WOLVES top gun Freddie Lindgren was left fuming after he was controversially excluded from heat 13 of his side’s 57-35 defeat at Poole on Sunday afternoon.

WOLVES top gun Freddie Lindgren was left fuming after he was controversially excluded from heat 13 of his side’s 57-35 defeat at Poole on Sunday afternoon.

The Swede led his team’s resistance to a powerful Pirates side with 12 points from five outings, including a tactical ride victory. But his tally could have been more.

He was chasing Poole star Bjarne Pedersen for second spot in race 13 and when the Dane slowed at the start of lap three, Lindgren made a powerful surge up his inside.

The pair collided and Pedersen hit the deck, before the Dackarna rider was excluded by referee Craig Ackroyd. While Lindgren is the first to admit he made contact with the Pirate, he feels the Indianerna racer caused the crash.

He said: “The referee made a stupid decision to exclude me in heat 13. There was contact but it was not my fault.

“Bjarne and Chris Holder tried to team ride, but messed up big time. Bjarne just slowed down; he almost stopped coming into the corner. He tried to come on the inside but I was already there. I was already going to pass him. I really don’t want him to do that to me again.”

The pair renewed hostilities in Poland on Monday, when Lindgren’s Ekstraliga championship-winning Zielona Gora side visit Pedersen’s newly-promoted Tarnow.

Lindgren admits Polish hotshot Grzegorz Zengota’s move out of the reserve berths will not help his side’s chances of success this term. But the Grand Prix rider hopes former world champion Greg Hancock can help him put the club back on top again this year.

He said: “We’re the defending champions and the pressure is going to be on. Zengota has gone from junior to senior, so we’re missing one reserve compared to last year. But I still think we look pretty strong.

“Greg should bring many points, I hope. He’s a good guy and it would be great if he can give me some of his experience this season.”

With reigning champions Wolves standing a decent chance of reaching the Elite League play-offs again and Dackarna firm favourites for the Swedish Elitserien crown, Lindgren could be set for another glorious league campaign.

Zielona Gora are likely to be among the front-runners again in Poland and there is a chance Lindgren could complete a hat-trick of league title medals across the three countries.

The Swede said: “I’d love to make it a triple this year but it’s really tough. I’d take one or two – that would be good enough.”

speedwaygp.com