‘I don’t mind a challenge’ – Tai Woffinden happy to chase than be chased in Speedway Grand Prix world title fight

Tai Woffinden has revealed he has no problem “chasing” in the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix as he prepares for the third race of the season in Prague.

The three-time world champion is looking to build on his semi-final place in the last race in Warsaw, Poland as he hunts down championship leader and favourite Bartosz Zmarzlik who currently sits top of the standings.

“I want to win a world title every year as we start the season,” Woffinden told Eurosport. “That’s the goal. And you know, I can’t see anyone in the championship having any other goal than that.

“So yeah, we will just keep pushing forward. We did some interviews at the start of the year, and every single rider said they would rather chase than be chased. And I’m chasing, so [I’m] looking forward to it.”

There was a marked improvement a fortnight later in Poland where he secured 10 points and a semi-final spot – although he missed out on a place in the final.

The 31-year-old currently sits 10th in the overall standing but is aware of how quickly that can change with a good performance in the Czech Republic.

“The start of the season hasn’t gone how I wanted it to go,” Woffinden added. “And the first round was quite tough, I wasn’t in a good position in the championship.

“And then the goal in Warsaw was to go out there and push forward and climb up the ladder. And that’s what we did. And that will be the plan for the rest of the year. And so we’re at the top.

Asked what the reason was for the disappointment in Croatia in round one, the Brit remained cryptic with his response but admitted “changes” had been made that impacted his preparation and performance.

“Yeah, I know exactly what it is. But I don’t want to say it because it will just cause me problems,” he said.

“Last week [In Poland] it was a good effort at working our way up. And because of the changes that we’ve made, I’m kind of on the back foot a little bit, and I’m kind of learning on the job. Whereas normally you would have had like a month of preseason to figure everything out.

“It’s just a little bit more challenging, but I don’t mind a challenge.”

His history in Prague is one that ought to provide encouragement ahead of this year’s race.

On the way to his maiden world championship in 2013, Woffinden won his first SGP at the Marketa Stadium, repeating the feat in 2014 and 2015.

Woffinden admitted his love for the city both on and off the track but was is also aware that his past success is no guarantee of future glory.

“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “We always go with my wife and daughters. Before we had the kids, we used to go out there every year. So it’s a place that we enjoy being. We’ll be there on Thursday, about lunchtime, chill out for a few days and then go racing.

“[It’s a] track that I’ve got good memories of but for me, it doesn’t matter about the history of what I’ve done there.

“Every year is a new year and new challenges, and we go there with a clean slate.”

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