Denmark’s triple world champion Nicki Pedersen said “I don’t believe you have seen the best of me yet this season” as he seeks to hit full throttle for the Kjærgaard Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix in Horsens on Saturday (August 8). The 38-year-old goes into his home event placed second in the World Championship on 71 points – nine behind leader Tai Woffinden who has 80.
Pedersen goes to Horsens full of confidence after topping the podium at the Swedish SGP in Malilla on July 25. This followed his Finnish SGP success in Tampere on May 16 and it is the first season Pedersen has won multiple FIM Speedway Grand Prix rounds in three years. Even after piling the pressure on Woffinden going into the CASA Arena Horsens’ first ever SGP event, Pedersen insists there’s more to come from him as the season reaches its climax.
He said: “I don’t believe you have seen the best of me yet. There are ups and downs through the year and I think I can only improve what I have been doing. “I have been very consistent, but it has still been uphill. Racing has never been easy. But we’ll work for the luck. We’re working hard at the moment, so hopefully the luck will come my way sooner or later.”
Pedersen is also wary of Greg Hancock, who has 58 points in third place, with Slovenian star Matej Zagar and Danish champion Niels-Kristian Iversen deadlocked on 53 in fourth and fifth respectively. Former world champion Chris Holder is also in the hunt for a World Championship medal on 51 in sixth.
Despite Woffinden and Pedersen standing head and shoulders above the chasing pack, the Odense-born icon knows their rivals have the ability to mount a challenge. He said: “Me and Tai Woffinden scored 17 points each in Malilla and we’re right up there for the battle, which I think is great for the sport.
"I have to take my hat off to Tai. Things have been going his way. As I’ve always said, when things are going your way, you score the points. “But I never underestimate experienced riders like Greg Hancock either. I always believe in everyone. I don’t fear anyone and try to do my best.
“We all know Greg has a lot of experience. If things start going his way, things can improve for him too.
“But I don’t need to look too much towards any of the others. I look towards myself. If things are going the right way, I know I’m capable enough of doing the business. I’ve been there and done it before. Nothing is going to come as a surprise. “I know the other guys in the GP can be fast in every single race and I’m focused enough to know there are 15 other fast riders in the meeting; that’s all I’m thinking about.”
Pedersen was involved in a frightening crash during the International Individual Ekstraliga Championship at Polish track Leszno on Sunday. He lost control under pressure from Emil Sayfutdinov and crashed at high speed at the end of the back straight. The Holsted hero admits he had a lucky escape. He said: “I was high-siding before hitting the fence, but I managed to go to the left side and drop the bike just before it hit the fence. I managed to get off it, so I didn’t get the impact together with the bike.
“You’re still going 130kph into the turn, so it was a heavy impact. I hit the fence and when you hit the ground at that speed, your body is bruised and sore. My neck was pretty stiff on Monday. It seemed to be better on Tuesday. “My helmet was dragged along the ground and twisted a little bit sideways. My goggles squeezed my nose a little bit.
“I went to see Lisa Thomey, my physio, straight after I got back to Denmark. I felt better on Tuesday. I went out running on Monday night just to try and loosen up the body. I did 6km at a decent speed and I felt better after that. Hopefully it will improve every day now.”
Woffinden is also well aware the chasing pack could close the gap on top spot if he or Pedersen slip up in Denmark. He said: “It’s only halfway and anything can happen in the next six rounds of the championship. I’m just staying as relaxed as possible and doing my own thing.
“One bad GP for Nicki Pedersen or me and it can bring the other guys in third, fourth and fifth back closer to us. “And as for the nine-point lead, one poor round for me and it could be gone in one meeting, so there’s a long, long way ahead of us.
“That said, I’d rather be in my position than anyone else’s at this stage of the season. I think it’s cool to be leading, of course it is.” For further information with regards to the Kjærgaard Danish FIM Speedway Grand Prix, visit http://www.achorsens.dk/speedway.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1 Tai Woffinden 80, 2 Nicki Pedersen 71, 3 Greg Hancock 58, 4 Matej Zagar 53, 5 Niels-Kristian Iversen 53, 6 Chris Holder 51, 7 Jason Doyle 48, 8 Maciej Janowski 46, 9 Michael Jepsen Jensen 41, 10 Andreas Jonsson 38, 11 Chris Harris 32, 12 Jaroslaw Hampel 31, 13 Troy Batchelor 30, 14 Tomas H Jonasson 30, 15 Peter Kildemand 23, 16 Krzysztof Kasprzak 21, 17 Antonio Lindback 14, 18 Craig Cook 7, 19 Tomasz Gollob 4, 20 Bartosz Zmarzlik 3, 21 Timo Lahti 3, 22 Kasts Puodzuks 3, 23 Vaclav Milik 2, 24 Piotr Pawlicki 1, 25 Robert Lambert 1. KJAERGAARD DANISH FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX LINE-UP (in ranking order with rider numbers): 45 Greg Hancock (USA), 507 Krzysztof Kasprzak (Poland), 3 Nicki Pedersen (Denmark), 108 Tai Woffinden (Great Britain), 55 Matej Zagar (Slovenia), 100 Andreas Jonsson (Sweden), 23 Chris Holder (Australia), 19 Peter Kildemand (Denmark – substitute for 33 Jaroslaw Hampel), 75 Troy Batchelor (Australia), 88 Niels-Kristian Iversen (Denmark), 37 Chris Harris (Great Britain), 69 Jason Doyle (Australia), 71 Maciej Janowski (Poland), 52 Michael Jepsen Jensen (Denmark), 30 Tomas H Jonasson (Sweden), 16 Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark – wild card). Track reserves: 17 Nikolaj Busk Jakobsen (Denmark), 18 Anders Thomsen (Denmark). Speedway GP