Tai Woffinden has been handed a great opportunity to extend his three point lead in the GP standings as a huge question mark hangs over Emil Sayfutdinovs chances to appear again this season. Lee Madsen is stepping to replace Sayfutdinov in Krsko, Slovenian.
Woffinden took the lead in the standings in the last GP in Latvia capitalising on Sayfutdinov missing out on a semi-final place. The 23 year old British Champion is on course to be the first British World Champion since Mark Loram in 2000 in what truly has been a dream season for the Scunthorpe rider.
Emil came into grief last Saturday during play-off semi-final between Torun and Sayfutdinovs Czestochowa in the Polish Ekstraliga. It is reported that the Russian has only a slim chance of riding again this season however the full extent of his injuries are being kept quite by his management.
This means that Jarek Hampel also has a gifted chance to close the 18 point gap between himself in third and current second place Sayfutdinov.
The pressure is off Niels-Kristian Iversen and Krzysztof Kasprzak for the rest of the GP series as they have already qualified for next years series through the Grand Prix challenge which took place at Poole August bank Holiday.
Iversen is currently 5th in the standings while Kasprzak is outside of the top eight cut off point. However Iversen could find himself chasing a medal with three GPs to go as he is just six points off Hampel.
Kenneth Bjerre has also secured a place in next years GP series, Bjerre had a dismal season last year suffering a broken leg in three places while riding in the elite league for Peterborough Panthers.
2009 was the last time a GP was held at the Matije Gubca Stadium where Emil Sayfutdinov found himself standing on the top step of the podium. Tomas Gollob has been struggling for form in the GP’s this year is currently in 9th in the standings below injured Chris Holder finished on the third step of the podium four years ago.
With the Poole Pirates play-off push in full swing for both Darcy Ward and Greg Hancock both are in top form going into this weekend scoring big points for the English side. Hancock racked up nine points in 2009.
This is the first time 21 year old Darcy Ward will face this track, however after coming back from his injury Ward has won one GP and came second in another giving him confidence to continue this form. Despite being the new kid on the block as well as having spent months on the sidelines with a broken shoulder Ward is within touching distance of the top eight on 68 points.
While Slovenian, Matej Zagar, is the current record holder of the 387 meter track with a time of 64.75 seconds
Krister Gardell is the referee for tomorrows meeting which will start at 6.00pm British time (7.00pm local time). Aleksander Conda makes up the 16 rider line-up as the evenings wildcard with Matic Voldrih and Denis Stojs the track reserves.

HEAT LINEUP:
Heat 1: M Zagar; J Hampel; G Hancock; L Madsen.
Heat 2: T Gollob; F Lindgren; A Lindback; A Jonsson.
Heat 3: A Conda; D Ward; N Pedersen; T Woffinden.
Heat 4: NK Iversen; M Vaculik; A Dryml; K Kasprzak.
Heat 5: K Kasprzak; M Zagar; T Gollob; N Pedersen.
Heat 6: M Vaculik; a Conda; J Hampel; A Lindback
Heat 7: D Ward; NK Iversen; F Lindgren; G Hancock
Heat 8: L Madsen; A Jonsson; T Woffinden; A Dryml
Heat 9: A Lindback; A Dryml; M Zagar; D Ward
Heat 10: T Woffinden; T Gollob; NK Iversen; J Hampel
Heat 11: A Jonsson; N Pedersen; G Hancock; M Vaculik
Heat 12: K Kasprzak; L Madsen; A Conda; F Lindgren
Heat 13: F Lindgren; T Woffinden; M Vaculik; M Zagar
Heat 14: J Hampel; K Kasprzak; A Jonsson; D Ward
Heat 15: A Dryml; G Hancock; A Conda; T Gollob;
Heat 16: N Pedersen; A Lindback; L Madsen; NK Iversen
Heat 17: M Zagar; A Jonsson; NK Iversen; A Conda
Heat 18; N Pedersen; J Hampel; F Lindgren; A Dryml
Heat 19: G Hancock; T Woffinden; K Kasprzak; A Lindback
Heat 20: T Gollob; M Vaculik; D Ward; L Madsen.