Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix Of Poland 2013 Preview


The final round of this year’s SGP series heads to Torun, Poland to cap what has been one of the worst injury hit season to date.
Tai Woffinden is six points off being crowned the new world champion the first Brit since 2000. Woffinden faces his nearest rival in heat five where if the points go in favour of the Scunthorpe born man then the title could be settled as soon as that.
Last week saw Martin Vaculik crowned as the European Champion which after a dismal grand prix campaign sent a vital message out that he is very capable of battling with the stars of the show. Vaculik is currently 14th in the standings with 56 points. The only full time rider to have done worse is Sweden’s Antiono Lindback who incidentally was victorious in last years GP at Torun.
A key man to watch in tomorrows meeting is 21 year old Darcy Ward. Ward, a Torun rider in the Polish Ekstraliga will have extensive knowledge of the 325 meter track. The former two time world under-21 champion has only recorded double figure scores in each GP he competed in.
Fellow Torun team mate Adrian Miedzinski has been handed the wildcard race jacket for tomorrow. While Torun junior Kamil Pulczynski has been given the second reserve place with Pawel Prezedpelski fills the first reserve spot.
With Holder and Torun track record holder Tomas Gollob out injured (Troy Batchelor comes in to replace Gollob in the Australian champions speedway grand prix debut.) the top eight are almost certain as Freddie Lindgren is 11 points adrift of Ward in eighth.
This means that it will be a battle in the lower half of the table to try and impress the FIM in order to get selected to fill the wildcard places for next year. Defending world champion Chris Holder and Andreas Jonsson are obvious picks expected to be in next years series after injury affected both their seasons hopes.
Line up.
Heat 1: A Miedzinski. L Madsen. F Lindgren. T Batchelor
Heat 2: K Kasprzak. M Zagar. G Hancock. A Jonsson.
Heat 3: D Ward. M Vaculik. T Woffinden. NK Iversen
Heat 4: A Lindback. A Dryml. N Pedersen. J Hampel.
Heat 5: J Hampel. A Miedzinski. K Kasprzak. T Woffinden
Heat 6: A Dryml. D Ward. L Madsen. G Hancock.
Heat 7: M Vaculik. A Lindback. M Zagar. A Lindback.
Heat 8: T Batchelor. A Jonsson. NK Iversen. N Pedersen
Heat 9: G Hancock. N Pedersen. A Miedzinski. M Vaculik
Heat 10: NK Iversen. K Kasprzak. A Lindback. L Madsen.
Heat 11: A Jonsson. T Woffinden. F Lindgren. A Dryml.
Heat 12: J Hampel. T Batchelor. D Ward. M Zagar
Heat 13: M Zagar. NK Iversen. A Dryml. A Miedzinski.
Heat 14: L Madsen. J Hampel. A Jonsson. M Vaculik
Heat 15: N Pedersen. F Lindgren. D Ward. K Kasprzak
Heat 16: T Woffinden. G Hancock. T Batchelor. A Lindback
Heat 17: A Miedzinski. A Jonsson. A Lindback. D Ward.
Heat 18: T Woffinden. L Madsen. M Zagar. N Pedersen
Heat 19: F Lindgren. NK Iversen. J Hampel. G Hancock
Heat 20: K Kasprzak. A Dryml. M Vaculik. T Batchelor.

    Scandinavian Speedway GP 2013 Preview

    The new ‘Friends Arena’ in Stockholm, Sweden, is hosting the penultimate round of the 2013 FIM speedway grand prix series. The 34,000 capacity national stadium which opened just under a year ago is going to host the first GP in the Swedish capital since 2009 albeit as the Scandinavian GP.
    Tai Woffinden already has one hand on the world title and could be the new world champion by the end of tomorrow’s meeting as Emil Sayfutdinov has announced his absence for the remainder of this season. Woffinden has a 22 point lead over his now nearest challenger Jarek Hampel in third place. Leon Madsen will continue in place of Sayfutdinov, Madsen has certainly not disappointed on the world stage and has scored 14 points so far.
    Nicki Pedersen is on 108 points so far but the hard charging three time world champion will be sure to push fellow Dane Jarek Hampel close in the race for the silver medal.
    With the championship being all but wrapped up all eyes will be on the push for the top eight. Matej Zagar passed up on the opportunity to make his place for next year a certainty through the GP challenge meeting. Zagar is currently 7th on 92 points with Gollob four points behind in 8th.
    With youngster Darcy Ward just 11 points off Gollob any mistakes from either one of these riders could alter their fate for next year.
    Kim Nilsson has been given the wildcard race jacket for tomorrows GP. This will be the 23 years old world championships debut. However the Lakeside Hammers youngster has won a bronze at under-21 level in the world cup in 2008.
    Fellow countryman Freddie Lindgren who is currently out of the top eight automatic place for next year on 73 points will be hoping for a big display in front of his home crowd.
    The Wolves rider is the highest placed Swede with Andreas Jonsson and Antonio Lindback down in 14th and 15th respectively after both suffering a GP season to forget.
    Track reserve Fredrik Engman who lives in Stockholm was recently crowned under-21 Swedish champion ahead of fellow reserve Olvier Berntzon. The temporary track makes for a level playing field tomorrow night where getting the right set up and big points early on will be vital as track degradation is unknown and could cause problems in the later stages of the meeting.
    LINE UP.
    Heat 1: G Hancock, F. Lindgren, A. Lindback, m. Vaculik.
    Heat 2: T. Gollob, M. Zagar, A. Jonsson, T. Woffinden.
    Heat 3: N. Pedersen, L. Madsen, K. Kasprzak, A. Dryml.
    Heat 4: D. Ward, K. Nilsson, NK. Iversen, J. Hampel.
    Heat 5: J. Hampel, G. Hancock, T. Gollob, K. Kasprzak
    Heat 6: K. Nilsson, N. Pedersen, F. Lindgren, A. Jonsson
    Heat 7: L. Madsen, D. Ward, M Zagar, A. Lindback
    Heat 8: M. Vaculik, T. Woffinden, A. Dyrml, NK. Iversen
    Heat 9: A. Jonsson, NK. Iversen, G. Hancock, L. Madsen
    Heat 10: A. Dryml, T. Gollob, D. Ward, F. Lindgren
    Heat 11: T. Woffinden, K. Kasprzak, A. Lindback, K. Nilsson
    Heat 12: J. Jampel, M. Vaculik, N. Pedersen, M. Zagar
    Heat 13: M. Zagar, A. Dryml, K. Nilsson, G. Hancock
    Heat 14: F. Lindgren, J. Hampel, T. Woffinden, L. Madsen
    Heat 15: NK. Iversen, A. Lindback, N. Pedersen, T. Gollob
    Heat 16: K. Kasprzak, A. Jonsson, M, Vaculik, D. Ward
    Heat 17: G. Hancock, T. Woffinden, D. Ward, N. Pedersen
    Heat 18: K. Kasprzak, F. Lindgren, M. Zagar, NK. Iversen
    Heat 19: A. Lindback, A. Dryml. J. Hampel, A. Jonsson
    Heat 20: T. Gollob, K. Nilsson, L. Madsen, M. Vaculik
    Semi 1
    Semi 2
    Final.

      Slovenian GP Preview Speedway 2013

      grid speedwayTai 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.

        Speedway Poole Pirates v Swindon Robins Grand Final Preview

        Another first for Betting Portal, find below our first Speedway preview, and also to introduce our Speedway expert Rebecca James who is previewing the Elite League Grand Final, Second Leg between Poole Pirates and Swindon Robins.

        Defending Elite League champions Poole Pirates take on the Swindon Robins tonight at Wimborne Road. (7.30pm). The Robins are taking a 7 point lead into tonight’s second leg after a 51-44 victory at the Abbey Stadium last Monday.
        However Poole are still odds on to be victorious again with backing the pirates 4/6 with Swindon the under dogs at 11/10.
        Poole have a good strength team at their disposal as polish international Krzysztof Kasprzak clinched top spot in the Grand Prix challenge and fans favourite Darcy Ward has been given an opportunity on the world stage with a wild card.

        Pirate’s fans will turn out in their hundreds to welcome home the newly crowned world individual speedway champion Chris Holder.

        The Australian secured the title in the last Grand Prix of the season seeing off strong challenges from three time world champion Nicki Pedersen.
        But Alun Rossiter will be hoping that his Robins will have enough experience to conquer the push from the Pirates in what would be the biggest success in the highest level of speedway since 1967.

        Swindon are unchanged from the first leg however Poole have brought in up-and-coming star Ludvig Lindgren and in place of Sam Masters. The Pirates have also brought in Eklof in place of Kyke Howarth who is riding on permier league duty.

        Both sides will be raring to go in what should be an action packed fast and furious meeting down on the south coast.

        How the teams line Up

        Poole Pirates: Darcy Ward, Ricky Kling, Chris Holder, Piotr Pawlicki (R/R), Krzysztof Kasprzak, Ludvig Lindgren, Linus Eklof.

        Swindon, Hans Andersen, Nick Morris, Peter Kildemand, Simon Stead, Troy Batchelor, Sebastian Alden, Dawid Lampart.#

        Follow Rebecca James on Twitter @Beck_WBA