BUXTON Ductair Bulls entertain league leaders Edinburgh Academy in the WSRA National Development League at Hi-Edge Raceway on Sunday afternoon, 3 pm, as the Bulls open their league campaign.
Edinburgh have ridden two league matches this season and are unbeaten with home and away victories over Middlesbrough Tigers.
The Academy team is spearheaded by Jordy Loftus, Dayle Wood and Vinnie Foord, who form a solid top three, with all of them also riding in the Championship. Foord is also a Championship title winner with Poole. Jamie Halder and James Shanes form a solid back-up for the top three, with a familiar face in Ben Whalley at reserve for the Scottish side, who has ridden in quite a few meetings at Hi-Edge Raceway and scored well on his visits to the Derbyshire track. Anika Loftus completes the Edinburgh team.
Skipper Jack Smith returns to action for the Bulls along with Alfie Bowtell, and team boss Laurence Rogers has shuffled the side around with Jack Shimelt moving to number two in the side and Arran Butcher switching to the number four race jacket. New signing Jack Roberts returns to the Buxton team twenty years on from his debut with the club back in 2006. Roberts has performed well in the challenge fixtures at Hi-Edge this year, and clearance was given by the authorities for him to return to the club earlier in the week.
Ductair Bulls manager Laurence Rogers commented, “We are looking to get our league season off to a flying start when we welcome league leaders Edinburgh here. We are aware that they have had a great start to their season and that we will have to be at our very best. They have a strong top five we know all about, and Ben (Whalley), a rider who knows this place well, has been in good form for them.
“We welcome back our captain, Jack Smith, and I feel the switch in the top five with Jack (Shimelt) and Arran (Butcher) makes us stronger, especially towards the backend of the meeting, and of course, we welcome back Jack Roberts to the club exactly twenty years on from his debut for the club.”
It should be a cracker of a meeting, and hopefully we can get our league season off with a win on Sunday.”
BUXTON:
Alfie Bowtell, Jack Shimelt, Luke Harris, Arran Butcher, Jack Smith ©, Ryan Ashcroft, Jack Roberts, Team Manager: Laurence Rogers.
EDINBURGH:
Jordy Loftus, Jamie Halder, James Shanes, Vinnie Foord, Dayle Wood, Ben Whalley, Anika Loftus, Team Manager: Scott Wilson.
