GLASGOW is just two days away from hosting one of the biggest individual speedway meetings ever held in Scotland.
Sixteen of British speedway’s top riders will be in town for the prestigious Championship Riders’ Individual event – featuring representatives from every club in the league.
Big names like Craig Cook – the British Champion and prospective 2018 Grand Prix rider – 2016 British No 1 Danny King and former World No 6 Chris Harris will join home favourites Richard Lawson and Richie Worrall in going head-to-head over 20 qualifying heats, a semi-final and a final.
Edinburgh are represented by Sam Masters and Ricky Wells, while former Tigers Nick Morris of Berwick, Josh Grajconek of Sheffield and Redcar’s Ben Barker are also in the field.
The event is the biggest individual meeting in speedway’s second tier and counts a host of famous names among its past winners, including two-time World Champion and current Grand Prix rider Tai Woffinden, ex-World Championship star Carl Stonehewer and Sheffield legend Simon Stead, who took last year’s title.
Cook and Masters are the only two in the line-up to have won it before.
Glasgow have never had a winner in the event – formerly known as the Premier League Riders’ Championship – and the Tigers duo will have to be at their best in a field described by some as the most competitive ever.
Lawson says that regardless of the result on Sunday, the expected bumper crowd at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium is guaranteed plenty of scintillating speedway.
He said: “Glasgow is a good racetrack. What they’ve done with the banking is great, and they’ve utilised the space they have in the stadium brilliantly.
“Mark my words, for any fans reading this, there will 100% be great racing in this meeting.
“You’ve got number ones from every team right through the field and there are no easy heats. Everyone wants to win it, so it will be an amazing event – I can’t wait.”
The meeting starts at 3pm.
The full line-up for the event is: 1. Steve Worrall (Newcastle), 2. Charles Wright (Redcar), 3. Michael Palm Toft (Scunthorpe), 4. Ricky Wells (Edinburgh), 5. Danny King (Ipswich), 6. Nick Morris (Berwick), 7. Chris Harris (Peterborough), 8. Josh Grajczonek (Sheffield), 9. Kyle Howarth (Sheffield), 10. Craig Cook (Workington), 11. Richard Lawson (Glasgow), 12. Sam Masters (Edinburgh), 13. Richie Worrall (Glasgow), 14. Rory Schlein (Ipswich), 15. Ben Barker (Redcar), 16. Jack Holder (Peterborough).