TROY Batchelor insists that he is ready to provide a few headaches for his rivals in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix this season.

The Swindon Robins captain is set to hit the track in the opening GP in Warsaw on Saturday (tapes up 6pm UK time), kicking off his second full campaign in the world’s premiere speedway series in front of a crowd expected to be the biggest in GP history at the 58,000-plus capacity Stadion Narodowy.

The 27-year-old’s preparation for the race couldn’t have been rockier, with the Australian suffering concussion and knocks to his shoulder and ribs in his fall during the Robins’ season-opener against Poole Pirates.

But Batchelor says that he’s back fighting fit and, after getting some practice runs under his belt with his Polish team Rybnik, the Swindon man is ready to make his mark on the GP.

“My head has been a bit fuzzy and my whole side has been black and blue but I had a good week off and I’m feeling fit now,” he said. “I’m just thinking about the positives. I did a bit of practice in Poland on Tuesday and I’m ready for Saturday.

“It’s going to be a great one to race in. I think the GP is sold out and the stadium has got a roof, which means the weather won’t be a problem because it’s forecast for rain over there.

“Last year, I was the newcomer but there’ll be a few guys out there this year that are the newcomers and I’ve got to be the one that uses the experience of having raced in the series already.

“They might get caught out by a few little things but I’ve got to make sure that I don’t.

“I don’t just want to compete. It’s a tough series but I want to go out there and win races.”

Batchelor finished ninth in the GP series last term and missed out on an automatic return to the championship but was handed one of the wildcards on offer.

His best result to date was his second-placed finish in round six in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June last year.

In September, Batchelor again made the podium in Denmark, with a third place finish.