Category Archives: Interviews
Adam Ellis Exclusive Interview
Whoever says the future of British speedway is bleak has obviously not heard about Adam Ellis.
Ryan Douglas Exclusive Interview
One 19 year old is aiming to become the latest young Aussie to take the UK by storm when he makes his Premier League bow in 2013.
Henric Lindqvist Exclusive Interview
18 year old Henric Lindqvist is just the latest off the production line of Swedish talent rapidly rising through the ranks.
Michael Palm Toft Exclusive Interview
The 2012 Premier League season ended in the most dramatic of circumstances, with Scunthorpe snatching the title by just one point.
With 21+1 points over the two legs, few riders were more integral to the Scorpions’ success than Michael Palm Toft.
Antonio Lindback Exclusive Interview
Having won the World Cup with Sweden in 2004 and raced in 5 Grand Prix seasons and counting, it really is hard to believe that Antonio Lindback is still only 27.
Niels-Kristian Iversen Exclusive Interview
He is a Kings Lynn, Gorzow and Indianerna star. With averages in excess of 9.00 in each of the three major leagues, Niels-Kristian Iversen is arguably the best rider in the world on current form. Having won his third World Cup Gold medal with his youthful Denmark side just this weekend, I caught up with the 30 year old star to talk all about his speedway career so far and his aspirations for the future.
Linus Sundstrom Exclusive Interview
At the age of just 21, he is already a second heat leader for Elite League side the Peterborough Panthers, and a Swedish Eliteserien Champion with Piraterna. With a 2012 Elite League average of 7.68 and a wealth of experience across the globe, Swedish star Linus Sundstrom is surely destined for the top. Although he may not receive the high-profile plaudits of some upcoming stars such as Mikkel B Jensen and team-mate Michael Jepsen Jensen, 21 year old Sundstrom continues to steadily grow in stature and increasingly prove he can beat the best the world had to offer.
I caught up with the young star to discuss everything from his early career in Britain, the season so far for the Peterborough Panthers, his performances across Europe in 2012 and his plans for the future.
King:”We All Dug Deep”
Birmingham Brummies captain Danny King was left ecstatic after seeing his side pull back a 10 point deficit to emerge as 46-44 winners over Midlands rivals the Coventry Bees. After leaving it very late to comeback into the meeting, Bjarne Pedersen and Sebastian Ulamek struck a last heat 5-1 for the hosts, and skipper King admitted after the meeting that it was a superb feeling to win like that.
“It was a bit too close for comfort but we managed to pull it off and it was just a great team effort. We all dug deep and we never let our heads get down to much and we just turned it around and showed people what we can do”.
A sizeable crowd turned out at Perry Barr again, and King praised the support that they have received this season.”It is very pleasing to see a turn around like that as a captain, but I am also very pleased for the fans. They have been right behind us all year, and we have let them down a few times, and tonight at one point it looked like we were going to do that again. Like I said though, the team dug deep, and it was a well deserved win”.
The 25 year old scored 7 points, putting a poor start behind him to bag two race wins, and he was happy that he eventually turned his night around: “I was happy with my own performance in the end. I hadn’t got the right set up early on, but we made some changes and finished with two wins which is always very good”.
Now, Danny is hoping the Brummies will kick on from this result to mount a real play-off charge: “This result has got to be a catalyst to start pushing for the play-off’s. We know the situation now, we have got a lot of meetings left but we have to establish ourselves in or around that top four and then try and maintain it”.
Meanwhile, King has just been selected for the Team GB squad to race in the World Cup at Kings Lynn on Monday, and he is honoured to get the opportunity to represent his country, and feels the side definitely have what it takes to make it to the final. “I am absolutely delighted to be selected for the World Cup. It is an honour to ride for your country, and it is nice to put that Union Jack on your chest and go out to try and do your country proud. I am confident we can qualify for the final. We should definitely make the race-off I feel. I think we also have a team that can push to go straight to the final as well. Hopefully Scotty (Nicholls) will be fit, I know he struggled a little bit tonight, but he has still got a few days to try and get fit. Come Monday anything can happen so we will just wait and see”.
Images Copyright Sandra Davidsson (www.speedway-sasha.se)
Roynon: “A Real Shame”
Nicholls: “Majorly Disappointed”
Disappointing was the over-riding theme when talking to Coventry man Scott Nicholls last night after his side let a 10 point lead slip before losing out 46-44 to the Birmingham Brummies at Perry Barr. Nicholls said:
“Obviously we are majorly disappointed not to have come away with all the points. We had a big lead, and we shouldn’t have let it slip. Full credit to Birmingham, they dug deep and pulled it back. We got an away point from the meeting, and we have to look at that as a positive, but it is bitterly disappointing because we could have had more and we should have come away with the points”.
Scott himself scored 9 points, including two excellent race wins to start the night, and he “My performance was OK. I started off the night well, it was just disappointing to run a last and a third in my last two races. I am very disappointed and frustrated. I don’t want to sound like I am making excuses but I am still carrying a bit of an injury. I am pleased in one way I know I can do a lot better so it is a bit of a double edged sword right now”.
Having suffered a broken collarbone in a nasty spill against the Brummies at Brandon recently, Scott is just making his comeback, and admits that he is currently far from 100%. “My injury is alright. I am struggling a little bit, but it is afterwards when I will start to feel it. I am not 100% yet, far from it, but I felt that I rode pretty well tonight and I am disappointed that I didn’t convert that into more points”.
With around half the season left, Nicholls says the play-offs are still the goal for Coventry as they look to put a string of disappointing results behind them.”We can still make the play-off’s we feel. Meetings like this can give you the positivity that you can do it, but obviously we have to bounce back from the disappointment of having a big lead and losing out. That is two meetings on the trot now where we have come away with a point but it should have come away with more. We are still aiming for the play-off’s and we want to start turning things around. I am confident we can but time is running out so we need to get out act together”.
Meanwhile. the highly anticipated World Cup arrives at the weekend, with Nicholls joining Danny King, Chris Harris and Tai Woffinden in the line-up for Great Britain. He is looking forward to the event, and feels that GB are certainly capable of making the final despite some tough competition.”The World Cup is going to be tough against the Aussies, but Kings Lynn is a good race track and if everyone is on form then we can definitely go through. For us our goal is obviously to go straight through from round one, that would be perfect, but if not we will just have to go to the race-off with a positive attitude. It is different this year with only one team going through from that, so there is a lot more pressure on that meeting, but we can do it, and it would be nice to see Great Britain on the rostrum”.
Images Copyright Sandra Davidsson (www.speedway-sasha.se) and Wojta Zavril (www.wojta-foto.cz)
