Speedway: Zabik wants to serve Panthers with a smile
KAROL Zabik believes wearing a smile will be the secret to finally enjoying a run of success in British speedway.
KAROL Zabik believes wearing a smile will be the secret to finally enjoying a run of success in British speedway.The Polish charger is determined to make 2010 his best-ever Elite League season as he returns for a fourth spell in Peterborough Panthers colours.
The former World Under 21 champion has endured a catalogue of problems in his previous stints on these shores including broken promises from a former promotion back in the title-winning term of 2006, being sacked and re-hired within the space of 24 hours in 2008 and then a serious illness to his mother which forced him to miss most of last year.
Throw in a long-standing dispute with his Polish First Division side Ostrow which was only resolved just before Christmas and it is clear Zabik has had a rough ride.
But that is now all behind him and the 23 year-old's only concern is a happy future - for both him and Panthers.
Zabik, who will start the season as a second string on a 4.56 average, said: "Speedway is a simple sport. I'm ready for the new season and my confidence is better than before.
"I have had quite a hard time but I just want to forget about it. It is about looking forward and focusing on my skills and what I can do.
"I know I can do a lot better than before if I can go into it with a clear head and reach certain targets.
"I don't want to be a rider who has ups and downs, I don't want to score 15 or 13 points one night and the next time score nothing. I want to be on the level which I can be and I know I can be.
"I love Peterborough, I love the club, I have had a lot of help from the club and from the people around the club.
"I love to see the fans happy after our wins and I want to see that this season.
"I'm proud to be a Panther, all winter I have been telling myself I could be a part of it again and I had a big smile when I knew I was going back.
"I have got a lot of friends over there, if they can help me they do so and if I can help somebody I am willing to do it as well.
"I'm living with a nice family in Peterborough, they make it lots of fun for me and I'm proud and happy I can spend time with them."
And this season Zabik intends to dispel the myth that Polish riders - groomed on the seriously big and fast circuits in their homeland - can't do the business on the technical tracks that litter the Elite League.
He feels sure he can get round tight places like Eastbourne, Lakeside and Wolverhampton to good effect.
But Zabik is adamant he won't make the mistake of placing himself under far too much pressure again.
There will be no bold boasts of what he is going to achieve and no setting himself up for a fall.
Zabik added: "People always think that Polish riders can't race on small tracks properly but I have proved sometimes that I can ride them just as well as the biggest tracks.
"I know I can do it and I know I can score points and if I can do that I will be happier in my own mind.
"If you want to be a top rider you have got to be able to race everywhere and that's my aim. You can't be saying I can't race on the small tracks, you have to be good everywhere.
"In the past I have made myself targets that are too high and if I wasn't making the targets I would get too low and I didn't have a smile on my face.
I don't want to put myself under pressure, I want to race with a smile on my face, speedway is something to enjoy.
"It's not just a job, I love doing it."
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Thursday 29 July 2010
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