• Aussie Rules

    Forcefield Sponsored Australian champion Chris Holder won his first ever World Championship round after scrapping his way through a fiery FIM British Speedway Grand Prix in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

    The 22-year-old defeated world champion Jason Crump, new series leader Jaroslaw Hampel and Danish hotshot Hans Andersen after powering away from the tapes in the final.

    The Poole, Torun and Lejonen star admits he was taken aback by a raucous, record-breaking 44,150 crowd, but showed no sign of nerves on his first appearance in the Welsh capital.

    He led Rune Holta, Tomasz Gollob and Nicki Pedersen home in his opening race and went on to accrue 10 points from his five heats. This was before he stormed through his semi-final, before sealing his landmark victory – a win that left the Sydneysider struggling for words.

    He said: “I’m stoked to be here and I honestly can’t believe it. It was a bit of blur and I can’t remember how I got there, but I did.

    “What happened tonight was unreal. Even on the track walk when there were just a few thousand people, I heard the atmosphere and knew it was going to be a good one.

    “On the parade lap I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was a pretty intense sort of feeling.

    “I got the win in heat one, which was awesome for me. I plugged my way through the heats and made two good starts when I had to.

    “I honestly didn’t think that was possible and I don’t have the words for it. I’m stoked that it happened. I’ve got no words – I’m so happy.”

    12/07/2010 08:50:00