LEICESTER captain Max Fricke says the motivation will be high to go one step further in 2025 and win the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership title.
Fricke led the Watling JCB Lions to the Grand Final against Belle Vue last year after a spectacular run of form saw them soar up the league table, before overcoming Ipswich in a dramatic play-off semi-final.
But their title hopes were effectively dashed when they suffered an 18-point defeat in the first leg of the decider in Manchester before the Aces sealed the deal in the return fixture.
In an in-depth interview published in this week’s Speedway Star magazine, Fricke says with the vast majority of the 2024 line-up returning to the Hydroscand Arena, Beaumont Park, it’s a chance to keep the momentum going.
He said: “We want to try and improve on that this year. It’s nice to be in the Final but of course we always want to win it.
“We came up short last year, but it was a great effort from everyone and we’re going to keep pushing again this year.
“From a team atmosphere point of view, we all get on great. We all work well together in the pits and we’re willing to help each other out and hopefully it creates a few extra points to get us across the line in a couple of tough matches.
“Over the last two years since the club returned to the Premiership, they have made some great steps forward. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of that.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time there so far and hopefully we can keep the good times rolling.”
Fricke saw his winter racing curtailed by a knee injury in the second round of the Australian Championship, which has required rest and rehab over the last two months.
He’s recently been involved in a pre-season training camp in Spain with his Polish Ekstraliga club Grudziadz at the start of a busy year which also sees him back in the Grand Prix series as a full-time competitor.
Fricke and the remainder of the Lions team will be back on track at Leicester on Thursday March 20 at around 6pm during press and practice, and he is also named in the line-up for the Ryan Douglas Testimonial meeting which opens the home season on Saturday March 22 (4pm).
*For the full interview with Fricke, this week’s Speedway Star magazine is available to purchase at https://www.speedwaystar.net/store/magazines - or subscribe online.
