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NEWS
World speedway to begin in Auckland
New Zealand again kicks off proceedings, as Australian Chris Holder begins his championship defence alongside rookie countryman Darcy WardAustralian Chris Holder will carry the No. 1 world speedway plate for the first time in March 23 when the 2013 championship commences in Auckland.
Joining Holder on the track will be rising star Darcy Ward, who will make his much-awaited arrival as a full-time Grand Prix campaigner after being handed one of four permanent spots in the 2013 championship.
The usual challengers will return to challenge Holder for the title, including 43-year-old American Greg Hancock, Swede Antonio Lindback, and the ever-present Tomasz Gollob.
The Auckland round will be shown live on SPEED from 1:30pm EDT on March 31, with commentators including retired Australian speedway greats Jason Crump and Leigh Adams.
For Crump, watching his rivals do battle will be an unfamiliar experience, but he is excited to share his insights and experience.
"I'm looking forward to watching," said Crump, who was a full-time-time world speedway rider in 1996 and then from 1998-2012.
"I have to be honest; I haven't watched a lot of Grand Prix before because I've obviously been riding in most of them!
"The circuit in New Zealand is a big, fast track, but I'm looking forward to seeing some close racing, and also to see which guys mean business.”
Ward’s CV is impressive, and includes two world under 21 speedway titles as well as a number of years as a leading figure in British and European domestic leagues.
As a wildcard, Ward finished third in the Torun (Poland) round of the world speedway title in 2011, and he was subsequently offered – which he rejected – a permanent spot in the 2012 championship.
The other three riders nominated to join Ward in 2013 are Martin Vaculik, former world No. 2 Jaroslaw Hampel, and Perth-based Englishman Tai Woffinden.
The quartet will be joined in the competition by automatic qualifiers Holder, Nicki Pedersen, Hancock, Gollob, Emil Sayfutdinov, Lindback, Fredrik Lindgren and Andreas Jonsson. Krzysztof Kasprzak, Matej Zagar and Niels-Kristian Iversen complete the field after clinching the top three places in the Grand Prix Challenge qualifying tournament. Australia’s Troy Batchelor is also listed as a qualified substitute.
Click here to read all about Holder winning the 2012 world speedway title in Poland– the same night Crump retired from elite-level competition.
2013 FIM SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX LINE-UP:
1. Chris Holder (Australia)
2. Nicki Pedersen (Denmark)
3. Greg Hancock (USA)
4. Tomasz Gollob (Poland)
5. Emil Sayfutdinov (Russia)
6. Antonio Lindback (Sweden)
7. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
8. Andreas Jonsson (Sweden)
9. Martin Vaculik (Slovakia)
10. Jaroslaw Hampel (Poland)
11. Krzysztof Kasprzak (Poland)
12. Matej Zagar (Slovenia)
13. Niels Kristian Iversen (Denmark)
14. Tai Woffinden (Great Britain)
15. Darcy Ward (Australia)
16. Wild Card
17. Track Reserve 1
18. Track Reserve 2
QUALIFIED SUBSTITUTES
19. Ales Dryml (Czech Republic)
20. Leon Madsen (Denmark)
21. Troy Batchelor (Australia)
22. Hans Andersen (Denmark)
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Written byBikesales Staff
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