Performance pleases Piszcz

7:00am Wednesday 7th January 2009

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TOMASZ Piszcz has revealed a carburettor problem forced him to switch to his standby bike shortly before tapes up in the New Year Classic at Poole.

But that just made the Pirates new boy “even more happy” with his polished nine-point sixth-placed performance in his first meeting at Wimborne Road for 54 months.

Piszcz, who will share a Poole Castle Cover reserve berth with Carl Stonehewer this year, fell one point short of a place in the final of the Classic.

However, his notable fighting spirit and determined never-say-die racing attitude from the back went down well with Pirates fans in a healthy winter crowd of about 2,500.

Piszcz, who also line ups for Birmingham in the Premier League this season, said: “It would have been nice to get into the final, but it didn’t happen.

“I had a problem in my last heat when I finished third and missed my chance, and also before the meeting I had to switch from my number one bike.

“We had a carburettor problem and we didn’t have time to change it, so all meeting I had to race on my second bike.

“The track’s shape is not too dissimilar to the ones in Poland, and making the start was very important because it was so slick.

“I’ve seen meetings at Poole on Sky TV though, so I know there is plenty of room to pass. So I feel I can do okay on it.

“It’s going to be a tough job for me because I’ll ride most of my meetings for Poole away as Birmingham are also at home on Wednesdays.

“I don’t know how many meetings it’ll be, but I’ll try 100 per cent to help them win the Elite League.”

Piszcz added: “I was happy with nine points.

“It’s okay because I feel this wasn’t a proper meeting anyway, with it being out of the main season.

“It was the first of the year, and no-one was race fit.

“I’d driven over 2,000 kilometres from my home in Lublin in Poland, so I’d been stuck in my van for a long time while we were driving.

“So you can see why I was happy with nine points.”

• The Rider Equipment Fund organisation stage a horse racing night to raise funds for Pirates riders at Poole Stadium on Wednesday, January 14 starting at 7.30pm.

For more details, contact organisers Stan and Val Vatcher on 01202 691143.