British rider Richard Lawson has been snapped up by newly promoted team Leicester Lions.
He has become Leicester’s third signing ahead of the 2023 season, joining three-time world champion Chris Harris and Aussie rider Max Fricke.
Together they will be looking to help the Lion’s continue in their rise in the Speedway Premiership, after they won their promotion from the Championship last season.
The Lion’s boss, Stewart Dickson, signed Lawson after he saw the British rider help Poole end Leicester’s 2022 Championship title hopes.
He said: “Richard should be a good, solid signing for us. He’s a rider who has really stepped up in the last year or two, and he has increased his performance at Premiership Level.”
He added: “I think he showed that at the end of the season when he scored 14 for King’s Lynn at Sheffield in their last match, and I think even our owners were surprised at how powerful he was on that night.”
Lawson is looking forward to starting his next chapter in Leicester colours after saying: “This team is being built to make a bit of a statement, and I’m sure it’s going to deliver that.”
He also added: “I’m enjoying this league, it’s really competitive, and I’m excited to be a part of the Leicester side. They’ve got some really good riders coming in.”
The relationship between the new rider and Leicester manager looks to be a strong one, which the fans will be hoping to have a positive impact on the team and be reflected in their results.
The Lion’s manager, Dickson, told the FIM Speedway: “He’s also very, very good around Leicester as we’ve found to our cost a number of times, and he was very keen to come here.”
He continued to say: “I’ve worked with him before at Glasgow, so I know what I’m going to get. He’s keen and hungry, and the fact that he wanted to come to Leicester ticks a lot of boxes for me.”