KING’S Lynn hand a debut to new signing Jan Kvech as they host Oxford in a big ROWE Motor Oil Premiership clash at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday (7.30pm).
The Czech racer has joined the PSH Environmental Stars to appear in British Speedway for the first time, and he becomes yet another current Grand Prix rider to come into the league.
Kvech takes the place of the injured Michael Palm Toft for the Stars, which means a re-shuffle in riding order as he comes in on an assessed average of 6.00 and lines up in the No.3 position.
The bonus for the Stars is that it moves the free-scoring Patryk Wojdylo back to reserve, with the Pole having proved to be a trump card on more than one occasion in home matches this season.
Stars will be seeking a performance similar to their recent KO Cup victory over Sheffield, especially as a winning margin in excess of four points would also see them take the aggregate point, following their narrow defeat at Cowley earlier in the year.
And just as in that match against the Tigers, Richard Lawson steps in as a guest at No.1 with Tobiasz Musielak now taking time out of British racing as he works his way back to full fitness.
Lynn will enter the meeting with confidence but the Spires, who are newcomers to the Premiership in 2024, travel with a large amount of AFA track knowledge in their ranks.
Key figures for the visitors could well include Lewis Kerr and Erik Riss, the latter at reserve, both of whom have raced extensively for the Stars in recent years, whilst former World No.3 Maciej Janowski spent a season with Lynn back in 2012 and has just begun to show his true form after a tough start to his UK return.
And Oxford, who uniquely field teams at all three levels of British Speedway, are managed by former Stars boss Peter Schroeck who makes his first return in charge of another team since leaving midway through the 2021 season.
Current Lynn manager Rob Lyon, meanwhile, was most encouraged by the recent display against Sheffield, and hopes the inclusion of Kvech provides a further boost with more big matches to come over the weeks ahead.
Lyon said: “Jan is certainly going to make the team much more solid. It allows us to bring Wojdylo back down to reserve, which is a big bonus as well.
“We’ll need to be on song to achieve another positive result. We’ve got Richard in again at No.1 who loves riding here and was excellent last time out. I’m confident we can get the job done.”
KING'S LYNN: Richard Lawson, Niels-Kristian Iversen, Jan Kvech, Nicolai Klindt, Benjamin Basso, Patryk Wojdylo, Anders Rowe. OXFORD: Rohan Tungate, Charles Wright, Lewis Kerr, Maciej Janowski, Chris Harris, Erik Riss, Ashton Boughen.
