Speedway Grand Prix

DEBUT FOR DAVEY?

Grand Prix series reserve Davey Watt would relish the chance to make his World Championship debut this season, but admits he should be riding in the competition full time.

The Australian international finished seventh in last season’s GP Challenge at Coventry with six points as Magnus Zetterstrom, Chris Holder and Jaroslaw Hampel booked their SGP places for this year.

With fourth and fifth finishers Freddie Lindgren and Chris Harris receiving wild cards into the series, sixth-placed Polish star Piotr Protasiewicz and Watt are the top reserves for 2010.

Protasiewicz will be the first man called upon if one of the 15 SGP regulars is forced to miss a round through injury, illness or other reasons. But should two find themselves on the sidelines, Watt could be in line to make his maiden appearance in a Grand Prix round.

While the Poole and Lejonen captain is not getting his hopes up, the 32-year-old is ready to take his chance to shine.

He said: “It’s a very long shot that I would actually get a ride in a GP, but if it comes, I’d take it with both hands.

“I’ve ridden in a bunch of World Cups and all that kind of stuff, but the GP is another level. It would be fantastic to be a part of it.

“I’m not looking at it as if that’s going to happen. I’m confident the regular guys will be okay, but if something bizarre does happen, it would be pretty cool to get a ride.

“It’s one of the biggest meetings you could have in speedway and I’d put everything into it and show them what I’ve got.”

Watt is the first to admit his form dipped at the end of last season. He finished his Elite League campaign with Eastbourne on a 6.94 average.

The Townsville-born man was also running his racing operation in Britain without a mechanic, and admits this did not help his chances when the GP Challenge came around.

He said: “It’s a shame the GP qualifier was on when it was. I didn’t have a mechanic at the time and my mechanic in Poland actually flew over to help me out in that meeting.

“It was a case of me not being in the right frame of mind when I should have been. It was a big meeting and I should have been prepared, but instead I was tired, frustrated with everything and didn’t want to race.

“Of course I didn’t get a very good result there, but that was my own fault. Instead of being a second reserve, maybe I should have done a lot more. But that’s the position I find myself in.”

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