RICHARD Lawson insists Aaron Summers is the pair-fect man to join him for Premier League Pairs title glory.
The Glasgow duo head to Somerset tomorrow hoping to win the competition that the club last claimed in 2011.
And they’ll be bidding to recreate the heroics they regularly produce for the Tigers in heats 13 and 15 at home – once described by team boss Stewart Dickson as “poetry in motion”.
Lawson, 30, who raced in last year’s contest with Nick Morris, said: “I don’t know what happened there last year – I just struggled a bit. Nick was riding really well, so I let the side down. If I’d got my finger out we would’ve done pretty well. I was disappointed about it so I’m looking forward to making up for that.
“Me and Aaron have been riding together for a number of years so I think it was a no-brainer for Stewart to put us together. In that field, there’s probably nobody done more racing together than me and Aaron – so we’ve got to use that to our benefit.”
The Pairs scoring system rewards riders who look out for their partner, meaning that a second and third for the same team beats a first and last.
Lawson said: “I’m confident we can do it – we can team-ride round there absolutely fine. Getting the big points and qualifying is the big thing – chipping in and avoiding those last places.
“But when it comes to the semi and the final, the team-riding comes in big time, because a second and third is much better than a win. If one of us is out front and one of us is at the back, we’ve got to try and slow the race down to help them out.
“Team-riding is about trust and we have ridden together for quite a few years, so I know that if he’s running wide, he’s going to leave the room and vice-versa. I think some pairings aren’t sure where their team-mate is going to go and how much room they’re going to leave.”
Summers added: “With some of the moves we’ve made in heat 13, we know each other’s lines pretty well and can read each other well. It’s definitely a good pairing to have in.
“I’ve not been in the meeting for a couple of years now so I’m definitely looking forward to being in it and doing the best I can. Hopefully we can bring that trophy home.
“It is so fast around Somerset and a lot harder to cover lines – but as long as we work out set-ups we’ll be OK.”
Glasgow are in a group with home favourites Somerset along with Newcastle, Workington and Peterborough.
The top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of those meeting in the grand final.