World speedway heads to Olympic pastures

The 2006 FIM Speedway World Championship heads to the expansive Olympic Stadium in Wroclaw (Poland) this Saturday night, with Australian Leigh Adams talking tough on the eve of battle.

The nine-time Australian champion, whose seemingly inexorable charge towards spot in Slovenia's round one final was extinguished by rare mechanical failure, is determined to hit back on the longest circuit on this year's 10-round calendar - a smidgen over 387 metres.

"This is one of my favourite tracks on the circuit," said Adams, who turned 35 on April 28. "It is a big circuit with a range of racing lines, and my Jawas will suit the wide open spaces.

"I have already put what happened a fortnight ago well and truly behind me, and I'm only looking ahead."

Adams, a three-time GP winner, has often been accused of being too casual during world title meetings, but it's an assertion that he takes umbrage with.

"Some people say I am a little laid back... but that is not even close to the truth," said Adams. "Everyone has their own way of focussing and, whole some may throw spanners or even punches, I keep to myself and go about it my own way."

Adams is currently fifth in the standings on 10pts, behind round one winner Nicki Pedersen, fellow Australian Jason Crump (18), Pole Tomasz Gollob (18) and reigning world championship Tony Rickardsson (16).

Olympic Stadium, built in the 1930s by the Nazi regime, will be hosting its eighth world championship event on May 6, and the third successive European Grand Prix.

Last year's meeting, the first hitout of the season, saw Rickardsson touch up Adams, Crump and Sweden's Antonio Lindback in the final. All four riders will again be among this weekend's bosses, in addition to Pedersen, Gollob, American Greg Hancock and another Swede, Andreas Jonsson.

Besides Rickardsson, Pedersen is the only other rider in the 16-rider field to have won a European GP, with his success dating back to 2002.

However, that particular European GP wasn't held at the Olympic Stadium - and if it's current form at the venue that holds the most currency, then Crump is in for a productive night.

The 30-year-old Northampton-based Aussie has switched from Torun to Wroclaw for this year's top-tier Polish domestic league, with his home base now the Olympic Stadium.

In two of his four home matches so far, Crump has been in slashing form, winning 10 from 10. That searing form, along with finding an antidote to recent ignition problems, has the world No. 2 ready to deliver in front of 40,000 passionate spectators.

"My result from the first round was good, but I had ongoing problems through the night with my ignition boxes," said Crump. "I was lucky that I didn't break down but Leigh (Adams) wasn't so lucky as he encountered similar problems that cost him a berth in the final.

"I have had some solid performances since then (Slovenia), however, the world championship is another issue altogether and when you ride against the top 15 riders
in the World, it's virtually an A Final in every heat.

"My major sponsors... are Polish-based, so coming away from there with a win is extra special and that is what I am focusing on. I always look forward to racing in Poland as the Polish people are so passionate and fanatical about their speedway and the atmosphere is amazing."

Crump will be contesting his 70th GP in Poland, in a career which has seen make the final in 55 per cent of the meetings he has contested. That figure is second only to the extraordinarily consistent Rickardsson, whose strike rate stands at 65 per cent.