Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2010 20:41:41 GMT
PETERBOROUGH begin their bid for a third Elite League title on Good Friday morning (11 am).
And it will be a journey into the unknown for most of the Readypower Panthers squad after a rain-interrupted start to the new season.
Peterborough have raced only one meeting so far this season and that was nearly three weeks ago.
Team boss Trevor Swales admitted: “Every rider wants to get time on the track in the early weeks of the season, unfortunately we haven’t had it.
“It’s going to be difficult against Coventry because they have had a lot more action than us – but we have to ignore that and just go out and do the business.”
The Panthers began their campaign in superb fashion with a big win over the 40th Anniversary Select, a side including World Champions Jason Crump and Nicki Pedersen.
Added Swales: “If we ride as well as we did against the big guns then we will be okay.”
Peterborough have been tipped to get into the play-offs and are second favourites with the bookies.
They have a tough start to the season though with an Easter double header against the Bees – the return is at Brandon on Friday night – and then next week they travel down to the South Coast to take on favourites Poole.
Winter signings Troy Batchelor, Lewis Bridger, Krzysztof Buczkowski and Joel Parsons will make their Elite League debuts for the club – while skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen, Kenneth Bjerre and Ulrich Østergaard are back for another stint.
Iversen and Bjerre are the only two riders who have survived a winter cull while their fellow Dane Østergaard returns for the first time since 2007.
While the Panthers have rung the chances there has been very little movement in the Bees’ camp.
British Champion and Great Britain skipper Chris Harris, Lions’ World Cup star Edward Kennett, Australian no. four Rory Schlein, Ben Barker, Filip Sitera and Josh Auty – who won both the Queensland senior and Under 21 titles while racing in Australia during the winter – return.
The only new face is former Panther Christian Hefenbrock who is back in the Elite League after missing out last year.
Bees also have a new team boss in ex-Swindon manager Alun Rossiter who has taken over from Peterborough Director of Speedway and co-promoter Peter Oakes who quit at the end of last season after five seasons in which he helped guide the Bees to six major trophies, including two Elite League championships.
There will be a full second half programme straight after the end of the Elite League match.
Fans will be given their first glimpse of a new class of youngsters who will compete in the first Academy action of the new season.
Six races will be held – three of them for Under 15 riders including current British Champion Robert Lambert, at 11 the youngest ever title-winner.
The gates open at 9.30 am.
PETERBOROUGH: Troy Batchelor, Kenneth Bjerre, Lewis Bridger, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), Ulrich Østergaard, Joel Parsons.
COVENTRY: Josh Auty, Ben Barker, Chris Harris, Christian Hefenbrock, Edward Kennett, Rory Schlein, Filip Sitera.
And it will be a journey into the unknown for most of the Readypower Panthers squad after a rain-interrupted start to the new season.
Peterborough have raced only one meeting so far this season and that was nearly three weeks ago.
Team boss Trevor Swales admitted: “Every rider wants to get time on the track in the early weeks of the season, unfortunately we haven’t had it.
“It’s going to be difficult against Coventry because they have had a lot more action than us – but we have to ignore that and just go out and do the business.”
The Panthers began their campaign in superb fashion with a big win over the 40th Anniversary Select, a side including World Champions Jason Crump and Nicki Pedersen.
Added Swales: “If we ride as well as we did against the big guns then we will be okay.”
Peterborough have been tipped to get into the play-offs and are second favourites with the bookies.
They have a tough start to the season though with an Easter double header against the Bees – the return is at Brandon on Friday night – and then next week they travel down to the South Coast to take on favourites Poole.
Winter signings Troy Batchelor, Lewis Bridger, Krzysztof Buczkowski and Joel Parsons will make their Elite League debuts for the club – while skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen, Kenneth Bjerre and Ulrich Østergaard are back for another stint.
Iversen and Bjerre are the only two riders who have survived a winter cull while their fellow Dane Østergaard returns for the first time since 2007.
While the Panthers have rung the chances there has been very little movement in the Bees’ camp.
British Champion and Great Britain skipper Chris Harris, Lions’ World Cup star Edward Kennett, Australian no. four Rory Schlein, Ben Barker, Filip Sitera and Josh Auty – who won both the Queensland senior and Under 21 titles while racing in Australia during the winter – return.
The only new face is former Panther Christian Hefenbrock who is back in the Elite League after missing out last year.
Bees also have a new team boss in ex-Swindon manager Alun Rossiter who has taken over from Peterborough Director of Speedway and co-promoter Peter Oakes who quit at the end of last season after five seasons in which he helped guide the Bees to six major trophies, including two Elite League championships.
There will be a full second half programme straight after the end of the Elite League match.
Fans will be given their first glimpse of a new class of youngsters who will compete in the first Academy action of the new season.
Six races will be held – three of them for Under 15 riders including current British Champion Robert Lambert, at 11 the youngest ever title-winner.
The gates open at 9.30 am.
PETERBOROUGH: Troy Batchelor, Kenneth Bjerre, Lewis Bridger, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Niels-Kristian Iversen (captain), Ulrich Østergaard, Joel Parsons.
COVENTRY: Josh Auty, Ben Barker, Chris Harris, Christian Hefenbrock, Edward Kennett, Rory Schlein, Filip Sitera.
