8:47am Friday 10th July 2009
By Ky Capel
WEYMOUTH Doonan Wildcats are on the hunt for a new number one following Lee Smart’s departure from the Wessex Bus Raceway.
The skipper’s future was hanging in the balance after he stormed out of Wimborne Road during the 62-30 defeat to Bournemouth last week.
But team manager Jem Dicken, whose side visit the Rye House Cobras tomorrow night (7pm), has now confirmed Smart’s exit.
He said: “Lee Smart’s left the club. He wouldn’t have been able to ride against Rye House anyway because he’s on Premier League duty with Stoke but he won’t be riding for us anymore and we are now actively searching for a replacement.
“It’s a shame because on the track Lee is one of the best riders in the National League. But one man doesn’t make the team and the rest of the boys are a lot happier now.”
Former Wildcat Jay Herne, who now races for the Bournemouth Buccaneers, will take Smart’s place as a guest rider tomorrow but Weymouth can only use the facility for a limited amount of time.
Dicken added: “I think it’s only for 28 days that you can keep using a guest rider. We’ve been in contact with a couple of riders who could come in on a more permanent basis and we’re waiting for confirmation.”
Smart though is set to line-up at the Wessex Bus Raceway this evening (7.15pm), as he is scheduled to ride for Great Britain Under-21s against their Australasia counterparts in speedway’s version of the Ashes.
Wildcats’ chairman Phil Bartlett is expecting a thrill-ing spectacle.
He said: “This could be one of our most entertaining meetings of the season at Weymouth. There are some hugely exciting riders lining up at Weymouth with several of the National League’s hottest prospects competing.”
Of tomorrow’s National League clash at Rye House, Dicken said: “I am looking forward to collecting maximum points at Rye House, although we will need a much improved performance than the display against Bournemouth last week.
“We are incredibly strong at home and I can see us being unbeaten at the Wessex Bus Raceway this season, but we do need to improve on our travels as we have some very stiff away meetings to come.
“All the boys rode well against Mildenhall last Friday and I would like to congratulate James White-Williams and Terry Day who both scored their first paid maximums.
“If we can continue this form then I don’t see why we can’t stay at the top of the table for the remainder of the season.”
Weymouth’s academy side, the Wizards, will also take to the shale tomorrow evening, as they challenge the Rye House Pocket Rockets following the meeting between the Wildcats and the Cobras.
Tonight
Great Britain: 1 Lee Smart, 2 Mark Baseby, 3 Daniel Halsey, 4 James Cockle, 5 Gareth Isherwood, 6 Aaron Baseby, 7 Tim Webster.
Australasia: 1 Andrew Aldridge, 2 Jake Anderson, 3 Grant Tregoning, 4 Ryan Sedgman, 5 Jade Mudgeway, 6 Dakota North, 7 Shelby Rutherford.
Tomorrow
Cobras: 1 Daniel Halsey, 2 Michael Bovis, 3 Jamie Courtney, 4 Rob Smith, 5 Lee Strudwick, 6 Daniel Blake, 7 Ben Morley.
Wildcats: 1 Jay Herne (Guest), 2 Tim Webster, 3 Matt Wright, 4 James Cockle, 5 Mark Burrows, 6 Terry Day, 7 James White-Williams.
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