CONNOR Coles will join skipper Tom Perry and Joe Lawlor in the National League Riders Championship to take place at Leicester’s Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Sunday, 3pm.

Coles who missed out on qualifying to team mate Lawlor by just 0.02 in the September averages, but he has been drafted into the line-up due to Cradley’s Dan Halsey being unable to take his place due to injury.

Coles said “I found out that I hadn’t qualified from manager Adam Isherwood after the meeting the other week and I was gutted as I’ve never qualified to ride in it and intend to take the opportunity with both hands. It is a tough field with plenty of good riders in and I will need to be at my best if I’m going to bring something home from the meeting.”

Coles will come up against his Stoke colleagues Perry a former Leicester rider and Lawlor, the latter currently riding for Leicester in the Championship on a track that holds no fears for him. The trio will also come up against home favourite Ellis Perks and home skipper Danyon Hume while double title winner Ben Morley who took victory at the East Midlands circuit just 12-months ago will certainly be amongst the contenders. One other rider who chalked up 17-points for the Potters while guesting and goes well around the big circuit is Anders Rowe and another danger is former Potter now riding for Cradley in Max Clegg who is in good form at the moment and will be amongst the challengers come the end of the meeting.

Ryan Kinsley (Mildenhall), Kyle Bickley (Belle Vue), Jordan Palin (Belle Vue), Ben Morley (Isle of Wight), Ellis Perks (Leicester), Danyon Hume (Leicester), Tom Perry (Stoke), Joe Lawlor (Stoke), Jason Edwards (Mildenhall), Nathan Stoneman ((Plymouth), Drew Kemp (Kent), Leon Flint (Belle Vue), Max Clegg (Cradley), Anders Rowe (Kent) Connor Coles (Stoke), Ben Wilson (Plymouth)
Reserves: Dan Thompson (Leicester), Joe Thompson (Leicester)