PETERBOROUGH will be looking for local knowledge to play a part when they visit King’s Lynn in the Sports Insure Premiership on Thursday (7.30pm).
The Crendon Panthers will have three riders in their side who were part of the Stars’ squad last season as they face their A47 rivals for the first of two meetings in five days.
Panthers regulars Niels-Kristian Iversen and Richie Worrall were both King’s Lynn riders in 2022, although Iversen had to leave the club after the opening months due to foreign commitments.
Meanwhile Richard Lawson enjoyed an excellent season with the Stars before switching to Leicester over the winter, and Lawson is the rider booked to guest at No.1 on Thursday.
Panthers are also forced into a second change with Rising Star Jordan Jenkins unable to race due to concussion protocols following his crash at Ipswich last week.
Jenkins should be clear to return for Monday’s home fixture against the Stars, with youngster Sam Hagon who rides for Belle Vue in the NDL, stepping in at the Adrian Flux Arena.
King’s Lynn are without captain Josh Pickering due to injury – he also hopes to be back for the return match – and the Stars bring in their long-serving former skipper Lewis Kerr to guest. They also have Panthers’ 2021 title winner Michael Palm Toft racing at No.5.
Peterborough boss Rob Lyon has elected to switch his riding order, with Benjamin Basso moving to No.2 whilst skipper Hans Andersen will now partner Richie Worrall in the middle order.
Basso has been in excellent form for his Championship side Glasgow this season and Lyon is sure the Dane will get back on-track in the top-flight, having shown his ability with a superb win over Danny King at Ipswich last week.
Lyon said: “We know what Ben is capable of, and that race showed it because Danny has been flying all season, he only dropped one point in that match, and that was to Basso – and look how he rode and how he beat him.
“He’s capable of that but he needs to do it on a consistent basis, but at the start of the season we were asking this kid to go in as third heat-leader even with a No.1 in the side.
“It’s a lot of pressure, second season syndrome I call it, so he has been suffering, but he will come good eventually.
“I know things are a far cry from where they were a couple of years ago, but we have to keep battling.”
KING’S LYNN: Nicolai Klindt, Thomas Jorgensen, Frederik Jakobsen, Krzysztof Kasprzak, Michael Palm Toft, Lewis Kerr, Jason Edwards. PETERBOROUGH: Richard Lawson, Benjamin Basso, Richie Worrall, Hans Andersen, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Ben Cook, Sam Hagon.
*PETERBOROUGH Speedway are delighted to be supported by Crendon Timber as team sponsors and City Auction Group and PurpleRock as club sponsors.
