AMERICAN ace Luke Becker is making the move to Leicester for the 2024 Sports Insure Premiership season.
The 24-year-old, a protégé of four-time World Champion Greg Hancock, has spent his entire UK career so far with Wolverhampton.
But following the sad closure of the Monmore club, Becker joins fellow ex-Wolf Sam Masters in making the move across the Midlands as he links up with the Watling JCB Lions.
He has long since been regarded as his country’s best hope of securing representation back in the Grand Prix series, and he was ultimately just one point short of booking a place for 2024 via the GP Challenge at Lejonen last summer.
Domestically Becker has ridden for Wolves in the Premiership since 2019 and has improved over that time to post an average in excess of seven over the last two seasons.
He comes in for the Lions on a 7.03 figure despite a somewhat truncated ’23 campaign with two separate injury absences forcing him to miss ten of their first 14 league matches.
Leicester boss Stewart Dickson said: “I’ve never worked with Luke before, but I know he’s got good connections through Greg Hancock with (owner) Paul Cairns.
“Paul and I were both keen to get Luke, and the fact that he has Greg looking over him and keeping an eye on his development has to be a positive.
“He’s young, he’s only 24, and I think he’s only going to get better. I’m not saying he’s just one for the future, but he’s definitely aiming higher.
“He liked the track when he rode here last season and I’m pretty sure when he gets set up he’ll be pretty good around here.
“He was keen to come to Leicester and was very professional to deal with, as the Americans are, and we’ll welcome him into our top five.”
Becker himself is determined to make the most of the circumstances which arose during the course of 2023, meaning that the Wolves riders would all need to find new clubs for the new season.
And he has already enjoyed success this winter with victory in the North American Championship at Bakersfield last weekend.
Becker said: “What happened with Wolves is of course a bummer, but you know what they say – when one door closes, another one opens, and I am excited Leicester is going to be my new club in the UK next year.
“Coming from Wolves, where you have such a good home track advantage, I think Leicester is the closest track in the Premiership to that, and I’m looking forward to getting dialled in there.
“I’ve only ridden at Leicester once and I learned real quick. It is a technical track but I actually really enjoyed the laps I’ve done there so far.”
Becker joins Max Fricke, Sam Masters, Richard Lawson, Drew Kemp and Joe Thompson in the Watling JCB Lions side for 2024, with one place remaining. The signing is subject to appropriate paperwork and BSP approval.
The Lions will announce the final signing this weekend.
