When the Rapid Solicitors Leicester Lions begin their season with a challenge match on 22nd March at the Jordan Road Surfacing Stadium they will have one of the youngest riders in the Elite League at reserve in Max Clegg.
The Yorkshire born-racer, who will not turn seventeen until April, is one of twenty British Riders who have been identified by the Under-21 Team GB bosses, Phil Morris and Neil Vatcher, as part of a fast-track development programme to assist their progress.
Clegg, who is upbeat about the prospect of racing for the first time in the top tier of British Speedway had this to say: “It’s a good rule as it will give me valuable experience so early in my career and to be able to watch and learn from the top riders is an added bonus. I had heard that there was a new rule coming in and I was out with some friends one night and someone posted on Facebook ‘welcome to the Lions’ so I rang my Dad to ask him if he knew anymore and he had just received a telephone call from Alan Jones to confirm the news that I had a place at Leicester. I was really pleased as I have heard it is a very good club to ride for and I just want to thank David Hemsley and Alan for having the confidence in my ability” commented Clegg.
The teenager first hit the headlines after finishing second in the 2011 British Under-15 Championship and a year later Max broke into the National League at Scunthorpe where he performed well against more senior riders. Last season he was an important person in the all-conquering Dudley team that scooped five National titles and Clegg improved his match average from 4.54 to 6.27. “It was an awesome year riding for Dudley and I could not have asked for a better club to ride for in the National League. I started off at reserve but worked my way up into the main body of the side and that is where I will line up again this year in the team” added Clegg.
On his previous visits to Leicester, the Lions rider has performed well and was unlucky not to finish with a medal in the Midland Development League Riders’ Final at the stadium in September. In the qualifying heats Clegg started slowly with a third place and a second but then added three wins to his total which earned the Dudley rider a place in the last eight. Clegg won his semi-final but in the final the youngster crashed and was excluded from the re-run.
