A representative of the new era of talent that is emerging in the sport, Dutch dynamo Mika Meijer is facing up to the challenge of taking on his more experienced rivals in the 2024 FIM Long Track World Championship powered by Anlas, Kineo and HKC Koopmann.
Although he does not have a permanent position behind the tapes for this year’s series – which meant he had to sit out the opening Final of the year in Herxheim in Germany – the twenty-three-year-old from the city of Winschoten in the north of the Netherlands is the second reserve rider and will be in action this coming Sunday afternoon (18 August) at the third of the five Finals that will decide the 2024 FIM World Champion.
Meijer will take the place of his compatriot Dave Meijerink in the Eichenring Scheessel in northern Germany and, following on from a career-best performance at the second Final at Marmande in France last month when he finished sixth, he is determined to justify his place behind the tapes alongside the Long Track elite.
“After finishing sixth in Marmande, I aim to reach the Grand Final,” he said. “There are still three rounds left and I know anything can still happen. As I did not qualify for next year through the FIM Long Track World Championship Challenge, I must perform every time to show that I belong in the series.”
“I was very satisfied with the result [in Marmande]! It was my best performance at this level ever. Even though I finished one spot away from the Grand Final, I still think I did a good job – especially after a horrible result in the Challenge the month before.”
The FIM Long Track World Championship Challenge, that this year was held in June in Mühldorf in Germany, offers riders a chance to fast-track an automatic starting place in the following year’s series irrespective of how they perform throughout the current championship. With the first five riders in Mühldorf all earning a priceless golden ticket, Meijer had a bad day at the office and trailed in thirteenth.
The eleventh-ranked rider in 2022 and 2023, Meijer is already well accustomed to success. A member of the victorious Dutch team that raced to the 2023 FIM Long Track of Nations title on home ground at Roden, he is also an accomplished Speedway rider who still has ambitions in the sport that has many similarities to Long Track after signing for clubs in Poland, Sweden and Denmark for 2024.
However, his sole focus this coming Sunday will be on making the Grand Final at Scheessel and proving that youth can be more than a match for experience.
“Even though this season has not been optimal with injuries, I still think I am making good progress. I want to stay active as long as possible in the sport. Of course this can change, but at this moment I am enjoying the sport and can perform well.”
The action from Scheessel gets under way at 14:00 local time on Sunday 18 August when the tapes are scheduled to go up on the opening Heat. For more information click here.
All five of this season’s Finals along with the FIM Long Track of Nations can be watched LIVE on FIM-MOTO.TV for just €34.90. To sign up click here.
