ZACH COOK SET FOR PREMIERSHIP BOW WITH WOLVES

Wolverhampton boss Chris van Straaten says Aussie racer Zach Cook comes highly recommended as he makes his SGB Premiership debut at Monmore Green in 2023.

Cook played a pivotal role as Poole sealed an SGB Championship league and cup double this year, as well as helping Pirates win both trophies as a guest rider in 2021.

The former Plymouth man proved a real trump card for the Dorset club and also landed a spot in Polish side Torun’s PGE Ekstraliga Under-24 team, averaging 1.931 points per race, putting him 23^rd in the division’s average charts.

Cook joins former Aussie champion Sam Masters, 2020 British champion Rory Schlein, American international Luke Becker, Aussie ace Ryan Douglas and British rising star Leon Flint in the side.

And Van Straaten admits Cook’s compatriots were only too happy to put a good word in for the New South Wales star as Wolves considered their options.

He said: “We’ve got a fair few Australians already in our line-up and when we were discussing the team for next season, Zach’s name was one which was mentioned by a couple of the existing Wolverhampton riders.

“A few of them know him well and spoke about his pedigree, his professionalism and his will to succeed which all fits in very nicely with us at Wolverhampton.

“He’s a rider we feel can improve from down in those reserve berths and he is also really looking forward to everything that lies ahead.

“He has visited Monmore Green a couple of times, and he was actually there working on his brother Ben’s bikes at the Olympique in our final meeting of the season. So he knows what it’s all about and it’s nice to give him the opportunity to show what he can do at the highest level of British speedway.”

Photo: Taylor Lanning