WEYMOUTH Wildcats have announced their second confirmed rider for 2018 with the signing of teenage star Bailey Fellows.

Fellows, 15, hails from Leicester and will team up for the Wildcats alongside James Jessop, who has already joined Weymouth for next season.

Echosport understands a further signing is due to be announced in the next week as Weymouth look to build a reliable roster of riders.

Wildcats’ co-promoter Martin Peters told Echosport that he was impressed by the dedication of Fellows, with Weymouth announcing his signing over the Christmas period.

He said: “It was a spur of the moment thing to release it like a gift from Santa, it’s something a little bit different.

“I know Bailey through the Youth Championships and he was riding in the same class as Sam (Peters' son). We got on well and became really friendly.

“When I found out he was riding in the 500cc next year I said he needed to be riding for us, and he accepted.

“Bailey is 15 and doesn’t worry about travelling a few hundred miles. For some riders, if it’s not in their back garden they’re not interested.

“It’s having riders who are willing to travel and put in 100 per cent. The previous year it was a little hard at times. This year I hope it will be a little bit easier on us.”

The Wildcats, who often struggled to fulfil their four-rider quota on race days during the 2017 season, are aiming to build a squad of six riders for the upcoming campaign.

Peters said: “If you can have six riders in the team and if everyone is up for riding that would be fantastic.

“We’ll hope to have that team of six, with four riders riding at one time.”

Peters also intimated that Weymouth would be looking towards developing youth next season.

He said: “Bailey will be taking his exams and James is only 17, stroke 18. It’s more what the league is about.

“It’s about having the league and hoping to progress (the riders’) careers in speedway, getting their feet through the door and foot on the ladder.

“Bailey comes from Leicester and he did the same as what we did last year and rode in every single round.

“He doesn’t mind doing the travelling. He did Glasgow, Redcar and all the others, he’s a keen lad. It will be good to have him in the camp and hopefully progress him.”