Welcome to a new era of Speedway!

NIELSEN CONTENT WITH STINT AS DANISH NATIONAL BOSS

Speedway GP legend Hans Nielsen says he’s “very happy with the job I have done” as Danish team manager, despite missing out on his 23rd FIM Speedway gold medal. The Professor won four individual world titles, seven FIM Speedway World Pairs crowns and an incredible 11 FIM Speedway World Team Cups with Denmark as a rider. Nielsen collected two FIM Speedway of Nations bronze medals as a coach in 2020 and 2021 but fell short of winning Denmark’s first gold since their 2014 FIM Speedway World Cup victory at Bydgoszcz. Asked if he regretted anything after missing out on world-glory as a manager, Nielsen said: “I don’t know about regrets or whether I could have done anything different. I am not really sure and can’t really put my finger on anything. “I enjoyed it. It has been hard work and a lot of travelling. Sure, it was a lot of pressure, and it was tough getting to know everybody when I first came in. There were a few stumbling blocks along the way. You have to expect that as a manager. “I wouldn’t say there’s one thing I would have done differently. I think I have done the best I can and I am very happy with the job I have done. “We never unfortunately won the Speedway of Nations. But with Leon picking up a couple of silver medals in those years, I helped out as much as I could there, as well as all the others who were in the Grand Prix.” Nielsen admits he takes pride in the Danish training camps he organised as riders headed for sunnier climes to warm up for the season. He said: “One of the great things was going off during the winter on our training camps. That’s one of the big things that have been new since I took over. The lads really enjoy that. “It would have been nice if we could have had the under-21s with us as well, but it’s an expensive trip. With finance not incredibly good at the DMU, we couldn’t all go. But we did get some sponsors helping out over the last few years. It’s a lot of work. You have to get sponsors and you have to get organised for trips, but that’s part of the job.”

Discover

HOLDER SEEKS FIRST TITLE TRIUMPH WITH TIGERS

Aussie ace Jack Holder hopes to end his league title drought in 2023 after coming agonisingly close with SGB Premiership side Sheffield. The Tigers stormed to the top of the table and fought their way through to a play-off final showdown with Belle Vue. But the Aces got the better of them over two legs, lifting their first league championship since 1993. Holder endured a tough night at the first leg in Manchester, scoring two points after suffering a crash in heat five. While Holder ended 2022 with an FIM Speedway of Nations gold medal and won his first Australian Championship in January, he would love to end his wait for a first league title with Sheffield. “I haven’t yet won a gold medal in any of the leagues,” he said. “We got so close with Sheffield last year. We had a good team. It was a good two matches. At 51-39, we probably left too big a gap going into the second leg. “We thought we could do it. Sheffield are pretty good at home and it’s the final, so we know anything can happen. We were looking pretty close for a couple of heats, and it was getting all exciting. We came out second best, but hopefully we can get that gold this year.” Holder admits the atmosphere generated by Tigers fans at Owlerton for the final only inspires him to help them go one better. He said: “It was good to see they had a big crowd. The atmosphere made it feel like a Polish match. It was pretty wild, and I have never really felt that in the British league, which was different and good. It was good to see. “Sheffield has been amazing – all the management and staff have been amazing to me, and all the fans too. We finished top of the league, which was cool. I just hope we can go one better in the play-offs this year.”

Discover

MORRIS NAMED SGB PREMIERSHIP CEO

FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director Phil Morris is ready to take Britain’s SGB Premiership to the next level after being named the league’s chief executive officer. The Welshman will perform the role alongside his duties as Speedway GP race director and his new job will see him adjudicate on and work to simplify the sport’s rulebook, as well as improve how SGB Premiership events are run and presented. Morris will also play an active role in the running of televised meetings – something he has vast experience of doing since taking over as Speedway GP race director in 2015. While he will continue to oversee the smooth running of FIM Speedway events for the FIM, Morris is determined to set high standards for the SGB Premiership clubs. He said: “There are three words associated with this role that stand out for me: integrity, transparency and perception, and all of those are big things for me, which I feel need to be improved. “I’m not here to lie to anyone and I’ve already made it clear that I’ve seen some events and incidents over the last few years that I believe we can improve on a lot – and I’m saying ‘we’ here because I’m now going to be part of it. “I want to do my very best to try and lift levels across many different facets of the Premiership, from club officials and regulations to the visuality of the events we’re staging. “Hopefully that will then filter down to all levels of speedway, so even though my job is Premiership CEO, it’s something which can benefit British Speedway as a whole. “I’ve been very lucky to work at the highest level of the sport, so my eyes are probably quite focused on good quality levels of the product, and I’ve always said that speedway is a good product. “We’ve just got to package it right and make sure other things are acceptable along the way, and I’m very much looking forward to getting started.” British Speedway Promoters Ltd director Chris Louis is backing Morris to thrive in the role and insists he will enjoy the full support of SGB Premiership promoters as he pushes for improvements. Louis said: “The Premiership CEO is a new role which we all agreed was very much needed and I think the timing is right, especially with what’s going on in the world of speedway. “We want to enhance the professionalism and integrity of the league, as well as making it simple, transparent and fun for the fans to view and understand, and to improve the product and put British Speedway back at the top of the tree, where it did sit for many years. “Phil is unquestionably the right man for the job. His grounding is in British Speedway, he loves British Speedway, and he also has one of the top positions in world speedway, which made him the perfect candidate. “He will be tasked with making sure the rulebook is as simple and easy to follow as possible, both for those involved within the sport and also for the fans, and that it is absolutely understood and adhered to. “Phil will also take an active role in televised meetings. He will be on-site and assist with the presentation of those meetings to make sure they are as fluid as possible and that the format is rigidly stuck to. “The appointment has the full backing of the board of the BSPL, and we’d also like to thank the other people who showed an interest in the position and were part of the process. “We see this as an evolving role which will develop as the year goes on, but fundamentally we’ve brought in a top man to lead the Premiership and I think it’s a hugely positive move. “Phil has seen all sides of the sport as a rider and a manager. He has never stopped following British Speedway and he has the experience of what is probably for this sort of role, the top position in world speedway. We couldn’t have a better guy on board, and as a league we are delighted with the appointment.” Morris takes great pride in being offered another high-profile position in the sport he grew up watching. He said: “When my parents, who were both speedway fans, took me to my first meetings, I could never have imagined I would end up where I am now. “I’ve been a rider, I’ve represented my country at international level, I have been a team manager and represented my country doing that. “Any success I have had has been based on hard work and effort and I will put the same level of energy into being Premiership CEO. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to take British speedway at its highest level forward and an opportunity I want to seize with both hands.”

Discover

PEDERSEN READY TO PUT "BUMS ON SEATS" IN BRITAIN AFTER SEALING PETERBOROUGH RETURN

Triple world champion Nicki Pedersen has completed a sensational return to British racing with SGB Premiership side Peterborough. Pedersen last appeared in the UK with the Panthers in 2011 and is set for an extremely busy season. He will also race for Polish side Grudziadz and Danish team Holsted, as well as managing the Danish national side and appearing in Discovery+ and Kanal 5 reality TV series Team Pedersen. There’s no doubt Pedersen’s comeback is another huge step forward for a league, which has already regained Belle Vue’s double Speedway GP winner Dan Bewley and Ipswich’s former world No.3 Emil Sayfutdinov this winter. Aussie Speedway GP trio Jason Doyle, Max Fricke and Jack Holder will also compete in the SGB Premiership. Pedersen is delighted to be joining forces with a club, whose starting line-up also features former Danish international teammates Niels-Kristian Iversen and Hans Andersen, SGP2 star Benjamin Basso, Richie Worrall, Ben Cook and Jordan Jenkins. The Odense-born ace hopes his arrival will enthuse fans at the East of England Showground. He said: “I’m pretty sure I can excite a few fans over there on and off the track! “One of the feelings that felt good in my stomach was the impression of what I can bring to British Speedway and to the fans, especially the Peterborough Panthers fans. “I still have many friends there, people who I know and remember, so there will be bums on seats as we always say, and good racing! But also off the track the fans can have a chat with me, and those are the things you can’t buy for money, so hopefully I’m going to put some positivity into everything. We want to lift the Peterborough Panthers to the next level.” The 45-year-old admits he gets on well with Panthers owner Keith ‘Buster’ Chapman. He said: “Buster and me, and also his wife, we’ve always had a good relationship. I’ve always respected him, and he has always respected me. I even remember four or five years ago he came to Torun for the GP; we hadn’t seen each other for many years, and they just love me to pieces. I’ve always done my work for them. I’ve never let them down and I’ve got such respect for people like that. “When the Peterborough opportunity came up, I said to him, ‘give me a couple of days, let me think about it, because I need to feel good in my stomach.’ I needed to sleep on things, and every day I was waking up thinking ‘this might be interesting.’” Chapman is delighted to have Pedersen in Panthers colours. He said: “I’m so pleased Nicki will be riding for Peterborough. I’ve known him for many, many years. Ever since he first came to England, I have had a lot of respect for him, and it’s going to be good to work with him. “What you get with Nicki is a racer from the heart, and that’s what I love about him. He’s a lovely guy off the track. On the track he’s a different person, and he’s great to have around. “I’m pleased he took the time to talk to us and consider us, and in the end came forward and agreed. I know how busy he is this year, and there were non-stop phone calls and messages to each other, but it was worth it in the end. “You have to keep pushing things, and with the mutual respect that exists between us, we are both honest with each other about what we expect. “Nicki has always been so good with the public, and that’s what has always impressed me about him. I’ve seen him at GPs talking to fans outside the pits, and in towns, and he’s always approachable. “The only difference is when he’s racing because that’s when his head is in gear for that. He’s not difficult; he’s just the ultimate professional, and I’m very excited to bring him in.” There are concerns over Panthers’ long-term future with their Showground home set to be redeveloped, possibly after the end of the 2023 season. If this year proves the club’s last there, Chapman is determined to see Peterborough depart in style. He said: “We know this may be our last season at the Showground, and if that’s the case I want to go out with a bang there and do the public proud, and this hopefully will push us on to do that.”

Discover

BIG EVENTS RESUME IN WARSAW AHEAD OF MAY'S SPEEDWAY GP SHOWDOWN

Major events are set to resume at Warsaw’s iconic PGE Narodowy next month as the capital city gets ready for the PZM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw on Saturday, May 13. Events at the stadium were temporarily suspended as a precaution after a defect was discovered with the retractable roof’s steel rope structure. But with action taken to secure and relieve the affected element, Poland’s national football team is set to face off with Albania at PGE Narodowy on March 27 after extensive tests confirmed the structure is completely safe to stage full-stadium events. The news clears the way for the world’s top riders to battle it out in Poland’s biggest speedway event on May 13, with triple world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek all bidding to become the first home winner of the PZM FIM Warsaw Speedway GP. The likes of 2022 winner Max Fricke, double Warsaw victor Tai Woffinden, world No.2 Leon Madsen and world No.4 Fredrik Lindgren will also be vying to top the podium on one of the sport’s biggest nights. Tickets for the Warsaw showdown are still available online. Book now via: www.KupBilet.pl as well as https://www.ebilet.pl/sport/sporty-motorowe/speedway-grand-prix.

Discover

NIELSEN CONTENT WITH STINT AS DANISH NATIONAL BOSS

HOLDER SEEKS FIRST TITLE TRIUMPH WITH TIGERS

MORRIS NAMED SGB PREMIERSHIP CEO

PEDERSEN READY TO PUT "BUMS ON SEATS" IN BRITAIN AFTER SEALING PETERBOROUGH RETURN

BIG EVENTS RESUME IN WARSAW AHEAD OF MAY'S SPEEDWAY GP SHOWDOWN