Australian wants to gate well for the visit of Pirates to Adrian Flux Arena

King’s Lynn Stars host Poole Pirates on Monday in the Premiership Supporters Cup (PSC) – and Ty Proctor will be bidding for a better start.

Poultec Stars vice-captain Proctor has revealed why starts have been more problematic at the tapes for the Australian this season.

The 32-year-old Victoria-born racer said: “Before this year with the start procedure, the start marshal would stand there and then walk away – so you could look at the start marshal, watch him walk away, look at the green light, and then go.

“This year they’ve changed the rules. It means the start marshal stands there in the middle, then the green light comes on while he’s still stood there – which I think is quite dangerous – and then he walks back, so then the starts are somewhat delayed to what they’ve been in the past.

“So someone like me who always looked at the start marshal – I was looking at him and behind me I could see the green light come on and then panic, look at the green light.

“By the time I’ve done that, looked at the side, and the tapes have gone up and I’ve missed the start.

“I had a hard look at myself, a bit of a chat in the mirror. I told myself I needed to change things. I feel that’s working but there are other things I need to sort out.”

Lynn need to beat Poole and win their other two remaining PSC meetings to stand any chance of reaching the final.

Following their defeat at Wolves on Monday, Proctor said: “Wolves are a good side and later on in the meetings they come on strong.

“We’re working hard and working well as a team, though, and we’ve still got bigger and better things to come.”

Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford paid tribute to former British champion Scott Nicholls, who was involved in a match-winning 5-1 in Heat 15 against Ipswich last week, which means the Witches’ hopes of progression are all-but over.

Ford said: “Losing Brady Kurtz to injury was always going to be a huge blow as he is in wonderful form currently. But is there a more reliable guest than Scott? I don’t think so.”

n The draw has been made for the British Semi-Final at Redcar on Friday, May 31.

Six qualifying places are available to join the ten seeded riders for the Final at Belle Vue on Monday, July 29.

Semi draw: 1. Paul Starke (Glasgow), 2. Jason Garrity (Scunthorpe), 3. Stefan Nielsen (Scun’e), 4. Kyle Howarth (Wolverhampton/Sheffield), 5. Steve Worrall (Belle Vue/Newcastle), 6. Josh Auty (Scun’e), 7. Kyle Newman (Unattached), 8. Richie Worrall (Poole/Leicester), 9. Charles Wright (Peterborough/Redcar), 10. Ben Barker (Peterboro’/R’car), 11. Ashley Morris (Wolves/Birm’ham), 12. Ben Morley (Eastbourne/Isle of Wight), 13. Zach Wajtknecht (Swindon/Birm’ham), 14 Tom Bacon (Redcar), 15. Josh Bates (Leic’r), 16. Lewis Kerr (King’s Lynn/Eastb’e).

British final seeds: Robert Lambert (K.Lynn), Rory Schlein (Wolves/Somerset), Chris Harris (Ipswich/Som’t), Dan Bewley (B.Vue), Craig Cook (Glasgow), Richard Lawson (Ipswich/Eastb’e), Edward Kennett (Eastb’e), Scott Nicholls (Wolves/Leic’r), Adam Ellis (Swin’n/Birm’ham), Danny King (Ips’h/Sheffield).