COLUMN: 'I don't care if people don't like me!'

Nicki Pedersen is helped back into the pits after his first heat crash in the meeting with Ipswich. Photo: David Lowndes.

Nicki Pedersen, three-times world champion, was the biggest signing of the winter, but he had an unhappy debut on Monday night, crashing, hurting his back and hand, before completing a lap in the defeat against powerful Ipswich.

Here he talks about when he first signed for the Panthers, the two sides of his personality, what drives him on at the age of 45, how injuries won’t stop him racing and what will make him hang up his kevlars and helmet.

Pedersen said: “I still remember the day I first signed for Peterborough. It was in 1994, I was only 17 and I did a second half meeting, won a few races and I signed a contract on a table on the centre green.

Nicki Pedersen crashes out of the Monday night meeting at the East of England Arean. Photo: David Lowndes.

"At that time I was doing an apprenticeship so I had to stay in Denmark for another four years before I could come to England and in 1998 Panthers went down into the Second Division and I was given a nine point average and that’s why I had to sign to ride for Newcastle instead.

“I never regretted it because I have never regretted anything I have done, that’s my DNA.

“I wouldn’t regret having done things any other way. Throughout my career I did it my way which was a problem sometimes for other people, but success is only going to happen if you do it your way.

"If you want to make people happy all the time or do it a different way to what you want, it doesn’t work.

“I’m a kind person off the track, but on the track I am there to do the business and that’s to score points for the team and myself. I have always tried to keep it like that.

"When I meet people they see me as a different person which I like. I’m not trying to convince everyone to be friends with me.

"I’m an honest guy and if people don’t like me I don’t care. I’m not the same person off the track as I am on the track.

“I learnt many years ago never to say never, but I did not think I would come back to race in England. I was close a couple of years ago. It nearly happened with Sheffield, but when Covid come they cancelled the season.

“I do not want to retire because of a bad injury. I want to retire when I can’t beat the youngsters any more, not because of what a doctor says or because of injuries.

“When I have laid in a hospital bed I have always wanted to come back.

“There’s no issues. I have bolts and nuts, everything in my pelvis, and my groin can be sore, but it’s getting better and better. All I need now is to get race fit. I’m a racer. The day you don’t want to race any more, that’s it.

“Sometimes you are unlucky in speedway and the injuries haven't really been my fault, they just happened. They have just been racing incidents. I do need to look after myself, I’m mature and this year I need to make the start!”

Panthers are back in action at the East of England Arena on Easter Monday (April 10, 7.30pm) when it’s local derby time against Premiership newcomers Leicester with ex-Panthers’ favourite Chris Harris.