Speedway GP at Western Springs tonight"No grudge matches" : Chris Holder  World champion Chris Holder won’t be distracted by the prospect of meeting Nicki Pedersen for the first time since their Torun tussle and said "I’ll race everyone.” The SGP series’ top two collide in heat 18 of the Buckley Systems New Zealand FIM Speedway Grand Prix on Saturday in what will their first on-track head-to-head since their famous war of words during the Torun SGP last October. While some may see this as a grudge match, Holder and Pedersen resolved their differences and the Aussie knows there are other riders he has to beat if he is to defend the No.1 race jacket this year. He said: "I’m not just looking for one guy. There are 14 other guys apart from me and Nicki. It’s going to be tough. I know how important it is to get points on the board in every race. "I’m not going to stuff up my own race because I’m trying to race somebody. I’ll race everyone.” Another fascinating battle sees Holder come up against long-time Poole and Torun team mate Darcy Ward in heat seven. The pair have joined forces for countless 5-1s and have a near-telepathic understanding on the track. But it will be every Aussie for himself and Holder knows they will both be hungry to come out on top. He said: "Me and Darcy haven’t properly raced each other that much. We did a couple of Australian Championships, but this is the top of the sport. "We’re going to be going for it and I’m sure he wants to beat me as much as I want to beat him. But everyone is as good as us, so it’s going to be tough all round.” Holder has spent much of his winter getting ready for the event Down Under, practicing at New South Wales circuit Kurri Kurri and racing motocross in the sunshine. He helped his mechanics set his bikes up before leaving Europe in early December, but he admits they did the hard work and he was delighted with the machines they shipped to Auckland. He said: "They’ve done an unbelievable job. The three guys have outdone what I thought was going to turn up. I’m really happy with them. In my first ride on the two bikes, they were perfect. I can’t thank them enough for sorting it all out for me.” The New Zealand SGP gets underway at 4pm local time. Fans in the UK can watch the action live on British Eurosport from 3am, while viewers in mainland Europe can watch from 4am. Fighting fit!" " - Jaroslaw Hampel  Polish international Jaroslaw Hampel declared himself back to full fitness as he bids to bounce back from a 2012 season ravaged by injury, starting in the New Zealand SGP on Saturday. Hampel finished second at Western Springs last term and a similar performance would remind his rivals of the 2010 world No.2’s championship credentials. The Zielona Gora signing suffered a broken ankle in Copenhagen last June and was not at his best when he returned to the track last September. But the Leszno-born star has been putting in the hours during the close season to ensure he gets back into peak physical condition. He said: "I’ve had such a busy time because I’ve done a lot of training, especially after my injuries. I lost a bit of my good, fit condition, but I’m working very hard on that. It was a pretty tough winter, but I feel great. "I spent nearly a month in Spain. I did some motocross practice and I felt great after that when I went back to Poland. "We’ve had pretty bad weather there and I couldn’t sit on a speedway bike. I couldn’t do so much practice. I did only one day’s practice in Slovenia. I planned to spend two days, but the rain came in on the second morning and we had to go back to Poland. "So I didn’t spend too much time on a speedway bike, but everyone has the same problem in Europe. After the winter, I feel great, though. I feel fit again.” Hampel achieved World Championship silver in 2010 and bronze in 2011. And he hopes his hard work will earn him a chance to add to that collection this term. Asked if he felt he could get back on the rostrum, he said: "I dream about this. I’m doing my best to get back my very best performance. I’ll do everything I can. "I’m not sure if everything can happen very quickly, but you never know. We will see after the first round. But I’ll try to think positively because I’ve worked hard in the winter and I’ve got good equipment.” The New Zealand SGP gets underway at 4pm local time. Fans in the UK can watch the action live on British Eurosport from 3am, while viewers in mainland Europe can watch from 4am. |