STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BLOCKS

Saturday 8th October 2011, 14:55

Polish star Jaroslaw Hampel says he will need a fast start to the FIM Enea Gorzow SGP of Poland tonight if he is to retain the competition’s No.2 race jacket.

The Leszno and Vetlanda racer trails Swedish hotshot Andreas Jonsson by one point in the fight for the silver medal. AJ goes into the decider with 118 points and Hampel holds 117.

The duo meet in heat 18 and this battle could prove decisive in the race for second place.

But Hampel is determined to go into this dogfight with a head-start by piling up the points beforehand.

"I will try to be very smart on the track, make the right moves and collect as many points as I can to secure second place. I know what’s at stake and obviously the stakes are pretty high."

- Jaroslaw Hampel

He said: “When the meeting starts, I need to hit it hard. The first heat will be pretty crucial.

“I need to start at a very high level just to get as many points as possible before I meet Andreas in the last race of the regular session. The early part of the meeting is just as crucial as the end.

“I will try to be very smart on the track, make the right moves and collect as many points as I can to secure second place. I know what’s at stake and obviously the stakes are pretty high.”

Having pushed hard for the SGP gold medal since his return to the competition last year, Hampel is itching to join Jerzy Szczakiel and Tomasz Gollob in the ranks of Polish world champions.

He knows sealing a second silver medal will help him on his route to the top. Hampel said: “No matter where I finish, I try to be the best in every SGP series. You have to be highly motivated and really inspired to get the gold medal.

“All of the GP riders want to be world champion, so it will make me hungrier to do if I have two consecutive gold medals. Getting on top of the tree is the natural way to progress.

“But consistency is the name of the game. You need to ride every Grand Prix at an even level because if you drop out of GPs before the semi-finals, the pressure rises.”

Zielona Gora racer Jonsson may receive a frosty reception at the Edward Jancarz Stadium this evening due to his connections with Gorzow’s deadliest rivals. In contrast, Hampel will be roared on by a capacity crowd and the Lodz-born man says this will make all difference.

He added: “A full house is always what I need. When I have a full house and massive support from the terraces, it makes me even hungrier to be successful. I need a full house to be fully prepared and it always makes me feel better underneath the helmet.”

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