Tuesday 29th May 2012, 14:02

FIM Swedish SGP wild card Thomas H Jonasson says he is ready to go full-time in the Grand Prix series next season after storming to fourth spot in Gothenburg on Saturday.

The Vetlanda-born man bagged nine points in his heats to reach the semi-finals, before being awarded second behind Greg Hancock, when Nicki Pedersen clattered him on the final turn on the last-eight race.

THJ was unable to get on to the rostrum, but he continued his impressive run of outings in the No.16 race jacket. He left Malilla with eight points on his SGP bow in August 2010, before bagging the same score in four heats at the Ullevi Stadium last year.

Jonasson managed nine in Malilla last August and, having made the breakthrough into the last four on Saturday, the Gdansk star is ready to mix it with the sport’s heavyweights on a more regular basis.

He said: “I think this is the season I’ve been waiting for and I want to work from this night. Of course I wouldn’t be a disaster in the GP. I would be happy to have a place permanently. But I have to deserve it and I hope I do well in the qualification rounds.”

Jonasson could earn an SGP spot for 2013 by finishing in the top three at the GP Challenge in Gorican on September 29.

But if he misses out in the cutthroat qualifiers, he would gladly accept an invite from series organisers BSI Speedway and the FIM if one came his way. “I would be happy with that,” he said. “I would take it, definitely.”

THJ may have left Gothenburg without a medal, but his consistency gave him plenty of reason to be cheerful.

He said: “I’m really happy that I got to the final, but I was just thinking before the race ‘please not fourth place, please not fourth place.’ That’s what I got, but now I am happy and satisfied with my result.

“It was my best Grand Prix, even though I didn’t win one heat. When you are consistent, you score points and you can reach the top level.”

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