So after the blurry eyed, tea and toast fueled, 4am mess that was the inaugural Auckland Speedway Grand Prix, what can we take from it to try and gauge who will perform well tonight in Leszno? Well, not a lot really.

Now I’m all for the progression of the series abroad and I’m sure the logistics of the ‘NZSGP’ were a bloody nightmare to organize, and I know that this Speedway drought of a month is done with the longer term inclusion of an American SGP to fill the gap nicely, but as a result, I do feel properly out of the loop! Looking back, Greg is up top, followed by Hampel and Gollob, it’s kinda like nothing has changed from last season. - None of this is helped by the fact that due to the glorious British Spring weather (rain) I haven’t been able to get anywhere near a speedway meeting since Easter. I’ve got some serious withdrawal symptoms going on. In fact, I’m not typing this from the regular comfort of my oversized office chair, I am in fact currently sat in a dark cupboard, rocking back and forth, smelling a can of methanol and desperately trying to remember what Chris Holder’s purdy face looks like. He’s the albino guy with one arm, right?!

Having been to Leszno a few years ago you’ve got to say that the place is a quality arena for the Grand Prix. The track is huge, the terraces are always packed and the only form of food available is the greasiest, gristliest sausage on a bun combo you will EVER see.

Now I could quite happily write the rest of this post about the sausage. The estimated calorie content, its unequivocal ability to retain levels of grease, hell, we could even try to guess what type of animal the bloody thing is made out of, although having had the product already pass through my lips perhaps it might be better to leave that last one alone. So lets talk grand prix!

When I started writing this I wanted to take an educated punt on who could do well tomorrow night, kinda like a form book. However so far, this read has probably been pretty unhelpful, unless you’re looking to further your knowledge on Polish cuisine.

So the obvious favorites for tonight are the Poles. In fact my sources inform me that not only does Jarek Hampel ride at Leszno, he was also conceived, born, raised and indeed lost his virginity on the track itself, so I think it’s pretty safe to say that the lad is in with a good shout. 

As for the other one, Gollob looked ridiculously fast in NZ. Now either Eddie Kennett lent him a silencer for the night or the veteran could well have the bit between his teeth once again this season. We all know he can do it, and when the mood strikes he’s bloody lethal going into that third bend; so that’s another no brainer for tonight.

But what of third? I loathe myself for saying it but at 10/1, Nicki Pedersen looks like a right tidy bet. Sayfutinov could be another cheeky threat, although I’d love to see Chris Holder, Greg Hancock or Hans Andersen sneaking onto a podium place too. 

As for the rest? Freddie’s not looking quite so hot from what I’ve seen this season, nor Bjarne or Bomber. As for Jonsson, well, I think I’ve got a better chance of growing a full handlebar mustache or, discovering a sustainable cure for genital warts by tomorrow morning than I do of trying to guess how that guy will perform at any event. Carl Blomfeldt, on board or not, I ( and my betting money) am staying well away.

So who the hell is your money on? 

I’ve got it on… Antonio Lindback! I can hear you gasping from here. Why the hell would I do that?! Simple really. In order to be successful on these big Polish tracks you need 2 things, raw power and a fucking massive set of testicles. Despite it being a month ago, if the New Zealand grand prix tells us anything of any vague sort of usefulness for tonight, it was that Lindback and his kit looked bloody fast. In fact, he was probably the only guy that looked anywhere near as quick as Gollob did all night. The lad is sorted financially, much more focused and if he can manage to stay away from those starting tapes, I reckon he could be in for a good night.

All banter/tips/slagging off welcome. POLSKAPOLSKAPOLKSA!!!!!