BASSO MAKES KING'S LYNN SWITCH AS LYON RETURNS

Former FIM SGP2 rider Benjamin Basso has completed a switch to King’s Lynn for 2024, as Rob Lyon returns as Stars team manager.

Basso has spent the past two seasons with Peterborough, but with the club losing its East of England Showground home to a planned housing development, Panthers owner Keith Chapman has brought the Dane to his other British track.

Meanwhile, after leading Peterborough’s popular Dad’s Army side to the 2021 Premiership title, former Great Britain team manager Lyon is back at the club he first led into the top flight in 2011.

He said: “I’m delighted to be back with King’s Lynn Speedway, it has always been a place close to my heart and we had plenty of good times here in the past. We are building a team which we believe will be very successful for the coming season, and the aim is to bring some trophies back to King’s Lynn.

“Benjamin showed what he can do during his two years with Peterborough and there’s plenty more to come, especially with the experience he now has, so it’s great to have him with us and it’s a positive start to the team.

“While it’s good to be back, I must also say again how sad it is for the sport to have lost Peterborough for the time being. 

"It’s a fantastic club with great supporters, and I do hope it can return in the near future.”

Elsewhere, Sheffield have added British racer Kyle Howarth and Aussie star Josh Pickering to their star-studded top three of triple world champion Tai Woffinden and brothers Chris and Jack Holder.

Tigers team manager Simon Stead said: “It was a bit of a no brainer to include both Kyle and Josh. They are two really popular guys who are adored by the Sheffield supporters and they’re both fully committed speedway riders who never know when they’re beaten.

“If I was asked who my rider of the play-offs was, I would have to pick Josh Pickering. He rode his socks off and his ultra committed riding style makes him very entertaining to watch.

“He has got a really infectious personality, he’s an outstanding team man both on and off track and he is a real asset to us as a club.

“As for Kyle he’s the backbone of Sheffield Speedway, he’s a mainstay of our club and he’s part of the furniture at Owlerton now. He’s a real solid, reliable performer both home and away and I felt he rode well in several different positions in the team this season.

“These two have got Sheffield at heart and to be able to have them as ‘backup’, if you like, for our top three should mean we are genuine contenders once again next year.”