Monster Energy Speedway: It’s Tonight!

Cycle News Staff | December 29, 2012
Monster Energy World Speedway Invitational

The Monster Energy World Speedway Invitational is now only a matter of hours away – and it’s set to come to a boil.

The Grand Arena at Industry Hills’ Expo Center is ready to stage the biggest speedway race in the U.S. for 25 years, with a whole galaxy of speedway stars ready to take center stage.

All 16 riders took to the 200-meter circuit for a practice session last night, and it gave some of the European guys a shock that’s for sure.

World number six Antonio Lindback was one of the first to hit the shale and he admitted afterwards that it’s just a tiny bit different to what he’s used to sliding on.

“It’s so much smaller than anything I’ve ridden on before, it takes a bit of time to get to know the track,” Lindback said. “It’s over two months since I last got on a bike so to jump on it on such a small track is tough. I had so much fun out there at practice. thoug. I just can’t wait for the main event now. I’m so pumped to get on the start line and I think it’s going to be a great race meeting, for sure.”

As well as entertaining over 4500 people at the Grand Arena on Saturday night, the Monster Energy athletes will get the VIP treatment at Anaheim for the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Race One, which Speedway World Champion Chris Holder is flying in for.

Lindback said; “I’m in America until the 8th of January so I’ll be at the Supercross and I cannot wait for that. I think we’re all pretty excited to see that – it’s so huge. LA is a cool place and the people are so nice. I haven’t been here for long, but already I know that I want to come back to see more so I hope I can be back for 2013 too.

“I love the place and I love the track, so now I am excited to start the meeting.”

2010 World Speedway Champion Tomasz Gollob is another big name to line up tonight, and the tight turns of Industry couldn’t be any more different to the circuits that Tomek is used to back home in Poland.

Gollob made his name as the King of Bydgoszcz, which is a mere 150 meters bigger than Industry, but it didn’t take long for his class to shine through and he will be a contender tonigh.

Now let the racing commence.