WELLS AND FRANCHETTI SET TO FACE REDCAR
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- Created on Tuesday, 19 July 2011 10:42
- Published on Tuesday, 19 July 2011 10:42
New signings Ricky Wells and Gino Franchetti are in the Plymouth Devils seven to race Redcar Bears home and away in Premier League Speedway matches this week.
The Devils will also be boosted by the return from international duty of number one Ben Barker while Lee Smart is set to return from injury for the home clash at the St Boniface Arena on Friday evening (1930).
The rider replacement facility for Mark Simmonds will be operated at Redcar on Thursday evening. Simmonds faces four to six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a compound fracture of his right wrist at Edinburgh last Friday and Barker will take over from him as team captain.
Wells, 19, was born in New Zealand but races on an American licence and was the AMA American champion in 2009.
Franchetti, a 25-year-old former Italian champion, rode for Berwick in 2008 and 2009.
Friday’s home match against Redcar is a re-arrangement of the original fixture, which was rained off on May 6.
The Bears are captained by former world champion Gary Havelock. The 42-year-old 1992 world champ is the sole English rider in a side which features three Australians: Jason Lyons, Aaron Summers and 17-year-old reserve Robert Branford.
They are joined by 2010 Czech champion Matej Kus, 22, and Peter Larsen, a 20-year-old Dane, who scored a paid maximum for Team Viking on their visit to Plymouth a year ago.
The side will be completed by an as yet unnamed replacement for Czech Republic rider Lubos Tomicek at number two in their line-up.
Redcar are eighth in the 14-team PLS with 30 points, newcomers Plymouth are 14th with eight but matches in hand.
Plymouth (at home to Redcar): Ben Barker, Lee Smart, Hynek Stichauer, Jesper Kristiansen, Ricky Wells. Reserves: Kyle Hughes, Gino Franchetti.
Redcar: Matej Kus, AN Other, Jason Lyons, Gary Havelock, Aaron Summers. Reserves: Peter Juul, Robert Branford.
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