American legend Greg Hancock admits making a good first impression counts as he prepares to launch his bid for FIM Speedway World Championship No.5 at the AZTORIN Slovenian SGP in Krsko on Saturday.
The race for FIM Speedway Grand Prix gold starts in Slovenia for the second straight season, with the four-time champion hoping to defend the title he claimed in Melbourne last October.
While Hancock clearly cannot secure the World Championship crown as early as round one of 12, he knows starting off on the right foot is vital.
He said: “I think the first impression is always the important one. You don’t have to win the AZTORIN Slovenian SGP, but you have to set the bar and let them know you’re in the game.
“For sure, I’ll go there and I’ll want to win – without a doubt. But I know it’s a long campaign and I know I have to be there every time to win things. I’ll be there.”
Hancock has had few competitive meetings, with the Polish Ekstraliga just getting started and the Swedish Elitserien yet to commence.
But given that none of the SGP field race at Krsko regularly, the 46-year-old hopes this will ensure an even contest.
He said: “Krsko tends to be one of the popular practice places that guys go to early in the season. The weather there tends to clear up sooner than in other parts of the world.
“But that’s about as much practice as you get. It keeps it quite neutral and it’ll be fun to see how it rolls.”
Hancock is set to face huge competition from the likes of former world champions Tai Woffinden, Chris Holder and Nicki Pedersen, plus Polish ace Bartosz Zmarzlik, who charged to third in the world in his debut SGP season last year.
Aussie ace Jason Doyle finished second to Peter Kildemand in Krsko last term, before storming to four SGP wins in Prague, Gorzow, Teterow and Stockholm.
Despite surging five points clear at the top of the standings ahead of the penultimate round, a heavy crash at the Torun SGP ended his season prematurely. But after overcoming his shoulder, elbow and lung damage, JD is back on form and ready to fight for top honours again.
Russian rocket Emil Sayfutdinov races his first World Championship meeting since August 2013 as he makes his hotly-anticipated return to the series in Krsko, along with Martin Vaculik – also back after a three-season absence. Polish champion Patryk Dudek is the only man in the field making his full-time SGP debut this season.
Great Britain star Woffinden is more than happy with his pre-Krsko preparations as he seeks a third final appearance there in as many years.
He said: “I’ve had some good meetings around there and I’m really looking forward to Saturday.
“I have done all my preparation. I’ve worked hard and have covered everything in the build-up to the new season.
“I feel good and my bikes feel good, I’ve done the odd meeting and the testing in Poland, and I’m looking forward to it.
“Krsko is a big, fast track and it should be a great meeting for the fans. I’ve got to look to get to the semi-final minimum each round, starting on Saturday.”
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