ZAGAR SITS OUT BRUMMIES' EASTER MONDAY DOUBLE-HEADER

Birmingham has confirmed Slovenian star Matej Zagar will sit out their double-header with Belle Vue on Easter Monday due to visa issues.

Zagar is racing in Britain for the first time since 2022, but his comeback season has been paused while the situation is resolved.

With the club only permitted to recruit a guest with an average of up to 75 percent of Zagar’s figure, Lewis Kerr set to cover for him at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday lunchtime, with Dan Thompson replacing him at Perry Barr for the evening match.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Rowe Motor Oil Premiership side’s CEO Nigel Tolley said: “Matej has been riding on a temporary visa whilst his permanent one is approved – this is standard practise. It is valid for one month and has now expired.

“Matej’s application for a visa has been in progress since February but, inexplicably, has not yet been issued. Process times are quoted as being three weeks and no reason has been forthcoming for the delay. We have been chasing daily. All other Birmingham riders have all been processed in plenty of time. We very much look forward to Matej rejoining the team when his elusive visa is issued.”

Elsewhere in the Premiership, former Great Britain Under-21 star Dan Gilkes has replaced Sam Hagon as Leicester’s rising star.