Wednesday 25th April 2012, 13:20

Australian champion Chris Holder is determined to send himself rocketing up the World Championship standings with a big performance in the FIM Fogo European SGP in Leszno on Saturday night.

The Poole No.1 produced his worst ever Grand Prix result in New Zealand on March 31. He managed just four points following a sleepless night, waiting for news from the UK as his partner Sealy give birth to their son Max.

With Holder junior safely delivered, the 24-year-old is keen to refocus and get his SGP challenge back on track in Poland.

The Sydneysider, who is 14^th in the standings, said: “I’m looking for big points in Leszno. I’ve got a couple more engines out there from Johnsy (tuner Peter Johns) and they’re going well.

“It’s a World Championship and you want to be running up the front. Sitting on four points and seeing my name that far down is not nice.”

Leszno is a popular track among the SGP elite, but beating 15 of the world speedway’s top riders there is far from easy.

“The track is not a problem for me,” Holder said. “It’s just the competition is so tough. You’ve got to be on top form and it has to happen for you. I’m going there with nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we’ll see how we go.”

Holder goes into the European SGP on the back of a dramatic crash at Torun on Sunday, which saw Polish international Piotr Protasiewicz straighten up and send the Aussie flying over the handlebars like a ragdoll.

Miraculously, Holder just walked away with few shoulder pains and a sore backside, rather than any broken bones, and he was thanking his lucky stars he is fit to take his place in Leszno.

He told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: “I was in front and had just come round the corner. The track had a few ruts in it and that guy (Protasiewicz) just went for the inside and hit a few ruts.

“The worst thing was I wasn’t ready for it because I didn’t see it coming and, the next thing I knew, I was going up over the handlebars and all over the place. It scared me a bit, to be honest, but I was just happy I landed in one piece.

“I went into the fence with my legs first which is always the best way to go into it, rather than with your head first. But I think I was pretty lucky to get away with it.

“Usually, when you have a pretty nasty one and hit the ground quite hard, you break a collarbone or something really easy. I did hurt my shoulder so I was surprised I was able to walk away. It was probably the biggest crash I have had for a while.”

To view Holder's spill, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFfapjdkgU4&feature=player_embedded

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