Tony Rickardsson is speedway’s most successful ever rider.
His six world championship wins are equalled only by the iconic Ivan Mauger, but with one more bronze medal to his name he has the edge as the most decorated rider to ever hoist his leg over a speedway bike.
But the man himself admits that his record is not going to last long if Bartosz Zmarzlik continues to have his own way. The Polish superstar stormed to his third world title in four seasons last year and got the new campaign off to a flying start with victory in Croatia last week.
This weekend (Saturday, 6pm BST), Zmarzlik will be roared on by nearly 60,000 of his home fans at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw. And Rickardsson struggles to see a scenario where Zmarzlik doesn’t end up overhauling his six gold medals when it is all said and done - and hopes to be on hand to congratulate him when it happens.
“If he keeps going as he’s going, and nobody else steps up their game, then I think my record will be beaten quiet soon!” Rickardsson says.
“But I always felt that me holding the record, it’s something I will not lose, it’s something someone will break. I’ve had it for some years, and I will be happy to hand it over to someone who can break it.
“I hope I’ll be able to meet whoever is able to do it in my lifetime, anyway, and the way it’s going that could be Bartosz!”
Rickardsson knows all about being the man with a target on their back during the rigours of a Grand Prix campaign. He dominated the sport between 1999 and 2005, winning the title five times in eight seasons.
Zmarzlik’s current run has drawn comparisons with that era - and Rickardsson says keeping the right mentality is crucial to maintaining dominance.
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“I have a much better view from the sofa now, watching Bartosz!” He says.
“Of course, I could read and understand I was leading the championship but I tried to keep everything as simple as possible.
“I didn’t look too much at the points, would take it round by round because I had the feeling that as soon as I let off a little bit and said to myself I could relax, I’d be beaten right away.
“You’ve got to keep up the pressure on yourself, and I think Bartosz is pretty much the same. He wants to win pretty much every race he enters.
“He’s strong in the leagues, fast every time he races, at every track, and he’s got the whole package - good team, good bikes and he’s an excellent rider.”
Whilst a host of riders - including Brits Tai Woffinden, Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley - are clamouring to close the gap and fight for the title, Rickardsson believes the Pole’s biggest opponent will be himself.
“I think his biggest opponent will be himself,” he says. “As long as he stays fit and doesn’t make too many mistakes.
“Just below Bartosz you have five, six or seven riders who are really battling out and very, very equal on the race track. But he is quite a bit stronger than the rest of the field.
“He especially proved it in Croatia, where he touched the tapes then still makes it to the final and wins the meeting. That would’ve been a great opportunity for other riders to get some points out of him, put him under pressure.
“But now he’s already got 20 points in the bag with a win, so I think he’s on his way [to another world title].”
Zmarzlik’s win in the opening round in Croatia came in tricky weather conditions which limited the excitiement of the racing spectacle.
There will be no such issues under the roof in the Polish capital on a huge occasion which Rickardsson, now the FIM Speedway global ambassador, can’t wait to experience for the first time.
He added: “We were a little bit unfortunate with the weather in Croatia, but that’s always the case and always will be the case with speedway sometimes.
“Now we’re going to Warsaw where it’ll help with the stadium we have there, and I’m just so excited to see all the fans, the racing. I’m looking forward to it.
“People do tell me it’s a special event, but this will be the first time I’ve been there. Cardiff has been the highlight of the Grand Prix’s for me over many years, so it’s going to be good to go to Warsaw and compare.”
Stream every round of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix season live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
