UNDECIDED about 2009, but full of praise for the Evening Star Witches, Jarek Hampel will make his decision on his British future in the next few weeks.

Mike Bacon

Happy with England -

but will Jarek return?

By Mike Bacon

UNDECIDED about 2009, but full of praise for the Evening Star Witches, Jarek Hampel will make his decision on his British future in the next few weeks.

The 26-year-old Pole, currently on a family holiday in Egypt, admitted England 2008 saw “a lot of good things happen” for him, in an Ipswich Witches side that qualified for the play-offs.

And he admits it is John Louis he will speak to first regarding his 2009 plans at an Ipswich club he has come to know as his English home.

“I am as yet undecided what exactly to do next season,” Hampel said.

“When I get home to Poland, I will think very hard about it and I will speak to John Louis straightaway.

“Of course I am thinking very much about riding in England and with the security Ipswich offer then Ipswich is the club I will talk to first.

“The road from Stansted to Ipswich is now easier for me and overall I really enjoyed my time in England. I was sorry to miss a couple of meetings, but only one was really my fault.”

Hampel however has missed out on a Grand Prix wild card in 2009, something he could have expected to get had not two Poles, Grzegorz Walasek and Sebastian Ulamek, grabbed two of the three places in the GP Challenge at the end of the season.

That meant four Polish riders were already in the series, a fifth one was never going to happen.

It must have been a big blow to Hampel, who could have almost been guaranteed one of the four wild card spots after his impressive showings when given an opportunity in the series and World Cup in 2008.

“Yes, it was disappointing of course it was,” Hampel, who has been enjoying plenty of diving in the Red Sea, added.

“But as soon as the two Polish guys got the final places, I knew I didn't have much chance, there was no way five Polish riders were going to be in the 15 riders guaranteed a place.”

Hampel has many supporters at Foxhall who would like to see him back in 2009, but much will depend on the points limit for next year and the decisions to come out of the BSPA annual conference.

Mike.bacon@archant.co.uk