PETERBOROUGH look to finally get their Elite League campaign back up and running with two away matches in two days.

PETERBOROUGH look to finally get their Elite League campaign back up and running with two away matches in two days.

The Readypower Panthers travel to Birmingham tonight and are then at Lakeside tomorrow as they race for the first time in nearly three weeks.

Bad weather has hampered the vast majority of clubs’ seasons, and both the Panthers and the Brummies have just raced three Elite League fixtures so far – with the men from Perry Barr having been inactive since way back on April 11!

With a full squad to choose from, Panthers have declared Rene Bach and Richard Lawson as their doubling-up riders for the trip to the West Midlands, Bach having had a brief spell in the Birmingham squad last year before suffering a badly broken leg in a crash whilst racing in the Premier League.

Bach and Lawson will both continue in the team at Lakeside on Friday, where in-form former Panthers star Niels-Kristian Iversen will guest for skipper Kenneth Bjerre at No.1, as Bjerre will be away competing in the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

New averages for May mean Danish sensation Michael Jepsen Jensen moves into the main body of the team, with the vastly experienced Jesper B Monberg dropping to reserve.

Birmingham go into tonight’s meeting with one win and one defeat from their home Elite League matches so far. The Brummies were well beaten by Swindon on Good Friday but were impressive in a televised win over Wolves five days later.

Panthers co-boss Jan Staechmann said: “It’s a tough test for us this week with two away matches at Birmingham and Lakeside. With the way the weather has caused havoc with the fixtures, it is difficult to build up any momentum, but it’s the same for every team, and we just have to get on with it.

“The riders have for the most part kept themselves busy riding abroad, whilst Rene and Richard have had a few outings in the Premier League, and it will be nice to have everyone back for the Panthers again.

“We’re looking forward to going to Birmingham on Thursday, and get back into the swing of things, and surely summer must be imminent so we can get on with the season without the constant interruptions.

“It’s a track that the riders seem to enjoy riding, and we are under no illusion that it will be a tough contest, as Birmingham and ourselves have similarly built sides.”

BIRMINGHAM: Bjarne Pedersen, Martin Smolinski, Danny King, Ben Barker, Sebastian Ulamek, Tomasz Piszcz, Josh Auty.

PETERBOROUGH: Kenneth Bjerre, Rene Bach, Olly Allen, Michael Jepsen Jensen, Linus Sundstrom, Richard Lawson, Jesper B Monberg.