Everything ready for tapes up for another British Speedway season

When the clocks go forward in late March, this is always a sign that another Speedway season is on the horizon.

After most sides’ press and practice day last week in the brilliances of sunshine, the cold snap we have experienced has hit us and the season looks to be starting in more acclimatised conditions.

British speedway consists mainly of two divisions of the sport. The Premiership is the top league in the sport with the Championship the second tier.

The top tier of the sport, the Premiership, will consist of just six teams this season but will still be as competitive as always.

Belle Vue, welcome back Max Frike from last season but have lost the services of Dan Bewley who has decided to only ride in Poland and Sweden.

British rider Charles Wright, who won the British Final on this track last season, is another rider who will be looking to kick on this campaign.

Young British rider Tom Brennan returns to the National Speedway Stadium and will be a big asset for the Aces.

Ipswich welcome the services of experienced rider Jason Doyle who is back riding in Britain again and it’s a big coup for the Witches. A slow starter last season, who improved as the campaign unfolded was Troy Batchelor. If he gets going early then he will certainly score regular points for Ipswich.

The Witches have also booked Anders Rowe and Danny King for the season ahead. King is a very consistent rider who is always banging in steady high scores. He has been at Foxhall Stadium for many seasons and knows the track inside out.

King’s Lynn on paper look to have good strength in depth. Niels Kristian Iversen knows this track well and looks a huge acquisition for the Stars.

Richie Worrall and Josh Pickering should go well around this circuit. Lewis Kerr is another dependable rider and with Richard Lawson, who is a very experienced rider, this side could surprise a lot of people.

Dubbed Days Army, Peterborough Panthers with their old guard are always a threat. When you have riders of the calibre of Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls and Hans Anderson, you would expect a side that will be up at the top.

Ulrich Ostergaard was unfortunately injured last season, but he loves the track and now back from injury should be back in the points.

Panthers have signed Ben Basso from Championship side Poole Pirates. He is a rider that looks to have a bright future in the sport.

Last season Panthers scored consistently from numbers 1-7. If this carries on again this campaign, then the old boys could still be at the top flying the flag.

Sheffield Tigers have Jack Holder leading the way after he has just been promoted into the Grand Prix.

Tigers once again have turned to an old campaigner in the shape of Craig Cook. Kyle Howarth is another rider who loves this circuit.

The Sheffield based side have recruited Tobiasz Musielak who was at Swindon for a while. This track should suit his style of riding.

Wolverhampton Wolves are extremely difficult to beat around their own track at Monmore Green. Visiting sides tend to struggle around the rack so Wolves will be looking to pick up a lot of points on their own patch.

Sam Masters, Nick Morris and Ryan Douglas are quality riders who should pick up consistently high points. Steve Worrall has made the move from Lancashire to the midlands to ride for Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton have also picked up two good young riders from Championship clubs in Drew Kemp and Leon Flint.

The second tier of British Speedway is known as the Championship. This season the league will consist of 11 sides with last season’s double champions Poole Pirates the side to beat.

Unlike most teams who pack their side with riders who go well around the home shale, Berwick Bandits have gone in the opposite direction by putting together a side who should thrive on away tracks.

Ricky Wells and Jye Etheridge always gate well. Along with the experienced Ty Proctor and Chris Harris available they should be competitive this season. Bandits also have signed Leon Flint and it will be interesting to see how well he goes around this track.

Birmingham Brummies on paper appear to be a side that would look for a mid-table finish as a success. Last season riders struggled badly with the track, but if they can get the track right this season that will benefit their line-up.

Brummies have picked up Adam Ellis for this campaign and along with Claus Vissing and Stefan Nielsen, this will give them valuable points scorers.

Edinburgh Monarchs will look to Sam Masters as their main points scorer for the season ahead. Josh Pickering is another rider who should deliver. The side have recruited unknown Lasse Fredriksen and with the exciting Paco Castagna available who should help Monarchs pick up wins both at home and on the road.

On paper, Glasgow Tigers appear to have a very strong side. Getting Ben Basso from Poole is a big statement from the club. Along with high class riders in Tom Brennan and Danyon Hume they will be a match for anybody on their day.

Tigers will also have Ulrich Ostergaard back from a back injury. He was riding magnificently last season before the injury. But if he can come back fully fit then he will be a big asset for the Tigers.

Leicester Lions will look to Nick Morris, Richie Worrall and Kyle Howarth as their main points scorers this season. Anders Rowe, if he can score consistently is another who should go well for the Lions.

Lee Complin returns back into the saddle for Newcastle Diamonds after a break from racing. Bradley Wilson-Dean will have to bear the pressure of riding as a No. 1 rider for Diamonds, but it is a task that he should relish.

It is such a pleasure to say that Oxford speedway are back racing again after a long time out of the sport. The Cheetahs have recruited well this season with two big names in their line-up. Scott Nicholls and Troy Batchelor. The Oxford side have signed Cameron Heeps, who on his day can beat anybody.

A massive blow to Plymouth Gladiators was the departure of Edward Kennett. It will be difficult to replace him as he knew the difficult track so well. However, they do have track specialists in Alfie Bowtell and Ben Barker. Having Hans Andersen as their No. 1 rider will be crucial in the success of Plymouth this season.

Last season’s champions will once again be the side that everybody will be wanting to beat. Pirates have recruited well by signing Richard Lawson to replace the departing Rory Schlein.

Danny King, Stevie Worrall and the Cook brothers, Ben and Zach are powerhouse riders who should score points on a consistent basis. A new reserve rider Drew Kemp is another  who comes with a good pedigree.

The top three of Charles Wright, Erik Riss and Lewis Kerr are as good as any of the league’s top guys.

If their reserves Adam Roynon and Jason Edwards can get in the mix with points, then Redcar Bears will be a dangerous side to face.

Scunthorpe Scorpions will once again rely on the services of Ryan Douglas. A rider who come the end of the campaign should be high on the list of team’s points scorers. Along with Jordan Palin, Zaine Kennedy and Tero Aarino, they have the making of a good side.

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