On Friday 15 May Mikael Holmstrand the deputy chairman and Press Secretary for Elit Speedway Sverige (ESS) announced that the Bauhaus Elitserien will not start on 2 June as previously announced in the wake of the Corona pandemic. The statement has been released in conjuntion with SVEMO, the Swedish Motorsports organisation and the ESS had also said eariler that they have been working with the clubs on five different alternatives as to how the league could run this year.
Last week’s news was dominate by the news that Polish Ekstraliga will go ahead from 12 June, but without fans in the stadiums. However, Holmstrand’s statement confirmed that that was not an economic possibility in Sweden. That means the sport must wait until the current ban of more that 50 people gathering in one place is lifted.
This week the Swedish government extended its restriction on non-essential travel to 15 June, which may also be a reason behind the ESS releasing the statement at this time.
Of the three Swedish riders who were signed with Ekstraliga clubs for 2020, it is only Filip Hjelmland (Vetlanda/ Gorzow) who has not declared that he will ride in Poland next month. Fredrik Lindgren had already decided not to race in Sweden in 2020 but Antonio Lindbäck was forced to break his contract with Masarna and go against SVEMO's attempt to prevents a Swedish exodus to Poland.
The eWinner 1 League is set for go ahead on 11 July, if given permission by the Polish government, but nothing has been said about what riders will need to do nor has any dates been released in regard to the eWinner 2 League.
