Youth is the key for Antonio

The Rio Rocket, as the supporters of his British club Poole RIAS have nicknamed him, has youth on his side as he heads into his first World Championship Grand Prix appearance in the Scandinavian GP in Gothenburg.

That will enable the 19-year-old Brazilian-born Swede to ride into a GP arena for the first time without any fear.

There is a lot to be said for youthfulness.

It makes you go to places where otherwise you might not venture. It makes you fear nothing or nobody.

The exceedingly talented Lindback fears nothing. But you wouldn't necessarily notice that when you talk to him.

That's because Antonio, who was born in Rio de Janeiro but raised in Sweden after adoption by his parents Ola and Monica, has impeccable manners.

Manners that mean he doesn't go in for talking up what he wants to do on a speedway bike.

Instead, teenager Lindback, who stars for Masarna in the Swedish Elite League as well, just goes out on the track and tries to leave the opposition trailing in his wake.

The Swedish Final runner-up, who only finished behind the legendary Tony Rickardsson in his third appearance in the event this year at Malilla, has never even attended a round of the GP so far.

Not at Stockholm earlier this season when Leigh Adams won inside the Olympic Stadium. Or in the years before that.

"I have never been to watch a GP meeting live, so this will be the first time ever that I have been to a GP," said Lindback, who began riding speedway on an 80cc bike at Avesta when he was 13.

"Instead," he added, "I've watched the GPs on television at home with some of my friends.

"So the Scandinavian GP will be a new experience for me. It will be my first time ever at a GP.

"Every time I have watched one on television I have thought 'I want to go and try it'. Now I have the opportunity and can try it, see how far I can go in it.

"I have watched most of the GPs this year on television and I do that just for fun. I don't look to see what the riders do, or their managers, I just watch to have a good time.

"When you watch on television everything looks so good. The track looks so good. It is so different to being at a meeting live.

"If you want to know how the track really is, you need to be there. So tonight will be a totally new experience for me."

Lindback, who represented Sweden at senior level for the first time in the Speedway World Cup earlier this month when he helped his country to lift the Ove Fundin Trophy at Poole, has been given a wild card into tonight's event.

He fully deserves it after reaching the World Under-21 Final, which takes place in Wroclaw, Poland, next month, and the Grand Final of the GP qualifiers for next season at Vojens, Denmark, last week.

Lindback, who surprised even himself by winning in Vojens and clinching a permanent GP berth next year along with his fellow Pirates asset Tomasz Chrzanowski, said: "It means a lot to me to be granted this wild card.

"Everything has worked out good for me this year. Everyone has seen me ride and they (the wild card selectors) have given me a gift for going well this season.

"It was fantastic when Tony Olsson rang up to confirm I was in.

"He spoke to me just before to let me know I was in with a shout. Then when he rang to say it was 100 per cent sure I was in the GP, it was really great to hear that."

At 19 and 118 days, Lindback will not be the youngest rider ever to take part in a GP.

That honour falls to Polish star Jaroslaw (Jarek) Hampel, who made his debut as a wild card in the 2000 European GP when he was 18 years and 128 days old.

Lindback, however, is also seen as a possible future World champion, though, so a lot of eyes will be sharply focused on him tonight.

Without a thought about the pressure he could be under, the philosophical teenager said: "I think it can go two different ways. One way everything will work out good, or it can go bad.

"There is nothing in the middle. I will just try my best. I am going in there to just try and see what happens.

"No way will I say I might get 10th place or seventh, I will just go there and try my best, see how it goes and learn whatever I can.

"I also want to see how the other riders do because everyone in the GP is so good.

"Everyone has the best equipment. I just want to see where I am in the world. I want to compare myself with the best."

Lindback certainly faces a baptism of fire. He lines up in his opening ride off gate four outside of Rickardsson, Rune Holta and Ryan Sullivan, who all finished in the top 10 overall last year.

"It's Tony on the inside, then Ryan, Rune and me. Halleujah!" admitted Lindback.

"I can only do my best. I have nothing to lose. If I beat them I have done a really good job. If I get beaten I just have to think about my next ride.

"They are three very good riders. Tony is a great starter, Ryan can do a great start and Rune is a top rider.

"I just need to do my best and see what happens.

"Of course it will be something special for me to make my GP debut in Gothenburg, I can't say anything else about it.

"But I will try to treat it as just another normal meeting. I'll go to do my best and not try to do anything special with my preparation."

One man who believes Lindback has the ammunition to make a big impression tonight is Matt Ford, the man who gave the Swede his first chance to shine in British speedway last year.

Lindback was chased by almost every one of the eight clubs who made up the Elite League then, plus quite a few of the Premier League outfits as well.

Ford, however, had been keeping a watchful eye on the teenager from afar for two years with his Pirates partner Mike Golding.

And it was they who finally bagged Lindback's signature - but not until after the youngster had made an astonishing debut for the Dorset club.

I wrote about fear earlier, and the fact that Antonio doesn't appear to have any.

Well he certainly didn't show any on his first appearance for Poole against Exeter in a British League Cup tie on July 30, 2003.

Lindback turned up at Wimborne Road for the first time in his life and promptly reeled off five heat wins and two second places behind team-mates to scorch to a scintillating 19 paid 21 point maximum.

It was an astonishing performance by a then 18-year-old that immediately had everyone in British speedway talking about him.

It was also an impressive display that saw Lindback become the first rider to score a 21-point paid maximum on his British debut during Poole's 58-32 triumph.

And he also equalled Poole's club record highest score by an individual rider in one meeting that had been held solely by Pirates legend Craig Boyce, the former World number three and Vastervik rider, since 1990.

To think Pirates were formed in 1948 and have run speedway every year since then and no-one else, apart from Boyce and Lindback, has scored 21 points for the club.

Not surprisingly, Lindback was soon snapped up by Ford and Golding. And the youngster has never looked back while riding in Britain.

He helped Poole achieve an Elite League, Knockout Cup and British League Cup treble last year and has already risen from reserve to heat leader for them this term.

It is form that prompted Ford to say: "Antonio won't be overawed when he lines up in the Scandinavian GP.

"He will take to GP speedway like water off a ducks back.

"Indeed, I have to say I am slightly surprised that he didn't get a call up to the Swedish GP in May because he was definitely ready for it then.

"However, he gets his chance at Gothenburg and I believe he will do well there despite having a very tough first heat."

Ford added: "Talk about throwing Antonio to the lions with Rickardsson, Sullivan and Holta inside him in his first race.

"But Anton is not frightened by any names in speedway and has beaten all of those riders this season and will enter the GP with no fear.

"Having said that, it would not be a disgrace if he went out of the event after his first two rides.

"I think, however, that everyone - in particular Poole and Sweden fans - is hoping that he progresses to the main event, and after the form he has shown this season I don't see any reason why he shouldn't.

"Antonio is unique because he doesn't even know the names of riders who rode a couple of years ago. He has no knowledge of names.

"He just lines up against people, not other riders.

"His knowledge of other riders is extremely minimal because Antonio has been riding such a short time himself.

"I recently heard an interview where he was asked who his speedway heroes were when he first started watching speedway and he couldn't name any of the names of the riders.

"That is Antonio all over. He just enjoys racing a speedway bike and it doesn't matter who is next to him on the start line.

"He is just one of those freaks, if you like, on a bike who clearly has more ability than most and they don't come along so often in speedway.

"When they do you have to act quickly to make sure you are ahead of the other promoters trying to sign him.

"He has become a hero with the Poole fans and someone who will write himself into the global speedway record books in the future."

Lindback, who accepts all the praise with genuine modesty, believes his short time with Pirates - he has only just completed one full calendar year on their books - has already made him a better rider and person.

He said: "Riding for Poole has helped me a lot. It has taught me I need to focus more about my racing.

"When I was riding only in Sweden I had my parents to help me.

"But when I am in England they can't help me because they are not there.

"When something happens or something needs doing I have to fix it myself. I can't ask my dad to sort it out.

"I have also learnt a new language, English. That has helped me with my speedway.

"When I am in other countries apart from Sweden or England and I want to speak to someone and I don't know their language, I can usually speak to them in English and it helps.

"Before, my father would have to help me out.

"So going to Poole has helped me out as a human being rather than just as a speedway rider."

Lindback is extremely proud of his parents, Ola and Monica, for their backing as he has tried and succeeded in making speedway his career.

The youngster said: "Mum and dad have always been there for me and helped me with everything.

"They have played a very big part with my speedway riding. I have very much to thank them for.

"They will be in Gothenburg to support me. They will treat it like a normal meeting, just like me.

"They know I will just try and do my best. They will go to the stadium to have a good time. It will be something new for them as well as for me."