A National Development League match between the Armadale Stellar Devils and the Berwick Grant Henderson Tankers Bullets heralds the start of the speedway season at Armadale, weather permitting, on Friday (tapes-up 7.30pm).
It is the 26th season of speedway at Armadale, the longest continuous period of any venue at which the shale sport has been staged in Scotland.
Bullets finished an honourable second in last year’s league and the team look well matched with strong, relatively experienced heat leaders and some good young prospects. Theo Pijper’s elder son Ace makes his debut for Bullets and Dutch-born Theo is a former Edinburgh Monarchs captain.
Auchterarder-based Willie Lawson, now 35 and a former world under-21 finalist, and Josh Embleton are welcomed to the Devils side and new captain Tom Woolley (pictured by Nigel Duncan) sad: “It was a good set of lads last year so having most back is good.
“Adding Willie and Josh is good as well. Everyone knows how good Willie is and he is a real coup for us. Josh had an excellent practice day, and he looks like he will get dialled into Armadale quickly so he will be a good signing as well. If we all get dialled in, we can surprise a few folk this year.”
Devils’ team manager Alan Budzynski added “Bullets have certainly put a strong team together with some big hitters in the heat leaders department, but our lads are all confident that they are up to the task of sending the Bullets home empty-handed.”
Friday’s match will be Live Streamed. Details on www.edinburghmonarchs.co.uk
STELLAR DEVILS: Danny Phillips, Josh Embleton, Tom Woolley (capt), George Rothery, William Lawson, Gregor Millar, Lewis Millar
GRANT HENDERSON TANKERS BULLETS: Kyle Bickley (capt), Kieran Douglas, Ben Rathbone, Greg Blair, Luke Crang, Mason Watson, Ace Pijper
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