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Oxford Cheetahs aim to end comeback campaign with silverware in home event

Aaron Summers lines up alongside Scott Nicholls in the SGB Championship Pairs tonight Picture: Steve Edmunds
Aaron Summers lines up alongside Scott Nicholls in the SGB Championship Pairs tonight Picture: Steve Edmunds

AARON Summers is aiming to end Oxford Cheetahs’ comeback campaign with silverware in tonight’s Championship Pairs.

Oxford Stadium hosts the hotly-anticipated annual event (7.30pm), with all ten second-tier clubs competing.

Summers and Scott Nicholls will face pairings from Poole Pirates, Plymouth Gladiators, Berwick Bandits and Redcar Bears in Group B, with the top two teams progressing to the semi-finals.

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Speedway’s return to the city after 15 years has already made 2022 a special season and the Australian rider wants to mark it with a trophy.

Summers said: “It would be awesome, not only for me and Scott but the club and the fans.

“To bring back silverware in our first year back would be mega.

“I’ve ridden at several other clubs with Scotty, so we know each other pretty well.

“Scotty’s an awesome team rider and that can be crucial in these meetings.

“It’ll be a great event for us to do together and hopefully we can come out on top.”

Summers came out of retirement in June to join Cheetahs as injury cover for Jack Thomas, having initially called it a day last year.

The 34-year-old has been in great form in the last two months, particularly at Sandy Lane, and got the nod over fellow Australian Troy Batchelor

He said: “Last week, Pete (Schroeck, coach) said he wanted me in.

“It was a tough decision between me and Troy, but I’ve been riding pretty well at home so I jumped at the opportunity.

“I’ve got set-ups that have seemed to work for me really well.”

The five teams in each group will compete against each other in a round-robin contest to determine the semi-finalists.

It begins a bumper weekend for the sport, with Cardiff’s Principality Stadium hosting the British Grand Prix tomorrow.

Summers added: “I’ve done it in previous years, so to be getting in at Oxford at our home track it gives us a massive advantage.

“Compared to our normal home meetings it’s going to be very busy, fans from every club go.

“Anyone who’s travelling to Cardiff will normally make that stop-off on the way down.

“It’s going to be awesome, the atmosphere is great at events like that.

“Friday will be tough, it’s the top two in every team so they are hard meetings, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Cheetahs team manager Jason Crump is expected to be in the pits at the British Grand Prix, Britain’s biggest indoor motorsport event.