Aleksandr Loktaev could become the first Ukrainian to appear in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series as he heads the list of SGP 2021 substitute stars.
The Lodz rider, currently seventh in the Polish First Division average charts on 2.111 points per race, stormed agonisingly close to SGP qualification at the GP Challenge in Gorican, Croatia on August 22.
Loktaev required just a first or second place in his final heat, but crashed on the first turn, finishing the meeting on 11 points "“ one short of SGP 2021 qualifiers Oliver Berntzon and Krzysztof Kasprzak, who took second and third place respectively on 12.
His call-up as first reserve by the SGP Commission offers him the ultimate consolation prize as he will be called into action if any of the main 15-rider SGP field is forced out of a round due to injury, illness or other reasons.
Australian shooting star Jaimon Lidsey is next in line as the second substitute rider. He was crowned FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship winner in Pardubice on Friday night.
Polish young gun Dominik Kubera finished second in that meeting and is named as third substitute, while Latvia's Olegs Mihailovs took third place and is named as fourth SGP reserve.
Great Britain racer Dan Bewley is named as SGP fifth substitute, with World Longtrack champion Lukas Fienhage of Germany sixth reserve and the Czech Republic's Jan Kvech rounding off the list at No.7.
FULL 2021 FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX LINE-UP (in FIM ranking order "“ rider numbers to be confirmed):
