LAMBERT COMPLETES SCORPIONS

SCUNTHORPE have completed their line-up for the Cab Direct Championship campaign with the return of long-serving Simon Lambert.

The 36-year-old is standing down from the captaincy this year as new No.1 Josh Pickering takes over, but Scorpions team manager David Howe is backing his former skipper to recover from a below-par season in 2025.

Howe said: “As the team came together, we could see that Simon fitted that final spot pretty perfectly, and I’m not sure that there are many more capable riders on his average.

“I had a few long conversations with Simon, and he told me how he felt, and I was honest with him and my expectations on-and-off track.

“Scunthorpe are usually very loyal to their riders, but this wasn’t loyalty; this was maths. I also didn’t want another club to benefit from Simon having a bad year last season.

“He is on a bargain average, but it’s only a bargain if it was a blip and not his level; it’s now in Simon’s hands to show us that it’s a bargain.”