Thursday 9th August 2012, 07:54

Slovak racer Martin Vaculik admits it will feel like Christmas has come early if he gets the chance to line up in the FIM Fogo British SGP at Cardiff on August 25.

The series first reserve makes his third World Championship appearance in the Italian Grand Prix at Terenzano on Saturday night, where he covers for Polish star Jaroslaw Hampel, who remains out with a broken leg.

The Leszno favourite admits he is unlikely to return for the Millennium Stadium showpiece and is targeting a comeback at the FIM Scandinavian SGP in Malilla on September 8.

This would open the door for Vaculik to get a dream date in the Welsh capital and, while he is keen to see his Vetlanda team mate Hampel return to full fitness, Vaculik would love the chance to strut his stuff on world speedway’s grandest stage.

The Tarnow rider said: “I really want to do this because it’s the biggest event in the speedway world and some day, I want to race at Cardiff. I want to feel the atmosphere, see the stadium and I love it when there are a lot of fans.

“I like it when I can put on a big show for the fans and show them some big fight.”

Many riders feel the intense pressure that comes with riding in Cardiff’s cauldron of noise. But given that would only be standing in for Hampel, Vaculik knows he could just enjoy his big night.

“It’s a dream for me,” he said. “I don’t feel any pressure – it’s a present for me like when it’s Christmas and a small child gets a toy car. Racing in the Grand Prix at Cardiff is a present for me.

“There’s no pressure on me – it will just be a happy and lucky day because I really want to be there. I don’t know how well I will race, but I’ll try my best and enjoy it because I love having a lot of fans there, I love a good atmosphere – it’s cool. I cannot wait.

“I’ll try and score some points and I’ll see if I can be in the semi-final. I promise I’ll do everything I can on the track for the fans and put on a big show – this is what the people and fans want.”

Vaculik debuted in the Grand Prix series with a sensational win in Gorzow, before missing out on the semi-finals in Gorican on countback with eight points last time around. Despite that disappointment in Croatia, he cannot wait to continue his SGP education at Terenzano.

He said: “I hope I’ll be luckier there. If I have some points, it will be cool for me. I’ll try my best and see what happens.

“Later I watched my meeting from Croatia on TV and I can see I made a lot of mistakes in the races. I’m learning and that meeting was a very cool school for me.  I’m learning something more and I hope it will help me at the GP in Italy.

“I’ve been there two times, but it’s not my very favourite track. It’s the same for all the riders, though. I’ll try my best. I’ll try and put on a good show for the fans in the stadium and the people watching on TV. I want to show them my best side.”

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