Speedway: Clutch problem woe for Chris in Croatian GP (From Bournemouth Echo)

Speedway: Clutch problem woe for Chris in Croatian GP

2:07pm Sunday 29th August 2010 in

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CHRIS Holder endured clutch problem despair as he bowed out of the Croatian Grand Prix in the semi-final at Gorican today.

Pirates’ spearhead had amassed seven points from his opening four rides in front of a sell out 7,500 crowd inside the Stadion Milenium and looked like he would add more in his final qualifying outing.

But as he lined up at the tapes just before the start of the race, he suffered clutch problems which led to his bike uncontrollably jumping up into the tapes.

Referee Wojciech Grodzki had no option but to exclude the Aussie, whose seven points still enabled him to progress into the semi-final.

But the mishap meant he missed out on a better choice of gate and, consequently, finished last behind a fired up Chris Harris, Fredrik Lindgren and Jarek Hampel.

Holder slipped one place in the overall GP standings to seventh with 73 as he chases a top-eight spot to automatically re-qualify for next year’s series.

Greg Hancock, who reeled off five barnstorming race wins in Gorican, pipped Harris in the final to storm to Croatian GP victory and the American’s stunning 22-point performance lifted him above Holder into sixth overall.

Reigning world champion Jason Crump was third and Lindgren fourth as Tomasz Gollob hung on to his overall GP lead on 117, with Jarek Hampel second on 110, Crump third on 107, Rune Holta fourth on 82 and Kenneth Bjerre fifth on 81.

Poole Castle Cover’s other rider at Gorican Davey Watt, making only his second GP appearance, grabbed two seconds and two thirds as he got six points, agonisingly missing out on a semi-final place on count back.

Earlier, Holder had began brightly, gating well off four to battle strongly with Crump for first place on turns one and two in heat four.

Crump just edged ahead on the back straight, but Holder tucked in behind and held off surging challenges from Watt and Bjerre to finish second.

Lindgren cut off Holder’s run superbly going into bend one in heat five, relegating the Aussie to last coming off the second turn.

Holder battled inside Holta into third, but couldn’t catch Magnus Zetterstrom in second as Lindgren roared on to victory.

Watt made it two third places in a row when he dived inside struggling Gollob into third in heat seven.

Then the Aussie cleverly cut up the inside of Jonsson and Hans Andersen on the second bend to follow Holta home in second in race 10.

Holder hit the front in heat 12 but was passed on the outside by a sizzling Harris on the fourth turn.

Then the Pirate, struggling to find the right line, saw Hancock flash past him on the inside as he had to settle for third and, like Watt, four points from his opening three outings.

Holder didn’t make the same mistake again when he blasted out in front in race 14 and powered on to a comprehensive victory over Nicki Pedersen, wild card Jurica Pavlic and Andersen.

Watt ran a last behind Hampel, Tai Woffinden and Zetterstrom in heat 16 after being outgated by all three, but the Aussie saved the best to last, storming past Pedersen and Lindgren to follow Harris home in race 17.

It meant Watt finished on six points, the same as he amassed at Cardiff in July on his GP debut, as a semi-final place slipped away on count back.

Holder couldn’t hide his frustration as he suffered clutch problems, which propelled his bike into the tapes, seconds before the start of heat 19 and he was excluded by referee Wojciech Grodzki.

It meant the Aussie, who flung his hands up in the air in despair, finished on seven points, although it was still enough to book him a semi-final outing.

But the mechanical problem probably cost Holder valuable points.

And he paid dearly when he got last choice of gate in the heat 21 and, consequently, going off the troublesome trap three, was squeezed out going into the first bend and finished last.

Croatian Grand Prix Qualifiers: Chris Harris (3-2-3-3-3) 14, Greg Hancock (2-3-2-3-3) 13, Jason Crump (3-3-2-2-3) 13, Fredrik Lindgren (3-3-2-1-0) 9, Tomasz Gollob (1-0-3-2-3) 9, Jarek Hampel (0-0-3-3-1) 7, Chris Holder (2-1-1-3-exc tapes) 7, Rune Holta (3-0-3-ret-0) 6, Kenneth Bjerre (0-3-0-1-2) 6, Tai Woffinden (0-2-0-2-2) 6, Andreas Jonsson (2-1-1-exc unfair riding-2) 6, Davey Watt (1-1-2-0-2) 6, Magnus Zetterstrom (1-2-1-1-1) 6, Jurica Pavlic (0-2-1-1-1) 5, Nicki Pedersen (1-0-0-2-1) 4, Hans Andersen (2-1-0-0-0) 3. Reserves: Matija Duh (0) 0, Joszef Tabaka dnr.

Referee: Wojciech Grodzki (Poland).

Ht 1: Lindgren, Andersen, Gollob, Woffinden.

Ht 2: Holta, Hancock, Pedersen, Hampel.

Ht 3: Harris, Jonsson, Zetterstrom, Pavlic.

Ht 4: Crump, Holder, Watt, Bjerre.

Ht 5: Lindgren, Zetterstrom, Holder, Holta.

Ht 6: Crump, Harris, Andersen, Hampel.

Ht 7: Hancock, Pavlic, Watt, Gollob.

Ht 8: Bjerre, Woffinden, Jonsson, Pedersen.

Ht 9: (re-run) Hampel, Lindgren, Pavlic, Bjerre.

Ht 10: Holta, Watt, Jonsson, Andersen.

Ht 11: Gollob, Crump, Zetterstrom, Pedersen.

Ht 12: Harris, Hancock, Holder, Woffinden.

Ht 13: (re-run) Hancock, Crump, Lindgren, Jonsson (excluded unfair riding).

Ht 14: Holder, Pedersen, Pavlic, Andersen.

Ht 15: Harris, Gollob, Bjerre, Holta (retired).

Ht 16: Hampel, Woffinden, Zetterstrom, Watt.

Ht 17: Harris, Watt, Pedersen, Lindgren.

Ht 18: Hancock, Bjerre, Zetterstrom, Andersen.

Ht 19: Gollob, Jonsson, Hampel, Duh, Holder (excluded tapes).

Ht 20: Crump, Woffinden, Pavlic, Holta.

Semi-final Ht 21: Harris, Lindgren, Hampel, Holder.

Ht 22: Hancock, Crump, Gollob, Holta (fell).

Final Ht 23: Hancock, Harris, Crump, Lindgren.

Overall GP standings: (after eight rounds of 11) 1 Gollob 117, 2 Hampel 110, 3 Crump 107, 4 Holta 82, 5 Bjerre 81, 6 Hancock 75, 7 Holder 73, 8 Harris 72, 9 Lindgren 65, 10 Andersen 64, 11 Jonsson 61, 12 Pedersen 55, 13 Zetterstrom 52, 14 Woffinden 37, 15 E Sayfutdinov 33, 16 J Kolodziej 12, 17 Watt 12, 22 P Protasiewicz 5, 25 L Madsen 3, 36 A Mroczka 0.