Berwick Bandits fans' first chance to meet the new riders and see them in action

Berwick Bandit Rory Schlein at last year's practice night. Picture: Taz McDougall

They will be on-track at Shielfield Park from 6.30pm on Saturday before moving over to the Black and Gold for a Meet the Riders event.

Admission to the practice session is by donation with the money raised going towards the running costs at the Bandits’ Duns training track.

Some of the starting seven have already been in competitive action.

New number one Lewis Kerr scored a match-winning 8+1 in Oxford Spires’ season-opening Premiership victory over Birmingham.

The Norfolk-based racer joined Berwick team-mate Jye Etheridge at Redcar on Sunday, racing in Bears’ captain Charles Wright’s testimonial.

Kerr again scored eight points from his qualifying rides, the Australian claiming five points.

Kerr was in action for Oxford again on Wednesday night while teenage Berwick reserve Freddy Hodder was one of the track reserves at Belle Vue for Monday’s staging of the prestigious Peter Craven Memorial Trophy.

Hodder and Drew Kemp have also been in Poland for training sessions with their Exstraliga clubs while Dane Bastian Borke has been on-track both in his homeland and Poland.

But on Saturday all eyes will be on them in the colours of their Cab Direct Championship team, which will be sponsored in 2024 by builders’ merchants Jewson and known as the Berwick Jewson Bandits, powered by Keenwood Karpets.

“For much of the winter the spotlight has been on the work behind the scenes, the guys getting the track in shape and working to attract sponsorships such as Jewson becoming our title sponsor,” team manager Stewart Dickson – one of six new faces around the team in 2024 – said.

“Now it is time for the seven riders chosen to represent the Bandits to step forward.

“All seven know the track well enough but it’s an opportunity to just get back into the swing of things and dust off the cobwebs as we begin to focus preparations on opening night against Workington on Easter Saturday.

“After a long winter, I think everyone is keen to see the bikes back on track, I know I am raring to go and excited about what we can achieve this summer.”