LEICESTER head into the biggest two meetings in the club’s history this week as they face Belle Vue in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final.
The Watling JCB Lions are looking to win the top-flight title for the first time, and the first job comes in Manchester on Monday when they contest the away leg, before hosting the Aces back at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena on Thursday (September 26).
Lions finished three points clear of the Aces in the regular league table, but that counts for nothing in the play-offs – and if the semi-finals are anything to go by, another close encounter could well be in store.
Leicester edged out Ipswich in the last race of their tie thanks to a Heat 15 5-1 from Max Fricke and Sam Masters after the overall scores had been level going into that race.
Meanwhile Belle Vue got the better of leaders Sheffield after establishing a 12-point advantage at home and then defending impressively at Owlerton to secure progression with one race remaining.
This season, aggregate results between the Lions and the Aces have been shared one apiece. In April, Leicester were beaten 51-33 at Belle Vue in a rain-affected meeting before hitting back strongly at home to win 53-37, just missing out on aggregate.
Then in the summer, Lions performed much better in Manchester with Fricke in fabulous form as they went down 48-42, before taking a 55-35 win at home.
Team news sees Ryan Douglas return for Leicester after missing the semi-final with an arm injury, and the Australian has been back on track for practice at Beaumont Park this weekend. Lewis Kerr again replaces shoulder injury victim Craig Cook, which will also be the case in the second leg on Thursday.
Belle Vue have been forced into a change of their own with Ben Cook ruled out due to concussion after a heavy crash at Sheffield.
The Aces have brought in experienced Danish racer Niels-Kristian Iversen, the King’s Lynn captain, to guest – and whilst it’s impossible to say at this stage where the Grand Final could be won or lost, Iversen’s combination with Jaimon Lidsey in the middle order is something the Lions will need to counter with Masters and Luke Becker.
Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “It’s good for us to be going into the Final with a full team of seven riders. We got through the semi-final with rider replacement but I’d far rather have Dougy in the side, so it’s pleasing to have him back, and he’s raring to go.
“Whilst it’s disappointing for Craig to miss out, he does have to be sensible with the injury he had, and Lewi is a rider who we have used on several occasions and who fits in well.
“I know we can’t treat this like an ordinary meeting, it’s a Grand Final, but it will still be the usual story, the usual message – just like at Ipswich a couple of weeks ago, we need to make sure we keep the tie alive for the second leg back at Leicester.
“We need Max to lead from the front like he did the last time we were there, and then it’s about taking the second and third places, especially as there are no tactical substitutes at this stage.
“Everyone is buzzing about it and obviously the chance will be there with the second leg at home, but we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We have to keep the tie alive at Belle Vue first.”
BELLE VUE: Brady Kurtz, Norick Blodorn, Jaimon Lidsey, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Dan Bewley, Antti Vuolas, Jake Mulford.
LEICESTER: Max Fricke, Richard Lawson, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Ryan Douglas, Lewis Kerr, Sam Hagon.
