Great Britain boss Alun Rossiter has challenged Ipswich Witches number one Danny King to prove his worth and earn a spot for this summer’s Speedway World Cup on home soil.
King has been part of Rossiter’s side at the last two World Cups, in Denmark and Poland, scoring seven as GB missed out in last year’s race-off in Vojens and failing to score in the final in Bydgoszcz in 2014.
With world champion Tai Woffinden and GP rider Chris Harris near certainties to make the four-man side and the likes of Craig Cook and Robert Lambert also pushing to be involved, Rossiter says King will have to prove his worth if he is to earn a place for the event at the new National Speedway Stadium in Manchester.
“Danny’s a great rider and he’s done well in the World Cup before so obviously he will be in the conversation when it comes to this year,” Rossiter said.
“We’re off to Croatia soon for a training camp and we have riders champing at the bit now to be involved for Great Britain, especially as it’s in our home country.
“The riders want to go out and prove themselves because it’s definitely going to be a tough call this year because we have a lot of good riders going well.
“We’ve obviously got the world champion in Tai Woffinden and then Chris Harris too, who’s done great things for Great Britain in the past, then there’s Craig Cook who keeps getting better and Robert Lambert too, who is only going to improve with experience.
“Danny has a chance, of course he does, but all the riders have to go out there and prove they are good enough. If he has a blinding season with Ipswich and Coventry then it will be hard not to take him.”
With the new national stadium at Belle Vue due to open at the start of the domestic season, Rossiter is keen to take advantage of an exciting time for British speedway, as the World Cup comes to these shores for the first time in a decade.
“It’s a big event for us, we haven’t had a World Cup in this country for a long time so it’s one that everyone will want to be part of,” Rossiter said.
“The new stadium at Belle Vue is going to be massive for the sport in this country and I can’t wait to lead our team out there.
“It’s an important year for everyone and we all can’t wait to get started because we want to do well.”
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