BRAZILIAN-born Antonio Lindback is set to become the first black rider to race for Pirates in the 56-year history of the club.

The stylish teenager has made a big impact in Sweden this season in the Elite League for Masarna and in the Allsvenskan League for Gasarna.

And Poole co-promoters Matt Ford and Mike Golding, who have had their eyes on the rider for the best part of two years, have invited him to line up for Poole Meridian Lifts.

Lindback will make his debut for the Dorset club at home to Exeter in the British League Cup on Wednesday.

The Swedish Under-21 international, who rides alongside Tony Rickardsson, Leigh Adams, Gary Havelock and Magnus Zetterstrom at Masarna, comes into the Pirates team at number six.

He will ride off an assessed new foreigner average of 4.50 and takes the place of his compatriot Daniel Davidsson in the Exeter meeting.

Davidsson has other continental commitments next week but remains in Poole's British League Cup squad.

Despite being Brazilian-born, Lindback has Swedish nationality after being adopted by Scandinavian parents while he was a child.

It is believed he will become the first Brazilian-born rider to race in Britain and one of only a handful of black riders to compete in speedway in this country since the sport began in 1928. Pirates co-promoter Matt Ford said: "We have asked Antonio over to ride one meeting for us.

"We spoke to him last year but he wasn't ready to come across to the United Kingdom at the time because he was having his first full professional season in Sweden.

"He is flying over to take part in Leigh Adams' testimonial at Swindon next Thursday and due to Daniel Davidsson's racing commitments in Europe we had a team spot available to Antonio.

"It has given us the chance to blood him into racing in this country in a fixture in which he can test his form on another British track, hopefully without too much pressure.

"He has ridden very well for Sweden in the three Under-21 internationals they have just had against Great Britain in this country and we feel that he has a great future in the sport.

"This gives us a chance to get a rapport going with Antonio and give him a chance to get to know us here at Poole.

"It is a good way to introduce him to club speedway over here and British speedway in general without the full commitment of a contract.

"We look forward to Antonio riding next week when he will be mounted on Leigh Adams' bikes after Leigh very kindly agreed to lend him some equipment for the night."

Lindback scored six paid seven from four riders for Sweden Under-21s in their 49-41 reverse against Great Britain at Reading.

He top-scored for Sweden with 12 from six rides in a 57-33 defeat at Wolves and joint top-scored with eight paid 10 in a 52-37 setback at Wimbledon.

The last black rider to race in Britain was Paul Muchene, a junior who rode for Oxford and Hackney.

Sadly, he died after a track spill at Hackney in 1989.