TWO teams which suffered wildly contrasting starts to the season launch the 2025 ROWE Motor Oil Premiership tonight.
King’s Lynn reached the KO Cup semi-finals after commanding home and away victories over Oxford Spires last week while at the same time Belle Vue were being steamrolled by Ipswich in another quarter-final tie.
Despite the wins the Stars still shuffle their riding order for the visit of the defending champions to the Adrian Flux Arena with skipper Nicolai Klindt lining up in the number two berth while Jan Kvech switches to three.
Ben Cook, a league winner with the Aces in 2024, faces brother Zach, one of the Aces looking to bounce back from Thursday’s 23-67 mauling at Ipswich.
That defeat – and the ten-point first leg loss at the National Speedway Stadium – prompted Belle Vue boss Mark Lemon to demand that his team took a long, hard look at their performances.
Lemon added: “We have had difficult starts in the past. We lost five on the bounce in 2022 but went onto win the Premiership title.
“We just have to work very hard to iron out the issues.”
His Stars’ counterpart Rob Lyon is taking nothing for granted against an Aces’ side which won the corresponding fixture 48-42 in 2024.
He said: “It’s good to get off to a good start, it gives the boys confidence and they start to enjoy their racing which is what it’s all about and we go into the meeting with a bit of confidence.
“I’m sure Belle Vue will come out fighting. They’ve got riders who get around our place pretty well.
“We probably owe Belle Vue one early doors. We beat them here at the end of last season but early on when we met we faltered. We need to put that right on Monday.
King’s Lynn: Ben Cook, Nicolai Klindt, Jan Kvech, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Richard Lawson, Chris Harris, Ashton Boughen.
Belle Vue: Brady Kurtz, Norick Blodorn, Jaimon Lidsey, Zach Cook, Dan Bewley, Tate Zischke, Jake Mulford.
Words by George Dodds.
Images by Taylor Lanning.