Tuesday 7th August 2012, 12:40

Polish racer Jaroslaw Hampel admits he may not return to the World Championship fold until the FIM Scandinavian SGP in Malilla on September 8 as he look set to sit out Terenzano and Cardiff.

The Lodz-born racer suffered a broken leg in the FIM Dansk Metal Danish SGP in Copenhagen and series first reserve Martin Vaculik took his spot in Gorzow and Gorican.

Hampel is happy with how his rehabilitation is progressing and can now walk unaided. But he has no intention of jumping back into the white heat of SGP competition until he is ready.

Asked if the FIM Fogo British SGP on August 25 was a realistic comeback date, he said: “I’ll think about Cardiff a few days before, but not really.

“Before I start in a big event like Cardiff, I need to have a few practices. I need to sit on the bike again, do a lot of practice laps and I need time to feel comfortable on the bike again when I race. I want to race 100 percent when I start in these big events.

“In every single race, you have to fight for every single metre on the track. You need to feel good on the bike. That’s why I want to wait a bit longer.

“When I get the green light from the doctors, I’ll sit on the bike again and go 100 percent.

“I don’t know how many practices I’ll need before I can go as well as I did before my crash.

“There are many questions and sometimes you don’t know the answers. But there’s not so big a chance of me starting in Cardiff.”

Hampel will be gutted to spend Saturday night watching the FIM Fogo Italian SGP from his home near Pila, rather than competing. But he takes heart from his strong recovery.

He said: “The leg is getting better. It’s really good now. I have a lot work behind me and there are still a lot of things in front of me to do. But it’s really, really good. When I spoke to the doctors, they were really, really impressed because everything is looking much better.

“I think I need to work on the foot a bit more, but it’s getting better. I’m doing different exercises and I’m having treatment for four or five hours every single day. I’m doing a lot and it’s pretty hard work, but I’m feeling the good results.

“I can walk by myself now and I don’t need to use the crutches. I just need to make the foot stronger – then I can think about sitting back on the bike.”

With Hampel not likely to accrue any more SGP points until September, it seems his only chance of racing in next season’s competition will be getting a wild card from organisers BSI Speedway and the FIM.

Having won World Championship silver in 2010 and bronze last year, the Leszno and Vetlanda man is desperate for another crack at the gold.

Hampel, who is currently ninth in the standings on 46 points and 16 adrift of the top eight, said: “When I look at the point situation in the Grand Prix, I’m behind eighth place a little bit. I’m missing the next one and probably Cardiff, so it’s going to be really hard to get in the top eight.

“I’d like to get the wild card if I need that because I’ll be ready again before the Grand Prix next year.

“I’ve taken one step back, but maybe next year I can go two steps forward. I’ll be ready to race again and think about getting a good position and a medal.”

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