Great Britain racer Dan Thompson says he has no fears about stepping into the unknown in this year’s SGP2 series.
Thompson scored six championship points in the Virkvarn FIM SGP2 of Sweden – Malilla on July 4 – the opening round of the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship series.
The Ipswich and Glasgow star just fell short of the last-chance qualifiers on countback, but Thompson is determined to build on that result in the DeWalt FIM SGP2 of Latvia – Riga on August 1.
Thompson admits the fact he has never competed on any of this year’s SGP2 racetracks is forcing him to learn fast.
But he said: “It’s cool to be part of the SGP2 series. It’s a good thing for me and a good show. It feels great to be here, but it was definitely not the result I was looking for in Malilla, so hopefully I can put in a better one in Riga.
“I haven’t been to any of the SGP2 venues previously, so it is difficult for me to quickly adapt to them. But it is all part of the challenge, and I am up for it.”
Thompson showed real ability to defend his position on the track in Malilla, but he admits he struggled to find the right setup initially.
He said: “It was difficult. It’s obviously tough racing against the best young riders in the world. But I hadn’t been to this track before, and I struggled early on getting used to it and getting a good setup. It was a good experience, though.
“I just struggled a lot for some speed. When I wasn’t in clear space, I was struggling to keep people behind me. But I have learned some good stuff for next time.
“I made some big changes for my last heat, which I was hoping were going to work. But then the rain came down and that completely changed my idea on things. I probably should have done it a few races earlier.”