Jason Doyle, Dan Bewley and Max Fricke racing regularly in this country.
Words by Holeshot Media.
Images by Taylor Lanning.