Broc Nicol: I know I have big shoes to fill (interview)

Broc Nicol is making more and more impact on European speedway. In 2020 season speedway rider from the United States was supposed to race in SGB Premiership (Wolverhampton Wolves) and SGB Championship (Glasgow Tigers). Unfortunately due to the pandemic, the leagues were cancelled and our guest had to change his plans.

Nonetheless Broc Nicol did manage to take part in Grand Prix Challenge in Goričan (Croatia) where he finished 13th. After that he secured place in Piraterna Motala team, where he took part in the last matches of the 2020 season in Sweden. These aren’t the only things that we talked about.

Julian Golański (Twój Portal Żużlowy): Despite a chaotic 2020 season you did manage to take part in many speedway events in the USA and Europe, where you have shown good performances, especially in Outlaw US Nationals. How can you sum up this season so far?
Broc Nicol: 2020 season definitely didn’t go as planned, but it was the same case for anyone around the world. I was lucky enough to get the USA spot in the Grand Prix Challenge which brought me back overseas. I then decided to stay over in Europe and got the opportunity to finish the season in the Swedish league where I gained a lot of experience. It also allowed me to stay on the bike. All in all 2020 didn’t turn out too bad for me.

– How did you feel when you received the news about cancellation of the 2020 season in British leagues where you were supposed to ride in Wolverhampton and Glasgow?
– It was terrible news. You spend a lot of time and money preparing to go race your bike and it was all taken away. It was such a bummer because I was really looking forward to having a big season, doubling up in the leagues, and I really wanted to take the next big steps in improving myself as a rider.

– Most of the teams in the United Kingdom want to keep their teams next year. Are we going to see you back in these teams in the 2021 season?
– That is the plan. I was very happy to be with Wolverhampton and Glasgow as they are great clubs. These tracks and fans there had been very good to me. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off and have a good year in 2021.

– Sam Ermolenko and Ronnie Correy are important people for Wolverhampton speedway history. How does it feel to become the next American in the Wolves team?
– It feels great, but I know I have big shoes to fill, so to speak. Wolverhampton is a club I have always dreamed to ride for as a kid. I hope I can become the next big name from the USA, in Wolverhampton speedway.

– This year you have also taken part in Grand Prix Challenge in Goričan. You have put on a fight and managed to beat Max Fricke in one of the races. How do you remember this entire event?
– The event was great. I was so happy when I got the call and was asked if I wanted the spot. I didn’t think twice. I had a couple of decent rides but I still feel I didn’t really show all of my potential. Everybody has some off nights and unfortunately that just so happened to be my off night. I learned a ton though and I will use it all in the future.

– Did you receive any offers from polish clubs before the 2021 season? If offered a place during the season, would you be interested in signing a contract in Poland?
– I hope to be racing in Poland in the 2021 season. They are on top in the speedway world and I would love to be there and further my career. We will have to wait and see what happens.

– In 2020 season we could see more and more American speedway riders performing in various championships, e.g. Under 21 Speedway National Championship. What is your opinion about the future of this sport in the USA?
– They are young kids and some talents are coming up through the youth program in the USA. It could be better, but it also could be worse. I’m happy for the future and I am eager too see when other kids like myself will make the jump across the pond and give it a go. They need to be prepared though. Dillon Ruml is a kid that I feel is ready and I am excited to see what he can do when he will be given the opportunity.

– Me and speedway fans are very interested about the nicknames that we can find on your Speedwaybikes profile: „The Gnarley” and „B-Rock”. Is there any story behind them? How did they come to be?
– There’s not really any story behind them (laugh). I am not a big fan of nicknames but I don’t mind „B-Rock” as it seems pretty common for people to call me that. I believe my neighbor here in the States, started it when I was a little kid.

– You come from a speedway family. Your dad, uncle and cousin were also racing – did you know you wanted to be a speedway rider since youth, or did you have to grow on this sport?
– My dad never pushed me to do speedway or even introduced it to me until I was a bit older. During my childhood I played baseball and raced a bit of motocross. When I was tired of playing baseball, the Hagon Shocks Speedway Academy was starting up here in the USA. So, I gave speedway a try and I loved it. I was 12 at the time. Since then I have just focused on speedway and I don’t look back.