Leicester returns to Wolverhampton on Monday in a re-arranged Elite League ‘A’ fixture.
The original meeting between the teams at the beginning of June was abandoned after one completed race. Drizzle started while the riders were on parade and rain steadily increased and turned into a deluge which forced the second heat to be stopped after Max Clegg fell. A track inspection followed which resulted in the meeting being called-off by the referee.
Wolverhampton, who made the play-offs last season, have fallen short of making a bid for a second successive top four finish due to a home record that has seen the team beaten four times in front of their fans and with a further loss of points following drawn matches against Belle Vue and Poole the Wolves are presently languishing one place above the Rapid Solicitors Lions in the Elite League table.
Piotr Pawlicki returns after illness to the side after missing the Wolves defeat at Leicester last week and the Lions, who are still without Josh Bates following his crash whilst riding for his Premier League club the Sheffield Tigers, have drafted in the Stoke rider Ben Hopwood.
“I am surprised at how the season has turned out for them as most people thought they had assembled a team to at least challenge for the honours this year. For some reason the Wolves have not clicked at home and we have to go there thinking that if our preparation is right I can see us doing well. Wolverhampton is one of Nicolai Klindt’s and Simon Stead’s former clubs and it is Max Clegg’s home track as Cradley ride there so hopefully all three will relish riding at Monmore Green on Monday. Also Jason Doyle scored 12 points for Birmingham there last year, so I think we should be optimistic of a result” outlined the Lions Team Manager, Norrie Allan.
Teams
Wolverhampton: 1. Tai Woffinden, 2. Jacob Thorssell, 3. Peter Karlsson, 4. Lasse Bjerre, 5. Piotr Pawlicki, 6. Joe Jacobs and 7. Tom Perry
Leicester: 1. Jason Doyle, 2. Simon Stead, 3. Mads Korneliussen, 4. Nicolai Klindt, 5. Krzysztof Buczkowski, 6. Max Clegg and 7. Ben Hopwood
