Ekstraliga (speedway)

PGE Ekstraliga
Sportmotorcycle speedway
Founded2000
CEOLeague Commissioner:
Wojciech Stępniewski
No. of teams8
CountryPoland
Most recent
champion
KS Toruń (3rd title)
Most titlesUnia Leszno (8 titles)
BroadcastersEngland: Premier Sports
Poland: Eleven Sports PL, CANAL+ Sport
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toMetalkas 2 Ekstraliga
Official websiteOfficial site

The Speedway Ekstraliga (English: Speedway Extraleague, Polish: Ekstraliga żużlowa), officially known as PGE Ekstraliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of motorcycle speedway in Poland and determines the winner of the Team Speedway Polish Championship. It has been called the "richest and most popular speedway league in the world",[1] and attracts riders from all over the world. The Ekstraliga has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland not counting football.[1]

With the fall of communism in Poland in the 1990s and the resultant sharp increase in the value of the Złoty, the sport began to attract a wider range of star riders from other countries. The first of these was Denmark's Hans Nielsen.[1]

In 2000, the First Division was renamed Ekstraliga, and the number of teams was reduced.[1] Since 2015 the official sponsor of Ekstraliga is the Polish energy company PGE, which signed the financial contract for three consecutive seasons in 2021.[2]

2026 PGE Ekstraliga

Locations of the 2026 Ekstraliga teams

In the 2026 season Ekstraliga will feature 8 teams. KS Toruń are the defending champions.

Club 2025 Position
KS Toruń 1
Motor Lublin 2
Sparta Wrocław 3
GKM Grudziądz 4
Falubaz Zielona Góra 5
Włóniarz Częstochowa 6
Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski 7
Unia Leszno 1 (M2E)

Teams

City Club Current team name Seasons in Ekstraliga Total Seasons
Wrocław WTS Wrocław Betard Sparta Wrocław 2000–26 27
Leszno Unia Leszno Fogo Unia Leszno 2000–24, 2026 26
Toruń KS Toruń Pres Grupa Deweloperska Toruń 2000–19, 2021–26 26
Częstochowa Włókniarz Częstochowa Krono-Plast Włókniarz Częstochowa 2000–14, 2017–26 25
Gorzów Wielkopolski Stal Gorzów Wielkopolski Gezet Stal Gorzów 2000–02, 2008–26 23
Zielona Góra ZKŻ Zielona Góra Stelmet Falubaz Zielona Góra 2001, 2003–05, 2007–21, 2024–26 22
Tarnów Unia Tarnów Unia Tarnów 2004–08, 2010–16, 2018 13
Bydgoszcz Polonia Bydgoszcz Abramczyk Polonia Bydgoszcz 2000–07, 2009–10, 2012–13 12
Grudziądz GKM Grudziądz Bayersystem GKM Grudziądz 2015–26 12
Lublin KM Cross Lublin Orlen Oil Motor Lublin 2019–26 8
Gdańsk Wybrzeże Gdańsk Zdunek Wybrzeże Gdańsk 2000, 2002–03, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2014 7
Rzeszów Stal Rzeszów Texom Stal Rzeszów 2006–08, 2011–13, 2015 7
Rybnik ŻKS ROW Rybnik INNPRO ROW Rybnik 2004, 2006, 2016–17, 2020, 2025 6
Piła Polonia Piła Polonia Piła 2000–03 4
Gniezno Start Gniezno Start Gniezno 2013 1
Ostrów Wielkopolski TZ Ostrovia Ostrów Wielkopolski Arged Malesa Ostrów 2022 1
Krosno Wilki Krosno Cellfast Wilki Krosno 2023 1

Ekstraliga Champions

Riders’ Championship

Starting in 2014, a League Riders’ Championship has been held annually. The current format sees 16 riders competing; the top 14 ranked in league averages from the previous season, the top ranked Junior rider and a wildcard, typically from the host club.

Year Venue Winner Club
2014 Tarnów Emil Sayfutdinov Apator Toruń
2015 Leszno Grigory Laguta Apator Toruń
2016 Gdańsk Krystian Pieszczek Falubaz Zielona Góra
2017 Gdańsk Leon Madsen Włókniarz Częstochowa
2018 Gdańsk Patryk Dudek Falubaz Zielona Góra
2019 Gdańsk Bartosz Zmarzlik Stal Gorzów
2020 Toruń Bartosz Zmarzlik Stal Gorzów
2021 Toruń Jason Doyle Unia Leszno
2022 Toruń Bartosz Zmarzlik Stal Gorzów
2023 Toruń Bartosz Zmarzlik Motor Lublin
2024 Łódź Bartosz Zmarzlik Motor Lublin
2025 Łódź Michael Jepsen Jensen GKM Grudziądz

References

  1. ^ a b c d Kevin Meynell & Marcin Babnis (7 July 2004), History of Polish Speedway. Main competitions. Rules. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  2. ^ "Speedway from Around the Globe - Poland PGE Ekstraliga". Speedway Star. 10 September 2022. p. 42.