BRITISH GP SUPPLEMENT JUNE 2013

BRITISH GP SUPPLEMENTJUNE2013 PRICE:FREE
FEATURING: GREG HANCOCK EMIL SAYFUTDINOV CHRIS HARRIS PLUS: NIGEL PEARSON & KELVIN TATUM’S PREVIEW AND GARY HAVELOCK’S TAKE ON THE 16 RIDERS
The Czech Republic grand prix winner is ﬁrmly
in the running for the world championship
crown, a win in Cardiff would elevate him to
the top of the standings.
BRITISH CHAMPION TAI

WELCOME
WINNING IN CARDIFF...
....CAN DEFINE A CAREER
Hello and welcome to this free edition of Inside Speedway
Magazine.
With the 2013 FIM British Grand Prix just days away,
we felt it was a perfect opportunity to give supporters
something special in the build up.
Czech Grand Prix winner Tai Woffinden is our cover star,
and in current form there is no better rider.
We also chat to current standings leader Emil Sayfutdinov
and former British GP winner Greg Hancock.
Gary Havelock goes through the riders while Nigel
Pearson and Kelvin Tatum preview the event.
I hope you enjoy reading it and don’t forget you can
still get the opening edition of Inside Speedway from
our website, amazon or at trackshops up and down the
country.
MarcGent
Managing Editor at Inside Speedway
Managing Editor:
Marc Gent
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Scott Frame
Shaun Reynolds
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CHRISHARRIS
Theonlypressure I've got,
isthepressure I putonmyself
Chris Harris is determined to prove what
he’s made of when he takes on the worlds
best in this weekends British Grand Prix as
wildcard.
The Cornishman has endured a tough start to his debut Elite League campaign
with new side Birmingham. However his continental form is a contrast as
‘Bomber’ has been piling up the points for both Grudziadz and Vastervik with
double figure scores in almost every meeting.
Harris hopes to convert his Polish league form into GP success as he explained
“I’m really looking forward to it, I always enjoy going to Cardiff, being my
home Grand Prix.”
Unlike recent years, where the wildcard has been awarded to the highest
placed non GP member in the British Final, Harris was directly confirmed as
the wildcard, a month prior to the event.
The 30 year old even admitted he was surprised by the decision as he continued “It was a bit of a
shock, I just assumed like everyone else it was going to be on the British Final like it has been for
a long time now. For one reason or another the BSI have decided to change it and thankfully for
me they did.
“I want to go there enjoy it and do the best I can even though I know how good I can do there. I
can do better than previous years; it’s all about getting the right setup, going there and enjoying
it.
“The only pressure I’ve got is the pressure I put on myself, I’m going there for myself and not
worrying what everyone else has got to do and no pressure will get me the points needed to
qualify for the top eight.”
When asked about the unique atmosphere that Cardiff generates, Harris responded saying “You
can hear the crowd and the air horns when you go round to the starts, you try to block it out and
just concentrate on focusing on your race but the atmosphere is second to none, it’s the best
atmosphere you’ll ever feel. As a speedway rider being there, every rider in that Grand Prix loves
it when Cardiff comes round cause it’s a special time.”

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CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER
2013 has been a phenomenal
year so far for Russian superstar
Emil Sayfutdinov on the track.
He takes a one point lead in the
overall championship standings
into the British Grand Prix and
he is determined to increase his
advantage at the Millennium
Stadium in Cardiff.
Away from the track it has been the
toughest time of his life. The 23 year-old
lost his father Damir, who lost his fight
to cancer before last months Swedish
Grand Prix in Gothenburg, a meeting
Emil won only to find out afterwards
about his fathers passing.
His results and his form since have
shown that it hasn’t affected him on
track. He is showing a mental strength
that few would possess in his position
and heads to Cardiff feeling he hasn’t
any pressure on his young shoulders.
“I am very happy with the way things
have happened so far this season, if I can
keep going like this it will be good. This
season has been very different for me,
I have problems with my fathers death
but it has made me want to enjoy every
Grand Prix and get as many points as I
can from each GP.
“Cardiff is very big for me, I think
this is my third time and I know its
massive. I have won at Bydgoszcz and in
Gothenburg. In Prague I got to the final
so this has been good for me and I am
happy with my speedway. Now this week
we go to Cardiff and I am ready 100%
and I will be going there to win.
“The GP in Cardiff is very big as there are
so many fans who come and watch, they
are so loud as well. The atmosphere is
always very good so that makes it very
enjoyable and it would be awesome to
win there.
“I don’t have any pressure on me as its
only speedway. I have waited many years
to lead the world championship and this
year I have a chance. I just want to keep
working like I have before this season
and I think it will work out good.
“To win my first world championship
would be a dream but it is so tough to
achieve this. It would be good to win it
this season, I have to keep scoring as
many points as possible and I will have a
chance.
“In Prague I scored 17 points which is
very good for me and I want to do the
same in Cardiff. I want even more points
but I know I have to score well in every
Grand Prix and I think I will do that.
“I think this year is the best chance for
me to win a world championship. Tai
Woffinden has been a really good rider
so far this season, in the league and
in the GP’s. I think he also has a good
chance of winning the world title.
“This season is really hard because we
don’t get double points for reaching the
final so it will be very close throughout
the season for everybody but I want to
be the one come the end of the season
who has more points than anyone else.”
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HANCOCK
GREG
Standing on the top of the podium at Cardiff would be any young riders
dream and things don’t change as you get older. Double world champion
Greg Hancock knows the feeling of winning at Cardiff and is something he
hopes to replicate come Saturday night.
Hancock celebrates his 43rd birthday two days after the event and victory at the
Millennium Stadium would be the perfect way to start the party. Greg said “The British
Grand Prix is just incredible, its the biggest crowd of the season and you always get such
a wide range of fans. Because so many of the riders have ridden in the British league, on
and off throughout their career, they build up a fan base from their clubs.
“Every British fan just seems to show up at Cardiff and suddenly it’s this wall of noise.
To stand on the top of the podium in that place is unreal and the noise when you do just
echos around the whole stadium. Its as close as we could probably get to replicating the
atmosphere of the old Wembley that everybody talks about.
“It is pretty much a home from home for me. I rode in the UK for so long for a few clubs
and its the one event where I see the most American flags or people coming out to
support me, screaming my name when I go out there. I’m really grateful for that and
appreciate how much the fans have stood by me.
“It’s awesome, I can’t say anything negative at all about the whole event. The way they
market the event is fantastic and the countdown to Cardiff has became the biggest
thing in speedway every year. We obviously have the World Championship but Cardiff is
another level within that. Nothing has really compared to it yet, it really is an awesome
weekend out . The stadium is situated in the middle of town and the city is packed from
Friday onwards, it turns into a speedway heaven for a couple of days.
“It’s nuts but if anyone has a weekend off they should be heading to Cardiff for the party.
“Its so important for me to have a good weekend and not lose grasp of a shot at the
world title this year. I have had a couple of rounds that have been well below par for my
own standards mostly because I have had some little injuries but I am getting back to
feeling good again now. Theres no better place to start going well than at Cardiff. I know
the track and stadium very well. I love to go there and I want to make that my most
positive inspiration.
“I’ve been so impressed with the younger guys this year, Tai Woffinden has been amazing.
I’m not surprised at how well he is doing but I am surprised at the level he has taken it
to. He’s not just stepped his game up he’s over stepped his own boundaries this season and
raising the game for the youngsters.
“I’ve always liked the kid and I know that he is out to do this as much for himself as he is for
his late father who gave him a good start and a good shot at the game. He is obviously missing
him a lot but everything he is doing is showing his true colours and I am very proud of him.”
Like many of the Grand Prix riders Greg has turned down the chance to race in the UK this
year and has indeed for the last few years. Although he has said in the past he wouldn’t rule
out a return to the UK its looking increasingly likely that we have seen the last of the popular
American in league racing in the UK.
“I will never ever exclude the chance of coming back and racing in the UK completely. However
with the way things are now it won’t happen soon. Things changed when I moved my base to
Sweden and set up camp there.
“The racing in the UK is so hectic, there is so many meetings going on. It tends to take me
away from home to much. Its a lot to fit into a schedule which for me is already important and
demanding. Sweden and Poland for me are two very important leagues, they require a lot more
motivation and hard work.
“I have watched these leagues grow and grow, they have got to such a high standard. I like the
fact I can focus on two leagues and race 75 events a season compared to 120 or so I would
need to do if I rode in England.
“Its nice to sleep in your own bed, go training and spend time with the family. All these things
have to be factured into it. I like it the way I have it now, I have cut the expenses down and it
works really well for me.
“The talk has went on forever about squad systems. I know Colin Pratt tried to start this way
back when and everyone laughed at him but the more you see it now I don’t think people are
laughing so much.
“It would definitely tempt guys like myself to do more meetings and ride in the UK because I
could select some and work out so I would be at my best instead of flying into a race when you
haven’t slept for days on end.
“I think it would be a great thing to introduce squad systems in the UK. I can’t say it would be
the answer to it all but that’s just a riders point of view.”

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WOFFINDEN
Tai Woffinden heads into the
British Grand Prix in the form
of his career. The Scunthorpe
based racer carries the weight
of the nations expectation on
his shoulders, after lifting his
first ever British crown last
month in a flawless display
and followed it up with victory
at the Czech GP in Prague.
The Wolverhampton man’s form
this season has been nothing short
of stunning and in the Grand Prix’s
leading up to this weekends GP in
Cardiff, he has looked to be one of the
quickest riders in the series.
Woffinden sits in second place in the
overall World standings behind Russian
Emil Sayfutdinov. No one could have
predicted how well he has done so
far in the series. There were many
who were sceptical about him being
handed a wild card place for this years
championship.
After four rounds, there is no
one questioning the young mans
capabilities about being able to
compete at the highest stage and now
the critics and sceptics are asking the
question. Can he sustain his form and
actually challenge for the world title?
Tai has no interest in talking about
World titles and insists his goals in the
Grand Prix’s are still the same as they
were at the start of the campaign.
“I have been going really good, it has
been a great a start to the season. The
British Grand Prix is going to be huge, I
really want to give the fans something
to shout and scream about. I’m feeling
awesome but I have to take every
meeting as it comes and score as many
points as I can.
“The British Championship and Czech
GP wins I haven’t really thought about
to be honest. They were just another

meeting but they gave me awesome
pride to win but I have to carry the
form on. I watched the GP back last
week for the first time but I have to
look forward.
“My goal for this season is still to make
the top 8, I don’t want to try and run
before I can walk. I want to go into the
British Grand Prix and do exactly what
I have done in all the GP’s so far, score
as many points as I can in my heats
and hopefully reach the semi’s and see
where the night takes us from there.
“I am riding the exact same engines
I was using last year, I am just more
focused and more determined. I have
stepped up my training this year and it
looks to be paying off.
“Down time this season has been
good, its just as important as racing,
It gets pretty tough. Some weeks we
could have Poole on a Wednesday, fly
to the GP Thursday, Practice Friday,
Grand Prix Saturday, Poland Sunday,
Wolverhampton on the Monday so
adding in Sweden this season on a
Tuesday just wasn’t for me. Freddie
Lindgren and Chris Holder do it but I
don’t know how they can do it.
“I don’t really look at what other
people are doing though I try to
concentrate on my own work. The only
time I see speedway is when I watch
from home or at the track. When
I have free time I don’t look at my
Twitter, I might post something but I
don’t read what people say about me
as I want to be fully concentrated on
my racing.
“My focus this year has changed but I
can’t tell you how I’ve done it because
people might want to copy what I’m
doing!! (Laughs)
“Every meeting I go to, I am 100%
committed to racing as hard as I can.
I go to every meeting looking to score
as many points as I can and Saturday
at Cardiff will be no different. Go in,
score some points and give the fans
something to cheer about.
“I still have plenty of space on the bike
for new sponsors, its something we are
always looking for. I am always looking
for ways to train harder and I am
always looking to be more consistent
in meetings as well, everyone strives
for perfection. There is always room
for improvement though.”
Tai maybe striving for perfection but
with 40,000 screaming British fans
cheering him on lets hope he sees it as
his moment to shine and give us that
British winner we have been striving
for since 2007, The roof will come off
the Millennium Stadium if he does.

8//SPEEDWAY365.COM
HAVELOCKGARY1992 WORLD CHAMPION & CURRENT COVENTRY BEES MANAGER TALKS US THROUGH THE 16 RIDERS
Gary Havelock is one ex-
rider who knows that feeling
of standing at the top of the
rostrum as the world champion.
In 1992 Gary won his one and
only World crown in a rain
soaked Wroclaw in a night that
defined his career.
As the build up to Cardiff begins and the nerves
start to creep in Gary is only to aware of the
feelings going through each riders mind.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Gary gives us his
take on the field and their chances of glory in the
Welsh capital.
Chris Holder: He has a really good chance, he has
won at Cardiff before and knows what it takes to
win there. He is used to the atmosphere as anyone
can be. He has a slow start by his own high
standards but he will be in there fighting to be on
that podium.
Greg Hancock: What an unbelievable career Greg
has had. To be still racing at world level at his age
is just remarkable and he is a guy that no one can
write off in the GP’s. His style is suited to the man
made tracks, they are small and technical and that
suits Greg.
Tomasz Gollob: The enigma that is Mr Gollob! He
is another that to be still competing at the highest
level at his age is remarkable. He always been the
same, he’s either unbelievably brilliant or slightly
rubbish. He is a big confidence rider and when
he isn’t confident he doesn’t seem to be able to
perform. He started off the series pretty well but
in the last GP in Prague he let himself down on a
track he should do better on. He’s like what Forest
Gump said, he’s like a box of chocolates, you
never know what you are going to get.
Nicki Pedersen: All the way through his career
he has been unbelievable. In my opinion Nicki
isn’t blessed with the greatest amount of natural
talent, he’s probably one of the least talented
guys in the GP’s. To win the world titles he has
and to be so consistent in the GP’s is testament
to him.
What he lacks in natural talent he more than
makes up for in professionalism, guts and
determination. Love him or hate him he can pull
a crowd, people will buy a ticket to see him. Half
will love him half will hate him but he puts bums
on seats. The grand prix’s would be a much poorer
show without Nicki.
Emil Sayfutdinov: He has done amazing
considering everything that is going on in his
personal life. He burst on to the scene a couple
of years ago and big things were expected of him
but he had a couple of nasty injuries that set him
back. This year though he seems to be back at his
brilliant best. He is making gates and riding the
tracks a lot smoother than he did in the past, he
could be accused of being a bit erratic in the past
but now he has it sorted and he seems to have
the full package. Come the end of the season I am
sure he will be there or there abouts for the top
places on that podium.
Antonio Lindback: He is a guy I’ve known since
he was 16 when he came into my Swedish team.
In Marsana he joined me, Tony Rickardsson, Leigh
Adams in a reserve position. Right from the start
he was an amazing talent, a bit wild back then
but the talent was there. I remember one time
we rode against Tomasz Gollob’s team who came
to our track. Antonio dived underneath Mr G and
ended up putting him three rows in the crowd. He
has matured since then, he hasn’t had the best of
starts but he proved last year that he is capable of
winning GP’s and competing against the very best.
Freddie Lindgren: He is fantastic in league racing,
whenever you see him he is always dominating
races and scoring maximums but when it comes
to the GP’s, he struggles a little. He hit some form
in last years series but has yet to recapture that
this year. Maybe its a case of over racing but he
has the talent to come in and do well at Cardiff.
Andreas Jonsson: Another guy I’ve known
really well for years and another who has really
struggled since the start of the season. I know one
of my old mechanics in Sweden came in to help
AJ just before the Swedish GP and told him his
set-up’s were all wrong. They are now going back
to the set-up’s they had a couple of years ago, so I
am expecting him to start hitting form in the not
so distant future. He is one to watch at Cardiff.
Krzysztof Kasprzak: If a British rider can’t win
at Cardiff I want it to be a Coventry rider and
Krysztof has all the talent to go out and do well.
He is very much a confidence rider. When he is a
bit down on confidence or he doesn’t feel his bike
is right he can look terrible at times but when he
gets it right, he is phenomenally fast. He can beat
anyone in the world at anytime and had a good
GP at Cardiff last year so he is definitely going to
be one to keep an eye on.
Jaroslaw Hampel: I think Jaroslaw is a rider who
has slightly under achieved in his career so far. I
know he had a bad injury last year but he should
have won more by that point anyway. When he is
on form and in full flow he is fantastic to watch,
he rides the bike really nice and really neat.
He generates a lot of speed because he keeps his
wheels in line very well. He’s won GP’s and won
world cup’s but you think by now he would have
worked it out what its all about to get himself a
world championship. He has the talent and skill to
win. I hope he does well as he’s a nice kid.
Neils Kristen-Iversen: Last year he was the best
rider in the world on league form, top of the
averages everywhere he rode. You would think a
guy like Neils with his kind of form would be able

to fit right into the GP’s but it just proves how
difficult these meetings are. There is no reason
why he can’t beat these guys in GP meetings,
maybe its just a case of getting settled in but I
think once he does, he will be making semi-finals
on a regular basis. Watch this space.
Matej Zagar: I have been very impressed with
Matej’s start to the series. He was one I wondered
about at the start of the season, he never really
done it at world level for me. He has been a good
league rider but had never stepped up. This year
he seems be doing very well, his league form
is good and he is performing brilliantly at the
highest level. He will no doubt be looking for
more semi’s and finals to secure his top 8 position
come the end of the season.
Martin Vaculik: Cardiff is an unbelievable venue
and is the biggest test of anyone’s personality,
although he won the first GP he ever rode, this
will be his biggest test.
He exploded onto the scene last year and I was
really impressed, I had been noticing his scores
across Europe and thought he might be one to
watch and he could step up. He did really well
last year but maybe he is feeling the pressure of
being a full time GP rider this season. He has the
talent to do well and maybe Cardiff could be the
inspiration he needs to kick start his series.
Darcy Ward: He is going to be a huge miss. Talent
wise he is the best rider in the Grand Prix series.
I think at his age he is the best rider I have ever
seen ride a speedway bike. Some of the things he
can do on a bike are mind blowing, half the time
I’m not sure even he knows how he is pulling them
off. I really don’t think he realises how good he is,
he is still very young and has such a great chance
of achieving greatness in this sport.
He could challenge Ivan Mauger and Tony
Rickardsson for the title of the best speedway
rider ever, thats how highly I rate him. If he gets
focused away from the track he will be the best
rider who ever lived.
Tai Woffinden: He must be going into Cardiff
with huge confidence. He has been flying the full
season every where he has been and is breaking
track records all over Europe. To win your first GP
is massive and is a huge shot in the arm. He is past
the stage of ‘I know I can beat these guys’ because
he has beaten them all on any given day but to
beat them all consistently and get to semi-finals
and finals and win, takes him to another level.
Prague was one of the best displays I have ever
seen from a British rider and if he can keep himself
together I’m sure he’ll be challenging come the
end of the season for the Championship.
He is without a doubt a contender for the World
Championship, there is no point going in just for
experience. When you get in there you want to
win. I know that from personal experience.
He has a focus this year that I haven’t seen from
him before. I watched him at Coventry and when
he was in the pits you could see him getting ready
for his races mentally and he looked like a rider
who is in the zone and this could be his time.
The penny has dropped and although its a long old
season he is in there with a chance.
Chris Harris: I think Bomber will do well, he will
pull out his usual Cardiff form and be in there
battling. What can I say about Bomber, he was
never blessed with good gating ability and that
has been his downfall his full career. For guts and
determination and sheer will to win, I don’t think
there is anyone who can match him. I would love
to see him do well.

10//SPEEDWAY365.COM
GrandPrixSereisSoFar...
One of the most anticipated Grand
Prix series since it’s birth back in 1995
certainly hasn’t disappointed – not
least because heading into Cardiff
Tai Woffinden is just a point short of
current leader Emil Sayfutdinov.
The series has seen its highs and lows throughout the
opening four rounds; with most notably Darcy Ward’s
confirmation of a fractured shoulder blade following
the third round at Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium. Also
battered and bruised, is three time world champion
Nicki Pedersen, who is using a silicon brace to support
his broken forearm sustained in a crash during the semi
final stage of the Swedish Grand Prix.
Injuries aside though, there are moments of endeavour,
toughness and inspiration as 15 of the worlds best riders
battle for that all important prize of becoming world
champion – and the best part is we’re not even half way
through yet!
The opening round took place in New Zealand – staged
at the natural amphitheatre that is Western Springs in
Auckland. With a field full of both class and experience
everyone anticipated the best series in recent memory.
Despite the lack of overtaking, Western Springs did,
once again, produce a handful of memorable races;
most notably heat 20 which involved a race long scrap
between the series youngster of Emil Sayfutdinov and
Darcy Ward. Tai Woffinden made a solid start to his
comeback campaign in the series whilst the familiar
faces of Holder, Hancock, Gollob, Pedersen and Hampel
joined Ward and Jonsson in the semi final stages.
Semi Final 1 saw Jaroslaw Hampel blast around both
Pedersen and Ward off the unfavourable gate 4 as
Pedersen tucked in for second with Ward and Woffinden
failing to progress. Jonsson went from first to last in
semi final 2 as Gollob and Hancock made their way into
the final.
Hampel then went on to win the GP with a routine
win off of the popular gate 1, which produced 15 race
wins, whilst Gollob secured second with Pedersen third.
Despite the win though, due to the change in rules
regarding double points in the final, Hampel was joint
top at the summit of the table with Gollob on 15 points.
The series returned to Europe four weeks later in
Bydgoszcz for the European Grand Prix. Having not
hosted a GP since 2010, Bydgoszcz was a popular
choice of venue amongst locals as fans packed out the
traditional stadium routing for a home victory.
It looked promising as home icon Tomasz Gollob forced
his way past Nicki Pedersen in the pairs opening rides in
typical Gollob style. Pass after pass resumed as Pedersen
was once again involved in the thick of the action when
fending off Tai Woffinden in heat 8 in the first of many
stand out races. Pedersen’s commitment was repeated
once more in heat 11 as the Dane fended off Jaroslaw
Hampel in heat 11 to move Pedersen onto 7 points from
his opening three rides.
However the race of the night occurred in heat 15 as
Sayfutdinov and Woffinden traded blows on several
occasions – only for Woffinden to run out eventual
winner when cutting back on the Russian on the final
bend. Heat 20 saw the battle of the Aussies as Darcy
Ward squeezed past Chris Holder to get the better of the
reigning champion as the business end of the meeting
began.
Firstly Gollob won semi final 1 ahead of Zagar and a
helpless Holder who appeared to struggle for pace. Then
the youngsters of Woffinden, Sayfutdinov and Ward
were all involved in a three way scrap in the second
semi final with Sayfutdinov eventually winning ahead of
Woffinden who stamped his authority on Ward during
lap three.
The final saw Russian sensational Emil Sayfutdinov
move inside Slovenian racer Matej Zagar to pick up his
first GP win since his debut season back in 2009. The win
for Emil however only put him in 6th position following
a poor first round as Gollob led by 6 clear points ahead
of Ward, Hampel and Woffinden.
Gothenburg’s Ullevi Stadium once again hosted the
Swedish GP for round three of the series. Despite a slow
start, wheel to wheel action quickly resumed as world
champion Chris Holder won his opening rides.
However the meeting shall be remembered for two
separate incidents as Darcy Ward fractured his shoulder
blade in heat 6 whilst attempting to pass Chris Holder
– Ward was taken to hospital where the fracture was
confirmed, the former world under 21 champion
targeted the Danish GP on June 29 as his comeback date
– 8 weeks after his crash.
Whilst Hampel and Holder made their way through into
the final, Woffinden and Pedersen were involved in a
horror first bend pile up in semi final 2. Woffinden made
the better start, however a determined Pedersen denied
the Brit a way past as elbows traded. Both riders then
lost control of their machines and piled into the safety
fence at high speed.
It was confirmed after the meeting that Pedersen
suffered a break in his forearm, whilst Woffinden
escaped relatively unhurt. Unaware of his injury though,
Pedersen continued as he went on to make the grand
final alongside Sayfutdinov who eventually found a way
past the Dane.
The final saw Hampel completely miss the start as he
was overhauled by Holder in the first turn, however
Sayfutdinov hunted down the champion and made
his move on the last lap to earn himself back to back
GP wins, something that hasn’t been done since Jason
Crump back in 2006.
The win for Sayfutdinov moved him up the standings
into 2nd as Gollob still led, despite a poor GP by his own
high standards. Hampel joined Sayfutdinov on 38 with
Woffinden waiting in the wings on 35.
The Marketa Stadium hosted the Czech GP for the 17th
time running as Sayfutdinov aimed to become the first
person to win three back to back GP’s in seven years.
Iron man Nicki Pedersen raced on with a broken forearm,
however first reserve Ales Dryml was brought in to
replace the unfortunate Darcy Ward. Tomasz Gollob
quickly lost his status as world championship leader
as consecutive last places summed up a disappointing
night for the Pole – who picked up just three points.
Woffinden won his opening four rides, whilst main
championship rival Sayfutdinov dropped just one point
heading into a mouth watering heat 17. Sayfutdinov
won the race whilst Woffinden settled for third behind
Hancock. The major surprise though was Chris Holder
who failed to make the semi final stage after only
collecting 7 points in total despite a win in his opening
ride. Also missing out were Greg Hancock, Niels
Kristian Iversen and Antonio Lindback, whose poor form
continued.
The major surprise though was Krzysztof Kasprzak
who, off of the unfavourable gate 4, moved inside both
Lindgren and Jonsson to earn himself a spot in the final,
with Sayfutdinov who won from the gate.
British fans were lifted when Tai Woffinden won by
the width of a tyre over Nicki Pedersen in semi final
2. Pedersen led the entire race until the dying metres
where Woffinden cut back off the final bend to earn
himself a crucial extra championship point.
Sayfutdinov opted for gate 2 in the final, leaving
Woffinden with the inside, drama unfolded as both
Sayfutdinov and Woffinden touched the tapes. The
Russian moved first and was consequently excluded
leaving Woffinden left with the task of beating Pedersen
and Kasprzak.
In the re run Woffinden made the start and left Kasprzak
and Pedersen to squabble over second place. Eventually
Pedersen hit the deck on the last lap, though the move
was judged clean, as Kasprzak claimed his first GP
podium since Cardiff last year.
Sayfutdinov still led the world championship, however
now only by a point as Woffinden closed the gap
heading into the greatest Speedway event on earth – the
British GP in Cardiff.
There’s an eight point gap between Woffinden and
Hampel whilst Pedersen, Gollob and Holder have also
reached the 40 point mark.
10//SPEEDWAY365.COM

2013 GRANDPRIX STANDINGS 2013 GRANDPRIX WINNERS
1 6 15 17 17 55EMIL SAYFUTDINOV
RIDERP TR1 R2 R3 R4
2 Tai woffinden
3 jaroslaw hampel
4 nicki pedersen
5 tomasz gollob
1.JAROSLAW HAMPEL
2.TOMASZ GOLLOB
3.NICKI PEDERSEN
NEW ZEALAND GRAND PRIX
MARCH 23, 2013
6 chris holder
7 matej zagar
8 greg hancock
9 niels-kristian iversen
10 fredrik lindgren
11 andreas jonsson
12 Krzysztof Kasprzak
13 Darcy Ward
14 Antonio Lindback
15 Martin Vaculik
16 ALES DRYML
9 14 12 19 54
4615 8 15 8
4512 10 12 11
4315 16 9 3
409 10 14 7
385 14 9 10
3411 8 8 7
337 9 10 7
288 4 5 11
2711 4 3 9
256 0 7 12
2512 13 0 -
226 3 8 5
18
3
5
-
4
-
3
-
6
1
1.EMIL SAYFUTDINOV
2.matej zagar
3.tomasz gollob
EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX
APRIL20, 2013
1.emil sayfutdinov
2.chris holder
3. NICKI PEDERSEN
swedish GRAND PRIX
may 4, 2013
1.taiwoffinden
2.KrzysztofKasprzak
3.NICKI PEDERSEN
czech republic GRAND PRIX
may 18, 2013

12//SPEEDWAY365.COM
PEARSON&TATUM
COMMENTATING DUO
EUROSPORT’S NIGEL PEARSON AND KELVIN TATUM PREVIEW THE MOUTHWATERING BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Tai Woffinden was truly sensational in
Prague, not only winning the Grand Prix,
but scoring the highest point’s total of any
round this year; this surely cements his
place as one of the favourites for this year’s
series?
NP: He’s still trying to keep his feet firmly on
the ground, I speak to Tai quite a lot as he is
based in the UK. I spoke to him on Monday
after the Prague success and he still says his
priority is to assure himself of a place in the
top eight next season, but it’s getting to the
stage now where he may have to re-evaluate
his targets. I assume his next target will be a
top five place, the next would then be a top
three place and then who knows, maybe the
top of the lot. But that’s a long way off at
the moment, we are only a third of the way
through the season, there is still eight rounds
to go and anything can happen. It’s great
to see, it’s fantastic for British racing, it’s
fantastic for Cardiff. For the first time since
the year 2000, when Mark Loram won the
world title, Great Britain actually has a rider
that is a genuine contender. It’s a remarkable
transformation of Tai’s career, and his life.
KT: Yes, you could look at it this way, I am
a little more cautious than that, I’d love to
think that he could go on and win the World
Championship this year, but there is a long
way to go, but certainly at this stage, his
form is superb and he is deservedly where he
is, it’s no fluke that’s for sure.
We spoke about the rivalry between the
younger riders and the more experienced
riders. At the moment, the young guns
seem to be stealing the show, with the
likes of Sayfutdinov and Woffinden far
surpassing the performances of Hancock
and Gollob, however, do you think the
experience of the likes of Pedersen and
Hancock will play a bigger part later on in
the season?
NP: Yes I do, obviously Nicki at the moment
is riding with a lot of pain, he has that brace
fitted on to his arm, because he is riding with
a broken bone in his arm, and I have to take
my hat off to what he achieved in Prague.
The more experienced like Nicki and Tomasz
have Grand Prix win’s in them, but there is no
denying that Emil and Tai right now, are the
front runners. I was looking at the beginning
of the season at riders like Antonio Lindback
making a go at the title, but he has been
inconsistent, Jarek Hampel is inconsistent,
the biggest difference between Woffinden
and Sayfutdinov to the rest, is that they are
performing on a consistent basis, they are
making starts. You have to admire Emil as
well, riding in Prague and getting to the final
just two weeks after his dad tragically passed
away. We are talking about Woffinden all
the time, you cannot forget the likes of Nicki
riding with a broken arm and Emil riding
in a difficult time for him. I feel sorry for
Darcy Ward, I really thought he would be a
contender for a Grand Prix win this stage,
I hope to see him back after the Speedway
World Cup, and hopefully he can play some
part and joining the young guns in winning a
Grand Prix towards the end of the season. Its
very refreshing to see, with all due respect to
the older guard of Greg, Nicki and Tomasz,
they are still great to watch.
KT: It may do, both Hancock and Gollob
are in their 40’s, and there does come a
time where you find it a bit more difficult,
and you will drop down the table. They are
under pressure to come up with some top
performances in the upcoming Grand Prix,
otherwise their chances of being champion
will disappear. Hancock has been injured, and
you could say he hasn’t been at his best in
the last two GP’s, but you couldn’t rule him
out, i’m certainly not! It will be difficult with
the likes of Emil and Tai riding on a very high
level.
Freddie Lindgren upped his performance in
Prague, getting his first Grand Prix win of
the series, do you think he can potentially
challenge for a podium place? Or has he
left it too late?
NP: I think he could potentially do it, but we
are a third of the way through. I think that
the main issue with Freddie is confidence,
and I do believe that getting the first win out
of the way will give him a lot of confidence.
He is facing a make or break Grand Prix in
Cardiff, if he does well, he can kick on and do
well for the rest of the year, but if he doesn’t,
he will struggle.
KT: He will be hoping so, because last year
he rode very well. Making his breakthrough
victory was important and he started to look
like an established Grand Prix rider for the
first time this season. He has started poorly,
Freddie has got qualities and it wouldn’t be
surprising to see him on the podium in the
very near future.
Ahead of the British GP, let’s talk about the
wild card selection, Chris Harris, who won
here in 2007. It was dubbed as the greatest
moment of British Speedway in the last
decade, what do you think he chances are
this year?
NP: Well it’s going to take something special.
By Chris’s own admission, he is not riding at
his best for his Elite League club Birmingham,
I don’t think he’s done a lot of meetings this
year, he seems to be low on confidence, even
though the team he rides for in Birmingham are
flying at the moment, they have got a reserve
who is carrying a lot of points for them, but
Chris at number one, hasn’t delivered enough
points for them this season. He needs his bike
setup to be absolutely spot on in Cardiff, there
are a lot of things that need to fall into place
in order for Chris to make it happen. It’s a tall
order in his current form, but I really do wish
him well and hope he has a great Grand Prix
and at least makes the semi-finals.

KT: His form is not fantastic, he rode well
in the British Final, finishing third overall,
he was certainly ver motivated and he
gave it his best. Chris has suggested that
he would like to get back in to the World
Championships, and I don’t see many other
oppurtunities to show the organisers his
form, so it’s a massive opportunity for him. I
would like to think he will make a semi-final,
I don’t know whether he is in the form that
would see him win the Grand Prix, I think he
needs to up it again if he going to do that.
I was working in Cardiff in 2007 when he
won, and it was a fantastic evening. The track
conditions were difficult, Greg Hancock was
full of speed in the final, Harris hadn’t made
a start all night, but he carved and worked
his way through the traffic to win on the
final corner in front of a packed house at the
Millennium Stadium. I would like to think we
will experience something very similar next
week, with Woffinden’s form, winning last
time out and sitting one points of the top
spot overall, it checks out very nicely.
Chris Holder won here last year, a race in
which he dominated his rivals, and really
put him one step closer to winning the
championship. He must be one of the
favourites going into Cardiff, having two
British GP wins under his belt already?
NP: The track now is good, in the early
days of Cardiff is was unpredictable, the
organisers hadn’t really got it sorted, but
right now the temporary tracks they do are
better than ever. The dimensions of thwe
track and the material on the track means
that the riders know what to expect, so there
is no reason why Chris can’t do well. I expect
Emil and Tai to have another good race; Tai
will enjoy riding Cardiff because it’s a track
that is very similar to his home ground at
Wolverhampton. There is no reason why
Chris Holder can’t have one of his best
rounds of the season.
KT: Yes, his form at this track would suggest
that he would be well and truly there. He
had a disappointing Grand Prix in Prague, it
has been a solid, not spectacular start to his
Grand Prix campaign this year, but as you
say, his form at Cardiff is absolutely brilliant
and I’m sure Chris will love to win there
again. You can’t rule him out.
The British GP has been held in the
Millennium Stadium since 2001, what
are your best personal experiences from
Cardiff?
NP: I attended the press conference in 2000
with Terry Russell and John Postlewaite
and they share this vision of what could be
done to bring Speedway into the Millennium
Stadium, and it’s a remarkable achievement.
The highlights for me have to include the
first year back in 2001, where I stood on the
infield and was the stadium announcer for
the night, I wasn’t working on television that
night, I had to stand in front of nearly 50,000
fans and announce the riders, so that was
quite a moment, I remember I couldn’t eat all
day I was so nervous, but it was an absolute
privilege to do that, on the first Grand Prix
in Cardiff, to actually stand on the infield
and announce the riders. Also there was the
one year where Tony Rickardsson performed
what can only be described as Speedway’s
version of the Wall of Death where he went
round the bend and was actually riding off
the fence, it really was a truly remarkable
sight to see someone doing that. And then
of course, Chris Harris in 2007, when he got
Greg Hancock on the line, a British winner at
Cariff, it was just a fantastic moment.
KT: It’s the best show of the year, it’s a
hell of an event, not just a Speedway
meeting. There is a wonderful atmosphere,
I think that the British fans and supporters
bring that extra element; they are a very
knowledgeable audience. Riders definitely
up there performances here, every rider will
want to say they have won at Cardiff. Every
time you come here it’s magnificent, you
can’t actually believe it’s a football stadium,
it seems to be perfect for motorsport
events. It’s one of those place you walk out
the tunnel, into the auditorium and it’s just
something else, you think, ‘this is what it’s
all about’, and I have seen some dramatic
scenes there.
We are expecting to see close to 40,000 fans
at Cardiff, making it one of the highlights of
the Speedway calendar, and with Woffinden
in such great form, this is surely one of the
best opportunities to get a British rider on the
podium here on home soil?
NP: It is a great opportunity, not just for Cardiff
but for the World Championship overall. We are
expecting 40,000+, I tell you at this rate, the
way people are talking about young Woffinden,
it could be 50,000+. There is that much interest
in Woffinden and the Grand Prix, and it’s great
to see. British Speedway itself, and British
league racing has gone through a tough time
with the recession, it’s difficult to attract new
supporters, whereas now, I hope Woffinden’s
success can help British Speedway on the
domestic front as well. I was at Wembley
last weekend for the League one playoff, and
Wembley is a magnificent stadium, there is no
doubt about that, but I prefer going to Cardiff.
It’s about the all-round experience, you’ve got
the restaurants, the bars, you’ve got the Castle,
and everything is within walking distance of the
stadium. What I like the most is the Fanzone
that the BSI have set-up, it reminds me of the
old traditional FA Cup final days, where all
the fans from all over the country and Europe
are there in the main street, mixing with each
other, fantastic atmosphere and that is all part
of the build-up from 10 o’clock in the morning
up until the start time. This is where Speedway
shows its true colours of being a fantastic
family sport. I am really looking forward to
Cardiff, it’s going to be great. Bring it on!
KT: Yes, it’s the sort of track that will suit Tai.
Obviously he will be under the spotlight, after
winning in Prague, and just one point of the top
of the World Championship, so leading up to
it, he will be giving interviews and he is doing
his cycle ride, so I do hope he manages to keep
himself focussed. He rides at Wolverhampton
in the Elite league which is a tight track. Cardiff
is the first smaller track we experience in the
World Champs this year. The racing is very
close, there is going to be a lot more contact
than there was in previous rounds, certainly
going in to the first corner, you might see more
restarts as riders crash into each other. It’s a
more technically demanding circuit.
Finally, who do you think is going to win this
week’s British GP?
NP: Emil Sayfutdinov, Chris Holder, Tai
Woffinden, Nicki Pedersen
KT: Tai Woffinden, Chris Holder, Nicki Pedersen,
Jarek Hampel
British Eurosport will broadcast exclusive LIVE
coverage from every round of the Speedway
Grand Prix in high definition including the British
GP from Cardiff. Coverage starts Saturday 4.30pm
on British Eurosport 2 HD or via the Eurosport
Player. www.eurosportplayer.co.uk
Saturday 1 June
1630-2000 LIVE Speedway GP from Cardiff on
British Eurosport 2 HD

BRITISH GRAND PRIX PAST WINNERS
The Cardiff Years

PEDERSEN
NICKI
TAI WOFFINDEN - CHRIS HARRIS - SCOTT NICHOLLS - ANTONIO LINDBACK - PETER KILDEMAND
THE THREE-TIME CHAMP IS IN SEARCH OF A FOURTH TITLE IN 2013
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