LEICESTER are on the hunt for silverware when they head to Oxford for the Championship League Pairs on Friday (7.30pm).
The Watling JCB Lions will be represented by Nick Morris and Richie Worrall in the showpiece event at Cowley which sees all ten clubs competing.
Morris and Worrall combined for a last-heat 5-1 as the Lions gained a thrilling away win on their league visit to the same venue earlier this season.
They have been drawn in Group A which will see them come up against Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scunthorpe and Birmingham.
The Scottish sides have been hit by the absence due to injury of Sam Masters and Craig Cook respectively, whilst the Scorpions include former Lions star Ryan Douglas.
The top two sides in the group progress to the semi-finals, with Group B including big-hitters Poole and several well-matched pairings, although Plymouth’s injury crisis means they field their regular Championship reserves.
Scoring throughout the meeting is 4-3-2-0 meaning avoiding last places is of paramount importance, especially in the knockout stages at the end.
Lions reached the Final the last time the event was staged at Somerset in 2019, but they missed out to Glasgow when former skipper Scott Nicholls was edged out by the Tigers’ Rasmus Jensen.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: “This is a meeting we’re definitely looking to win, and that was always the case even before other clubs suffered unfortunate injuries.
“We’re confident Nick and Richie can do the job there, and I’m sure we’ll have lots of support there on the night so we’re very much looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the meeting are available from https://oxfordspeedway.club/tickets/ but must be purchased in advance.
Supporters not making the trip can access live streaming via the British Speedway Network at https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk .
Finally, a reminder that with the FIM British Grand Prix taking place in Cardiff on Saturday, there is no meeting at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena this weekend.
GROUP A
LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Richie Worrall
EDINBURGH: Kye Thomson, Josh Pickering
GLASGOW: Danyon Hume, Benjamin Basso
SCUNTHORPE: Ryan Douglas, Simon Lambert
BIRMINGHAM: Justin Sedgmen, James Pearson
GROUP B
POOLE: Steve Worrall, Danny King
PLYMOUTH: Ben Morley, Harry McGurk
BERWICK: Chris Harris, Jye Etheridge
OXFORD: Scott Nicholls, Aaron Summers
REDCAR: Charles Wright, Lewis Kerr
