King’s Lynn Stars sign Danish speedway ace Nicolai Klindt for Premiership derby with leaders Ipswich in return to British racing

King’s Lynn have welcomed Danish ace Nicolai Klindt back to British racing with the Minors & Brady Stars.

Thirty-year-old Klindt has agreed to join the club to bolster the heat-leader ranks after they lost the services of fellow countryman Niels-Kristian Iversen earlier this summer.

Klindt became available following the completion of his Polish Division One duties with Rybnik last weekend.

He will make his first appearance for the Stars in Thursday’s crucial Premiership clash with leaders Ipswich at the Adrian Flux Arena.

But it will not actually be his Lynn debut as he spent a spell with the club much earlier in his career, in the opening stages of the 2013 campaign.

Since then, he has developed into a well-respected international performer, and his most recent spell in the UK was with Poole in 2017-19, helping the Pirates to win the title in 2018 – ironically at the expense of the Stars in the Grand Final.

He was due to race for Ipswich in 2021, but the travel restrictions arising from the pandemic put paid to those plans.

Stars bosses are delighted to have completed the deal, which brings the team back to a full one-to-seven in time for several key fixtures in August, with nine matches remaining in the case for the play-offs.

Team manager Alex Brady said: “Nicolai has been on our radar for a long time. He’s been keen to ride for us, and we’ve stayed in constant communication.

“It’s just been a case of waiting for the Polish Division One fixtures to finish to get him over here, and I’m looking forward to having him as part of the team.

“The guys here are keen to have him as well. He gets on well with them all, so I think he’s going to make a big difference to the back half of our season.

“He’ll add points on the track of course, but he’s also a bit of a leader in terms of what he does and how he approaches things, and that can certainly help our second-strings and reserves.”

Meanwhile Jack Thomas is due to return from injury once more for Oxford at home to Poole on Tuesday, and the Stars will then take a decision regarding his potential involvement this week.

The Rising Star reserve has been out of riding action since a derby fall against Ipswich Witches at home on June 9.

In Heat 4 that evening the Norwich-born racer clipped Witches rider Ben Barker – who appeared for Lynn last season – on the exit of turn two.

Thomas said: “The injuries are getting a lot better. I’ve had more physio and laser treatment done and the X-rays have come through and they’re pretty much healed up.

“I’m just trying to get strength back in my wrists, and more movement back because I lost a lot of movement but the sooner I get back on my bike, the

better.”

Lynn trio Richard Lawson, Lewis Kerr and Richie Worrall raced in the Sports Insure British Final Championship at Belle Vue last night

(Monday).

Lawson finished runner-up in the 2020 event which took place behind closed doors due to the pandemic.

The meeting also carried the bonus of a wild card to the British Grand Prix for the winner, or the runner-up if GP regular Dan Bewley took the title.