British Speedway

NGK-sponsored former World Speedway champion Chris Holder narrowly missed out on taking the British FIM Speedway Grand Prix title.

The Australian finished runner-up to winner Niels-Kristian Iversen of Denmark in the final of the event in front of more than 40,000 fans at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, despite being the top points scorer on the night.
Current World Champion Greg Hancock, who is also sponsored by NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd, who made the semi-finals, scored 12 points and is now in third place in the 2015 title race, 16 points behind current leader Britain’s Tai Woffinden, who finished fourth in Cardiff.


Runner-up Holder was disappointed not to have claimed his third Cardiff victory but his 18 points total at world Speedway’s biggest event has propelled him up to sixth place on 31 points.
After suffering a spate of injuries over the last two years, he was delighted to be back to his best.


He said: "After three rounds, I was nowhere near the top eight. One good round has put me straight back up there. I was sitting right down near the bottom, so getting a lot of points tonight was the plan, and to have a chance of winning is the ultimate.
“Cardiff has been good to me. I’ve had two podiums and two wins, so it would have been awesome to get the win. I’m sure I’ll feel better about getting second tomorrow, but right now I’m not best pleased.”


NGK stablemate and former Cardiff winner Chris Harris endured a tough night, exiting the event on five points.


Among the crowd were Paul and Natasha Cartwright who attended the meeting after Natasha’s sister Mel Cullen won tickets via a competition on NGK’s blogzine at ngktorque.com
Natasha said: “Unfortunately my sister could not get the day off from her catering job so offered the tickets to Paul and me. We are both big Speedway fans and think the atmosphere in Cardiff is amazing.
“Mel is a massive Greg Hancock fan and said I could have the tickets if I gave her a signed poster of Greg which a friend got for me when Greg was on the NGK stand at last week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.”


NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd continues to set the pace 40 years after being incorporated as a UK subsidiary company of Japan and recently introduced a new range of NTK exhaust gas temperature sensors (EGTS) and expanded its ignition coils range.


For more information on NGK Spark Plugs (UK) Ltd and its products and services, please visit the website www.ngkntk.co.uk