THE Wightlink Warriors American-style handicap speedway fixture planned this evening (Thursday) at Ryde's Smallbrook Stadium is set to go ahead — albeit in a slightly amended format to previous seasons.
Warriors’ co-owner Barry Bishop explained: “Our management team have encountered unprecedented difficulty in getting together a 12-rider field — the norm for this type of event.
"Meetings elsewhere in the UK and Europe, plus the rising number of Covid-19 cases, have combined to give us a major headache.
"We really have burnt the midnight oil making approaches to riders up and down the country – mostly without luck.
"However, we have been able to secure eight willing and able riders who we feel will do justice to the event — and we are indebted to them for supporting us.
"In addition to the handicap racing, we will also include a support class, which will bring us up to the usual complement of 15 races.
"Of course, we are also thrilled to be staging the first round of the NORA British Ladies' Championship, sponsored by Jason Waring, which will run over a further six heats and which will feature our own Island riders, Steph Whitlock and Anastasia Sallee."
Riders expected to attend the handicap event include Danno Verge, Henry Atkins, George Congreve, Rhys Naylor, David Abraham, Jamie Sealey, Morgan Williams and James Laker.
The support class is likely to see Giles Dismore, Bill Haynes, Rob Snow and Rob Wright spinning their wheels again.
In addition to the two Island ladies in the NORA Championship, the line-up should also see Taya Thirtle, Katie Gordon, Charlie Brooks, Roksana Brzeska, Ruth Holder-Smith and Natasha Bartlett.
"I’m really looking forward to seeing the girls racing elbow-to-elbow on the track,” added Barry.
Gates at Smallbrook open at 5.15pm, with pre-meeting demonstrations commencing at 6.10pm and the main event on at 7pm.
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