HOLDER UP FOR GLASGOW CHALLENGE

Aussie ace Jack Holder admits the FIM GP Challenge “is harder than a Speedway GP” as he bids to book his place in the 2023 series in Glasgow on Saturday.

Holder is no stranger to pressure, having recently beaten Great Britain in the FIM Speedway of Nations Grand Final to claim Australia’s first world team title since 2022.

But the FIM GP Challenge is known as the most cutthroat meeting in world speedway for a reason as 16 riders battle it out over 20 rides, with the three top scorers earning the life-changing prize of 2023 Speedway GP qualification.

A podium place would ensure that Holder returns to the sport’s top table next season, regardless of where he finishes in the 2022 Speedway GP standings. Cardiff winner Dan Bewley, Robert Lambert, Max Fricke and Anders Thomsen are also bidding to defend their Speedway GP positions.

They are joined in the meeting by Speedway GP first reserve Andzejs Lebedevs, Danish champion Rasmus Jensen, Swedish champion Oliver Berntzon, Polish Championship joint leader Dominik Kubera, Kai Huckenbeck, Rohan Tungate, Szymon Wozniak, Kim Nilsson, David Bellego, Vaclav Milik and Michael Jepsen Jensen.

With a stellar line up battling it out in Scotland, Holder knows he faces a tough task to guarantee himself a second straight Speedway GP season.

He said: “It’s a meeting which is harder than a Speedway GP, with no semis or finals. You just have to get as many points as you can and hope you are in the top three by the last race.

“You have to score points in every race and have a bit of luck on your side sometimes. Your bikes need to be good. But we will go there and do what we do best. Fingers crossed it all works out.”

Holder is 13^th in the current Speedway GP standings on 44 points after scoring a career-best 12 points at the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff last Saturday. He was gutted to move up just one place in the standings, having been beaten by Leon Madsen and Bartosz Zmarzlik in his semi-final to fall just short of his maiden final appearance.

“I thought I would have bumped up a little bit more than I did,” Holder admitted. “I only went up one place. But it’s only a handful of points to seventh or eighth and it’s getting pretty tight.

“I really wanted to get into the final to get those points back. Dan is up in fourth now and not far off the front three. But it was my best GP yet. Making another semi-final was my main goal. But when everything is going well, you want to get to the final. It didn’t happen, but hopefully next time.”

Having watched older brother Chris win the FIM British Speedway GP in 2010 and 2012, Holder was delighted to pile up the points on his Cardiff debut.

He said: “It was awesome to get the chance to ride in Cardiff. It has always been a dream of mine. I made the semi-final, which is always the main goal.

“I am pretty disappointed I didn’t get through to the final because I was feeling really good, and I felt I could have won if I got there. But there is always next time.”