Saturday 28th July 2012, 14:14

Russian racer Emil Sayfutdinov still believes he can realise his dream of being world champion ahead of tonight’s FIM Fogo Croatian SGP.

The Salavat-born man exploded on to the world stage with a World Championship bronze medal and SGP wins in Prague, Gothenburg and Krsko in 2009.

He suffered a broken arm in May 2010 and then damaged wrist ligaments in August that year, which ended his season.

Some have claimed the man who led FIM Monster Energy Speedway World Cup bronze medallists Russia to their first World Cup rostrum finish since 1975 lost his racing edge following those injuries.

But Sayfutdinov still feels he has it in him to win speedway’s biggest prize, even if it takes a few years.

He said: “I still believe. I don’t think about when it’s coming, but I think it will be soon.

“In my first season in the Grand Prix, I had more luck. The next season was really hard because I had the injuries in 2010. It’s going much better now and I think it can be good.

“Speedway is really hard, but I’m still really young and need more time to be better. I think next season in the Grand Prix will be much better and maybe then I’ll win a Grand Prix.”

Sayfutdinov’s last SGP gold triumph was his seven-ride, 24-point maximum in the FIM Slovenian Grand Prix at Krsko on September 12, 2009. He has reached five out of six semi-finals so far this term, but has failed to convert any of these into a last four berth.

His manager Tomasz Suskiewicz says Sayfutdinov’s desperation to break into the medal race has worked against him.

“We want it too much,” the Pole said. “That’s the problem. When you want it too much, it doesn’t go like you want.”

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