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Krzysztof Kasprzak

KRZYSZTOF Kasprzak has set a target of 100 points in the Grand Prix this year to cement his place in next season's World Championship.

The Pirates star goes into tonight's European GP, the second round of the current series, at his Polish home track of Leszno (6pm) as one of the favourites to triumph.

A specialist around the 330-metre circuit, he is the track record holder and has been picked out as the rider to watch' by Speedway Star magazine, the sport's bible.

Kasprzak got his debut GP campaign off to a slow start, grabbing six points in Slovenia last month.

But if the former world under-21 champion does reach 100 points it will surely clinch his 2009 place because 91 would have been enough for a top eight automatic re-qualification spot last year.

Kasprzak said: "I want to finish in the top eight, just like all the other riders because it is very difficult to get back into the GP through the qualifiers.

"I want semi-finals in every GP. Nine or 10 points every time because I need 100 points (in 11 rounds) to stay in the GP."

Kasprzak, who had made three wild card appearances before this year, added: "I know the Leszno track and the stadium so there will be more pressure on me than all the other riders tonight.

"They are coming from away and I have a home meeting. It will be more stressful for me because people from Leszno and the fans want my best.

"I hope it will be like last year in the World Team Cup final at Lesz-no when I got 14 points for Poland and we won the cup. I want to make the semi-final at least."

Kasprzak, called up last week by Pirates in place of injured Bjarne Pedersen for a month, believes the extra rides will be good for his World Championship aspirations.

He said: "Not having so many meetings is not so good for me, so it will help me in the GP being at Poole.

"I believe that if you want to be world champion you must race in England.

"More meetings means more time on the track racing, not practising. It is better to race than practice because I can practice any time."

Kasprzak, awarded one of four seeded places into this year's series, is considered by many to be the Polish rider most likely to succeed current GP leader Tomasz Gollob as their top star.

The 23-year-old has already shown his pedigree at top individual level when he finished third in last season's Polish GP at Bydgoszcz behind Gollob and reigning champion Nicki Pedersen.

Bjarne Pedersen, meanwhile, sits out this round and the next one at Gothenburg on May 24 while he nurses a broken wrist.

He hopes to be fit for the Danish GP at Copenhagen on June 14.

Grand Prix points: (after one round of 11) 1 T Gollob 19 pts, 2 N Pedersen 17, 3 H Andersen 14, 4 A Jonsson 12, 5 J Crump 10, 6 L Dryml 9, 7 N-K Iversen 8, 8 G Hancock 8, 9 F Lindgren 7, 10 M Zagar 7, 11 S Nicholls 7, 12 K Kasprzak 6, 13 C Harris 6, 14 L Adams, 15 R Holta 5, 16 B Pedersen 4.

7:00am Saturday 10th May 2008

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