LEICESTER hope to get the chance to book a place in the Championship Jubilee League Final when they host Scunthorpe on Saturday (7pm).
It’s the last fixture in the group section for the Watling JCB Lions, but the exact situation will only become clear after the Scorpions have raced at Redcar on Friday.
Glasgow and Poole have already won the other groups, but the Northern section is still between Leicester and Scunthorpe, and the Scorpions will qualify if they avoid defeat at the Ecco Arena.
But if they lose that meeting then the Lions will be able to make it, potentially with a win of any size, or by winning and preventing Scunthorpe from getting close enough to secure a group point.
The visitors track Paul Chapman & Sons Arena specialist Richard Lawson as a guest at No.1, with former Lion Ryan Douglas away racing in the Polish play-offs.
They operate rider replacement for the injured Jake Allen and have signed Anders Rowe at reserve to replace another ex-Leicester man Zaine Kennedy, following his crash at the Eddie Wright Raceway last weekend.
Rowe has been absent from UK racing since leaving the Lions in early June, but is now set to complete the season with the Scorpions.
Leicester track a full-strength side with boss Stewart Dickson electing to juggle his riding order, with Dan Thompson and Connor Mountain exchanging places at No.2 and No.4, whilst reserves Joe Thompson and Max Clegg are also switched.
Dickson said: “The main reason for changing it around is it’s the last chance I’ll have to do anything like that before the really serious stuff starts.
“That’s with absolutely no disrespect at all to Scunthorpe and the need for us to win the meeting, because if there’s the chance for us to make the Final then we want to take it.
“There’s nothing sinister behind it, I just want to see how it goes, and we’re certainly strong enough to get the result as long as we do our jobs.”
LEICESTER: Nick Morris, Dan Thompson, Richie Worrall, Connor Mountain, Kyle Howarth, Joe Thompson, Max Clegg.
SCUNTHORPE: Richard Lawson, Simon Lambert, James Wright, Jake Allen r/r, Tero Aarnio, Adam Roynon, Anders Rowe.
