Iversen keeps momentum

Niels-Kristian Iversen has won the chance to cement his FIM Speedway Grand Prix place for 2014 after triumphing in the SGP qualifying semi-final at Holsted on Wednesday. Iversen, who won the Italian SGP on Saturday, continued his wonderful week after dropping just one point on his way to 14 and he will line up in the GP Challenge at Poole on August 24, where the top three riders earn full-time World Championship berths for next season. Former Grand Prix rider Kenneth Bjerre also delivered the goods in his homeland after finishing second with 12. Ukrainian racer Aleksandr Loktaev bagged third place. He won a run-off with Daniel Nermark after they tied on 11 points. They are joined at Wimborne Road by former Poole riders Krzysztof Kasprzak and Przemyslaw Pawlicki, plus current Pirates racer Tomas H Jonasson after all three notched nine. Polish hotshot Piotr Pawlicki defeated Finland's Timo Lahti in a run-off for eighth spot after they finished on eight points apiece. But the younger of the Pawlicki brothers will only join his sibling in the Challenge as first reserve after Team Great Britain international Edward Kennett, the lone Lion in the semis, failed to qualify on four. If a rider from the host nation does not qualify for the field of 16, the staging federation receives a wild card pick from the FIM, as Croatian racer Jurica Pavlic did at Gorican last year. It is unclear which Brit will be nominated. Danish star Hans Andersen, SGP regular Matej Zagar, World Under-21 champion Michael Jepsen Jensen, Martin Smolinski, Vaclav Milik, Maciej Janowski, Troy Batchelor and Jurica Pavlic are confirmed qualifiers from the Lonigo semi. SCORES: 1 Niels-Kristian Iversen 14, 2 Kenneth Bjerre 12, 3 Aleksandr Loktaev 11+3, 4 Daniel Nermark 11+2, 5 Krzysztof Kasprzak 9, 6 Przemyslaw Pawlicki 9, 7 Tomas H Jonasson 9, 8 Piotr Pawlicki 8+3, 9 Timo Lahti 8+2, 10 Peter Kildemand 7, 11 Andzejs Lebedevs 5, 12 Ales Dryml 5, 13 Tobias Kroner 5, 14 Edward Kennett 4, 15 Dakota North 2, 16 Viktor Golubovski 1.

Source: http://www.fim-live.com/en/media/news/news-detail/article/1375945637-iversen-keeps-momentum/

Bob Anderson Chris Anderson