HOLDER KEEPS TORUN IN TITLE HUNT

HOLDER KEEPS TORUN IN TITLE HUNT

Sunday 9th September 2012, 21:19

Australian champion Chris Holder completed a stunning weekend’s work by bagging 14 paid 16 points for Torun on Sunday.

But he was unable to save his side from a 48-42 Polish Ekstraliga play-off semi-final, first leg loss at Tarnow. Despite battling his way to second place in the FIM Scandinavian SGP on Saturday to reach the World Championship summit, the 24-year-old still had the energy to give Torun a fighting chance in next Sunday’s second leg.

His compatriot Ryan Sullivan also shone on 13 paid 14, but the Aussie pair didn’t have the back-up needed to beat the solid Swallows.

Slovak star Martin Vaculik shone on 10 paid 11, while Janusz Kolodziej racked up a straight 10. Leon Madsen contributed nine paid 11, while world champion Greg Hancock notched nine paid 10.

The second semi-final remains beautifully poised after Gorzow took full advantage of Andreas Jonsson’s absence to draw 45-45 away to their deadly rivals Zielona Gora.

AJ sat out for Falubaz after crashing hard in heat five of the Scandinavian SGP on Saturday. Reserve Patryk Dudek piled up 14 paid 15 in his absence, while Piotr Protasiewicz raced to 13 paid 15 and Aleksandr Loktaev added 11 paid 13.

But the in-form Krzysztof Kasprzak inspired Gorzow with 11 points. Niels-Kristian Iversen recorded 10 paid 11 and Malilla gold medallist Tomasz Gollob collected nine.

Gdansk face a serious fight to stay out of the Polish First Division after losing their relegation play-off, first leg 52-38 at Wroclaw.

Tomasz Jedrzejak was the hosts’ top man on 12 paid 13. Tai Woffinden enjoyed mixed fortunes. He scored an impressive 11, but suffered a dislocated shoulder in a heat-15 crash and misses Wolves’ British Elite League trip to Belle Vue on Monday.

SGP racer Freddie Lindgren tallied 10 paid 12 and Sebastian Ulamek accrued 10 paid 11.

World title chaser Nicki Pedersen kept Gdansk in the hunt as ever with 16 points. But the coastal outfit lost Swedish star Tomas H Jonasson to injury after three rides. He went to hospital for checks.

For full details of the day’s results and scorers, click here: http://speedwaygp.com/league_results.

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