IN
THE
WIND
P42
PEDERSEN WINS BETARD
SCANDINAVIAN SPEEDWAY GP
T
riple world champion Nicki
Pedersen insisted he never
lost faith in his ability to beat the
world's best after defying years
of injury to win the Betard Scan-
dinavian FIM Speedway Grand
Prix, August 11.
The great Dane topped the
podium in Malilla ahead of Slo-
venian star Matej Zagar, home
hero Fredrik Lindgren and Slovak
racer Martin Vaculik for his first
SGP win since he triumphed at
Torun on October 3, 2015.
It has been a tough road back
to the top of the box for Peder-
sen. His 2016 and 2017 seasons
were both ended by separate
fractures to the same vertebra in
his back, leaving him fearing for
his speedway career. Pedersen
bounced back this year, only
to suffer a broken bone in his
hand in a PGE Ekstraliga meet-
ing at Gorzow on April 29. He
was elated to bring his form on
to the SGP stage and silence his
doubters.
"It's always easy to say 'he's
finished' and things like that. But
my family and I always believed
in me," Pedersen said. "It has
been uphill. I have broken my
back two times. I haven't quite
been there and the engine hasn't
been where I wanted it. I felt I
had a good start to the season,
but then I had big, big injuries
again. I banged my head twice
and crashed in a league match
at Gorzow and in the Warsaw
Grand Prix. That knocked me out
for some time—my hand is
still not 100 percent, but
it's getting a lot, lot better.
"The form hasn't been
there, but I have the
racing in me and I never
give up before the fat
lady sings. I proved that
tonight."
Second place gave
Zagar's SGP 2019 qualifi-
cation hopes a huge shot
in the arm and he now
stands ninth in the World Cham-
pionship at 50 points, just three
adrift of Artem Laguta in eighth.
Third-placed Lindgren cut
Great Britain star Tai Woffinden's
series lead from 20 points to 17.
Greg Hancock had a difficult
meet, starting with the track con-
ditions catching him out in his
opening race before going onto
record three third places and a
puncture in his final race.
John Hipkiss
FINAL RESULTS
1. Nicki Pedersen (15)
2. Matej Zagar (16)
3. Fredrik Lindgren (13)
4. Martin Vaculik (10)
5. Bartosz Zmarzlik (14)
6. Greg Hancock (3)
Nicki Pederson (center)
captured his first Speedway
GP victory since 2015. Matej
Zagar (left) was second and
Fredrik Lindgren third.
PHOTOGRAPY
BY
JOHN
HIPKISS
