The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Niels keen to make up for lost time after satisfactory start to GP season
Speedway - Peterborough Panthers rider goes up against the world’s best
Peterborough Panthers number one Niels-Kristian Iversen is under no illusions over the difficulty of giving rivals a headstart in terms of track time.
The Dane, whose scheduled return to Premiership racing withPanthersthisseason was well-received by supporters, has suffered an injury nightmare in the delayed Polish campaign.
First he suffered bruising and ligament damage in a practice crash with Gorzow team-mate Bartosz Zmarzlik, andthenheneededsurgeryon a hand injury, putting him up against it in the World Championship which started last weeknd..
Iversen appeared off the pace when he scored j ust three race points in Friday’s GP opener at Wroclaw, Poland, but the second event at the same venue 24 hours later saw a huge improvement as he collected 10 points and reached the semi-finals.
Iversen said: “I need to be realistic. It’s not been an easy seasonbecauseI’vehardlyridden. Before Friday it was only 18 heats so far this season, so it’s not a lot, but I need to race and do whatever I can.
“I know I won’t be one of the favourites to win the World title as things are at the moment. I’mawareofthat, but I’m battling my way through.
“I’m working very hard to reach the best of myform, and hopefully Saturday is just another step towards that.
“The Wroclaw track was nice, and we were trying different things. I had different engines on Saturday compared to Friday, and I’ve just got to work.”
Iversen finished 14th (out of 16) and eighth in the two events which were won by Russian Artem Laguna and Polish rider Maciej Janowski respectively.
The latter leads the standings aheadofLagunaandBritish competitor Tai Woffinden with Iversen currently ninth.
Rounds three and four of theGPseasontakeplaceatthe Edward Jancartz Stadium in Gorzow, PolandonSeptember 11 and 12.
There are eight GP rounds this year with future events in the Czech Republic and Torun, Poland.