Swindon trio earn GP places (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon trio earn GP places

6:00am Monday 2nd July 2012 in Speedway By Ned Payne

SWINDON will have three representatives at the Grand Prix Challenge in September following qualifying semi-finals at the weekend.

Three meetings were held across Europe on Saturday with the Robins’ Hans Andersen and Peter Kildemand racing in Lonigo and Troy Batchelor in action in Divisov.

Five qualifying spots were up for grabs in Italy and the Czech Republic respectively while a further five were taken in Vojens, Denmark.

Batchelor, who has recently made an explosive return to form for the Robins with 28 points in two meetings, started the day off well but securing 10 points and the fifth qualifying spot in Divisov.

Later, Andersen achieved the same feat at Lonigo with 11 points, and Kildemand won a run-off with Ben Barker to snatch a reserve berth in Gorican, Croatia on September 29.

“I’m very pleased for them,” said Robins team manager Alun Rossiter. “It’s good for them and good for Swindon, if they are racing well then that’s fantastic.

“I’m just hoping they can carry it on because it makes life a lot easier when things are going right.

“Peter looked like he was slightly unlucky, but he won the run-off so that was good.

“Hans seems quite vibrant at the moment and I’d like to think the atmosphere at Swindon is playing a part in that.

“People forget that Troy had a nasty motocross accident in the winter and another crash with Kozza Smith, and it took him a while to recover, but now you can see the old swagger coming back.

“I feel justified in bringing him here in the same way I did with Hans and Peter.”

RESULTS Divisov result: Ales Dryml 12 (after run-off), Krzysztof Kasprzak 12, Peter Ljung 11, Martin Vaculik 10, Troy Batchelor 10, Krzysztof Buczkowski 9 (after run-off), Kenni Larsen 9, Kjastas Puodzuks 9, Joonas Kylmakorpi 8, Chris Harris 7, Andriej Karpow 7, Jurica Pavlic 6, Mads Korneliussen 4, Filip Sitera 4, Kenneth Hansen 2, Jozsef Tabaka 0, Oliver Allen (DNR).

Lonigo result: Antonio Lindback 12, Leon Madsen 11 (after run-off), Martin Smolinski 11, Matej Zagar 11, Hans Andersen 11, Peter Kildemand 10 (after run-off), Ben Barker 10, Nicolas Covatti 9, Magosi Norbert 8, Danny King 7, Sam Masters 6, Mattia Carpanese 6, Grzegorz Zengota 5, Szatmári László 1, Piotr Protasiewicz 1, Aleksander Conda 1, Daniel Gappmaier 1 (reserve), Emiliano Sanchez 1 (reserve).

Vojens result: Niels Kristian Iversen 14, Michael Jepsen Jensen 12, Davey Watt 11, Grzegorz Walasek 11, Adrian Miedzinski 10, Mikkel B. Jensen 10, Dennis Andersson 9, Tomas H. Jonasson 8, Renat Gafurov 7, Przemyslaw Pawlicki 7, Linus Sundstrom 6, Kiril Cukanov 4, Ryan Fisher 4, Timo Lahti 3, Kevin Wolbert 2, Tero Aarnio 2, Simon Gustafsson (DNR).

l Meanwhile, plans are in place for the return of second half racing at Swindon.

The Robins hierarchy are keen to keep one eye on the future and a series of short format meetings will be held at National League standard between Swindon, Oxford and Reading.

Swindon will be led by club asset Darryl Ritchings, who is currently riding in the National League with Dudley Heathens.