HUNGRY Nicolai Klindt is gunning for Jack Holder’s number-one spot at Pirates.

The popular Dane, who starred in Poole’s SGB Premiership title success last year, believes he can get even better.

And although Holder, Brady Kurtz and Josh Grajczonek will start 2019 with higher averages, the 6.61-rated Klindt has his sights firmly set on the spearhead role.

Asked about his targets, Klindt told the Daily Echo: “Definitely to be number one. I was at three or four for the majority of last season and fulfilled those positions more than well enough.

“My main goal is to be number one and I’m capable of it. Even though I only had half a season last year, in those meetings I was the Poole rider who scored the most points.

“Coming off the back of a great year, I believe I can still get better.

“I am in the autumn of my career but when you get older, you tend to get wiser.

“The priorities I’ve had in the past regarding my racing, such as training and the ways I’ve chosen to go about things, haven’t always been the right way.

“But I’m much more mature now. I wouldn’t say I’m a better rider, just a better person. I have more confidence in my ability to perform.

“I’m 30 but feel at the beginning of a new career. I believe I have loads more to come.

“I’m not the full package but learning from my mistakes will make me a better rider.”

Klindt has felt the full force of criticism on social media in the past but the Poole asset says he now has a much thicker skin.

He said: “Loads of people said I was no better than a reserve, which is true when you look back at my form.

“It does make you want to prove people wrong and show I am better than that.

“In the past, I have let some comments go to my head, even though I didn’t want them to affect me.

“I have worked hard mentally over the past year and a half and stuff like that doesn’t both me in the same way as it did before.

“The main difference now is I want to prove myself wrong, not other people.

“You are riding speedway because you love it and because you want to win, not because you want to win for other people.”

Klindt will be in the Poole area this month so any parties interested in discussing sponsorship with him should email klindtracing@live.com.

The former Wolverhampton man would like to thank his sponsors – County Crest Pallets, Bell’s Decor, Wessex Marine, Carnival Flowers, Meridian Lifts, Hunt & Ellis, Heavy Plant Services, ATPI, Kirkland Carpets, Paul and Elise, Rock Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Teng Tools, NEB Engineering and JHR Race Engineering.