TONIGHT'S Speedway Grand Prix curtain raiser was prematurely ended after 12 heats amid fears for rider safety and a flurry of online criticism.

Reports emanating from Warsaw, Poland, claimed riders no longer wanted to compete on a poor racing surface following falls for Poole Pirates star Chris Holder and Troy Batchelor, as well as a close call for world champion Greg Hancock.

With all riders having completed three races the result, which sees Matej Zagar lead the way with eight points, stands. 

Holder and Pirates colleague Maciej Janowski endured tough starts with the latter aggrieved when the tapes appeared to shoot up unevenly, stifling the Pole's gate as he picked up nothing from his opening heat. 

Holder also scored zero in his first race before the Poole duo went head-to-head in heat seven, Janowski taking advantage of Hancock hitting a rut in the track to take second as Holder came last.

There was more woe for the 2012 world champion when an uneven patch in the surface threw Holder into the air fence on the last lap of heat 10. The result stood as race-winner Jarek Hampel had already crossed the line.

Janowski was set to bring up the rear in heat 12 but bagged a point when Troy Batchelor suffered a spill.

That, however, proved to be the last action in front of an unhappy 50,000-plus crowd.