BATES ALL SET FOR COMEBACK

FORMER British Under-21 Champion Josh Bates is gearing up for his return to racing this year.

Apart from one appearance in the British Final last October, Bates hasn’t raced competitively since July 2019 when his season ended with a crash riding for Peterborough – but he now has team places with Sheffield and Leicester.

He said: “I’m really excited about it, I have missed it so badly, it’s like riding speedway is in my blood.

“On the first day back on a bike at Leicester I had excited butterflies all day leading up to it, but after my first lap or two it felt like I’d never been off the bike.

“It’s great to be back and I’m confident of doing a job for my clubs. I personally feel this is a big season for me but I’m not going to put myself under any pressure, I’m going out there to enjoy it.”