DOUGLAS DEAL FOR WOLVES

Aussie racer Ryan Douglas believes racing for Wolverhampton has turbocharged his progress in the sport after he agreed terms with the Monmore Green side for 2023.

Douglas first joined the Black Country outfit in 2019 and has become a big favourite with the Wolves fans and management.

He joins forces with fellow countryman Sam Masters and American international Luke Becker next season, and Douglas is delighted to be back on a tight and technical Monmore track, which he believes has helped him develop quicker in the sport.

He said: “I just love the club. It’s such a good place to be a part of and I can’t thank everyone enough for having me. It’s a home away from home for me now and I’m really glad to be back at Wolves.

“The more I ride there, the more I think it’s going to make me a better rider because riding a tighter track seems to help me learn a lot more. I definitely think I can keep progressing again next season and I definitely want to improve further.”

There was more good news for speedway in the Midlands last week after Rugby Council rejected a plan to turn Coventry’s Brandon Stadium into a housing estate. Wolves boss Chris van Straaten is pleased to see the home of his club’s former arch-rivals and the last venue to stage the FIM British Speedway GP before its move to Cardiff saved from the bulldozers.

He said: “That really was fantastic news to hear. I know there’s still a long way to go to get speedway back to Brandon, but the fact the stadium will remain is a massive relief for everyone involved.

“At Wolverhampton, we always used to love our derby clashes with the Bees and we sincerely hope that one day we’ll be doing battle with them again.”

Photo: Taylor Lanning