LEICESTER look to keep their momentum rolling when they host Birmingham in a big Midlands derby at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, Beaumont Park on Thursday (7.30pm).
The Watling JCB Lions secured a superb away win at King’s Lynn earlier this week to move into the top four of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
And with Oxford, the team they displaced, not racing again until next Thursday, the Lions have a great chance to build a gap over the Spires as they now take on the bottom-placed Brummies home and away.
Thursday’s clash is followed up by a trip to Perry Barr, scene of an away win for the Lions earlier in the season, on Monday.
Given recent results and the fact that the Brummies have only won twice so far in 2024, Leicester will go into the fixtures as strong favourites.
But team manager Stewart Dickson is adamant his side can take nothing for granted with Birmingham having gone agonisingly close to positive results in recent weeks – including a 46-44 defeat at Oxford last Thursday when Tom Brennan was controversially disqualified in the last race.
Brennan has been one of the success stories for the Brummies this season, and they also pulled off a major coup by persuading Swedish superstar Fredrik Lindgren to return to British Speedway back earlier this summer.
Lindgren, the current World No.2, has since taken over as captain and will be making his first appearance at Beaumont Park for nearly seven years.
Elsewhere the middle and lower order has undergone several alterations with Steve Worrall (illness) and former Lion Justin Sedgmen (injury) currently ruled out, whilst Zach Cook lost his team place when Lindgren signed, but he has since been recalled.
The Brummies are without Polish racer Piotr Pawlicki due to a rearranged fixture in his home country, so they will operate rider replacement, and as he has moved up to third in their averages they should not be unduly affected.
Lions will once again have Lewis Kerr guesting at reserve for Craig Cook, and their settled riding order continues unchanged.
Dickson said: “Of course we’ll be expected to win, but it’s not that straightforward. Look at Birmingham last week at Oxford, riding without pressure, and they’ve improved their team. There’s no doubt at all they’ve got a better team now.
“It’s a Midlands derby, we always get a good crowd when they are here and they bring good support, and it’s a big meeting again.
“We can’t take our hand off the throttle because we would just undo all the good work we’ve done at Sheffield and King’s Lynn, so we’ve got to remain professional and keep doing what we’re doing.
“Hopefully the crowd will come out in force because there’s been a real feel-good factor around the place in recent weeks, and if we can get another two points then we’re really cementing that fourth spot.”
Supporters unable to attend the meeting are reminded that the action will be live streamed on Lions TV, passes available from https://www.leicesterlionstv.com/ .
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Lewis Kerr, Sam Hagon.
BIRMINGHAM: Fredrik Lindgren, Piotr Pawlicki r/r, Wiktor Lampart, Zach Cook, Tom Brennan, Michael Palm Toft, Leon Flint.
