Woffy wins again
SCUNTHORPE-BORN Tai Woffinden completed back-to-back Grand Prix victories by winning a terrific Swedish event at Malilla (Saturday).
The reigning World Champion, who will defend his British title at Wolverhampton on Monday, now holds a narrow one-point lead over Greg Hancock overall after the two proved almost inseparable on Saturday.
The duo shared the series lead going into the meeting and had both scored 14 points on the night ahead of the Final, in which Hancock gated only for Woffinden to charge around the outside on turns three and four.
Chris Holder finished third with Jarek Hampel fourth in a meeting which included numerous spectacular races as well as angry scenes between Nicki Pedersen and Matej Zagar after a clash in the second semi-final.
Great Britain’s other representative Chris Harris scored five points, which included a fine race victory in Heat 6 when he got the better of Andreas Jonsson, Hampel and Krzysztof Kasprzak.
Woffinden said: “I’m pumped. Coming to this one I didn’t know how I was going to get on because it’s not one of my favourite tracks.
“But we got the set-up right in the end and I was fast as – so I can’t complain!
“I’ve got four days off after the British Final so I’m going to step everything up a notch and finish strong.”
FIM SWEDISH GRAND PRIX
Tai Woffinden 17 (1st), Greg Hancock 16 (2nd), Chris Holder 15 (3rd), Jaroslaw Hampel 13 (4th), Niels K Iversen 11, Nicki Pedersen 11, Kenneth Bjerre 10, Matej Zagar 10, Peter Ljung 7, Darcy Ward 6, Troy Batchelor 5, Chris Harris 5, Fredrik Lindgren 5, Andreas Jonsson 4, Martin Smolinski 3, Krzysztof Kasprzak 0, Linus Sundstrom 0, Dennis Andersson 0.
OVERALL STANDINGS (After Round 5 of 12)
Tai Woffinden 63, Greg Hancock 62, Nicki Pedersen 55, Chris Holder 55, Matej Zagar 53, Darcy Ward 51, Niels K Iversen 46, Jaroslaw Hampel 44, Fredrik Lindgren 43, Krzysztof Kasprzak 42, Martin Smolinski 40, Andreas Jonsson 35, Kenneth Bjerre 32, Troy Batchelor 26, Chris Harris 17, Peter Ljung 7, Adrian Miedzinski 5, Joonas Kylmakorpi 5, Kauko Nieminen 4, Jason Bunyan 2, Vaclav Milik 2, Andrew Aldridge 0, Linus Sundstrom 0, Dennis Andersson 0.
(British Speedway Press Release)
