The Breedon Aggregates Lions have completed a deal with Jari Mäkinen who joins the club next season on loan from his parent track King’s Lynn.
The former Under-21 Champion of Finland impressed onlookers after finishing second highest scorer for the World Select team in October at the Beaumont Park Stadium and Mäkinen’s performance earned the twenty-one year old another invite to participate in the Pride of the Midlands Individual event the following week.
In that meeting Mäkinen was joint top of the leader-board with eventual winner Patrick Hougaard after each rider had completed two races but the night ended prematurely for Leicester’s latest signing when he crashed heavily in his fourth appearance and injured his collarbone. Leicester’s team manager Jason Attwood had seen enough over the course of the two meetings to make enquiries about his availability for next season and said: "Kauko brought Jari to my attention back in September and said he was coming over to ride wherever he could, wishing to put himself in the shop window for next season. Kauko said he'd been impressed with Jari’s improvement back in Sweden, where he rides for Rospiggarna. We gave him the opportunity in the World Select side on 8th October where he beat Jan Graversen and Josh Auty in his first ride which was impressive! A week later in the Pride of the Midlands meeting he won his first two races beating the likes of Nicolai Klindt, Ty Proctor and Ricky Ashworth which proved to me he'd be a great signing for 2012. I've kept in touch with him since then and I was pleased to announce at the Leicester Speedway Supporters’ Club re-launch event tonight that Jari will be the third member of the 2012 Lions team".
Last season Mäkinen rode in his home country for Sand Blowers from Hyvinkaa and along with the Lions captain Kauko Nieminen the duo helped Swedish club Rospiggarna reach the Play-off Final where they beat Smederna. Mäkinen rounded off the season with fourth place in Finland’s National Individual Championship Final and had this message for Lions fans: “I'm really happy to sign for Leicester. I enjoyed riding in those two meetings I did there at the end of 2011 and that really made me want to ride for them. I will do my best for the club and hopefully we can have an awesome season together”.
Mäkinen will renew acquaintances with Jan Graversen, who three weeks ago signed a new contract to ride for the Leicester Lions next season. Both rode for Mildenhall in 2008 but Jari’s season ended abruptly after twelve appearances when he sustained a dislocated ankle and broke a bone in the lower part of his leg in a meeting at Reading. The Fin returned in August 2009 and rode in six meetings for the Somerset Rebels.
With last week’s news that Jason Attwood has agreed terms to continue in his role as Leicester’s team manager, David Hemsley has announced the appointment of Alan Jones to the role of Co-promoter of Leicester Speedway. Alan has worked alongside David since October 2009 in helping him develop the business aspects of running a speedway club and has fulfilled many of the duties of a co-promoter in an unofficial capacity during the course of the season.
Hemsley said: “Alan brings a wealth of expertise from his previous involvement within the sport and his business acumen has helped me a great deal. Along with Jason Attwood, the three of us have worked closely together during the season and we all bring different skills to the table that complement one another when difficult decisions are needed to be made”.
