JONSSON FIT FOR SWC RACE-OFF
Swedish champion Andreas Jonsson has declared himself fit for the FIM PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna Speedway World Cup Race-Off at Vojens on Thursday night.
The SGP star has been named in Peter Jansson’s side in place of Valsarna rider Daniel Nermark, who scored just one point at King’s Lynn on Monday.
Jonsson missed the meeting as he was suffering with muscle inflammation on his shoulder blade.
But after coming through a rain-affected practise in Denmark on Wednesday, the Dackarna and Bydgoszcz star looks set to offer his country some serious point-scoring power.
He will be joined in the yellow helmets by Grand Prix rivals Freddie Lindgren and Magnus Zetterstrom, Rio Rocket Antonio Lindback and Jonas Davidsson, who impressed with 14 points on Monday night.
The Swedes are the only nation to make a change to their line-up prior to the Race-Off, as Denmark, Russia and Australia stick with the same five riders who raced in Events One and Two earlier this week.
Hosts Denmark, who race in white, are still without three-time world champion Nicki Pedersen, but will be led by Vojens rider Hans Andersen and Kenneth Bjerre, who rode his Danish league meetings at the venue last season.
Bjarne Pedersen keeps his place after leading his side’s scorechart at Gorzow on Sunday with 11 points. He is joined by Niels Kristian Iversen and Nicolai Klindt.
Australian champion Chris Holder spearheads his country’s challenge and is joined by SGP series reserve Davey Watt in the red helmets. The in-form Troy Batchelor, World Under-21 champion Darcy Ward and Rory Schlein complete a young Aussie line-up.
Meanwhile, Russia track impressive teenager Artem Laguta, alongside his brother Grigory, Roman Povazhny, Renat Gafurov and Denis Gizatullin. They don the blue helmets as they bid to reach their second straight SWC Final.
FULL RACE-OFF LINE-UPS:
AUSTRALIA (RED)1 Dave Watt (Captain)2 Darcy Ward3 Rory Schlein4 Troy Batchelor5 Chris HolderTeam Manager Craig Boyce
RUSSIA (BLUE)1 Artem Laguta2 Grigory Laguta (Captain)3 Roman Povazhny4 Denis Gizatullin5 Renat GafurovTeam Manager Stanislav Khan
DENMARK (WHITE)1 Kenneth Bjerre2 Nicolai Klindt3 Niels Kristian Iversen4 Bjarne Pedersen5 Hans Andersen (Captain)Team Manager Jan Staechmann
SWEDEN (YELLOW)1 Fredrik Lindgren2 Jonas Davidsson3 Magnus Zetterstrom (Captain)4 Andreas Jonsson5 Antonio LindbackTeam Manager Peter Jansson
