GLASGOW’S top man believes that smart riding will be the key to success as he bids for Premier League Riders’ Championship glory at Sheffield today.
Tigers No 1 Richard Lawson, along with captain Aaron Summers, is bidding to become Glasgow’s first winner of the title in the modern era.
The duo face one of the toughest fields seen in the meeting for years, with five World Cup finalists lining up at Owlerton.
But both are looking forward to the test and insist that they can challenge for the spoils if things go their way on the day.
Lawson made the final of the event two years ago and hopes he can go all the way this afternoon. He’s been tipped in the speedway media to make at least the semi-finals due to his gating prowess.
The Cumbrian said: “I had a nightmare there last year, so I want to put that right.
“I do like Sheffield. I’ve had plenty of meetings around there – it’s a big, fast track – so I’m up for it.
“With the quality of riders out there, if you can get ahead of them from the start it’s definitely an advantage. I’ve always enjoyed the starts and it’s something I’m good at.
“You do need a lot of luck on your side but you need to have sensible races in there and stay in the top two of each race – that can normally see you through to the semi and it gets serious then.
“It’s a long meeting and you’ve got to plan ahead. You have five rides and the heats can be pretty spread out, so you’ve got to plan what changes to make and it’s quite different to a league match.
“You’ve got to get your thinking cap on and get your bike dialled in, and ride smart.”
Australian Summers has been in the championship before, but says he’s in a much better place now to compete than he was a couple of years ago.
He said: “We pushed hard at the start of the season and managed to make it in there.
“I’ve done different things on the engines just to make them that bit quicker. I’ve got another one coming back ready for the PLRC so I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully we can make something of it.
“I was in it a couple of years ago and I wasn’t quite ready for it then, but now there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be ready for it, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”