WORLD champion Tony Ric-kardsson blew Stefan Danno's near-four-year-old Poole track record away last night, then admitted: "I think I can probably go faster."

The flying Swede clipped a massive 1.15 seconds off Danno's previous best time as he scorched his way to a scintillating tapes-to-chequered flag heat four victory in an amazing 57.32 secs.

Danno had completed four laps of the 299.1-metre Wimborne Road track in 58.47 secs on June 17, 1998 during Eastbourne's 49-41 Elite League win over Poole.

The Eagle scorched to that time in heat one ahead of second-placed David Norris, third-placed Craig Boyce and Garry Stead.

Rickardsson - Meridian Lifts Pirates' 2002 spearhead - had got close to Danno's time on several occasions already this term.

But last night he zipped round the circuit at a tremendous pace in heat four to leave Leigh Adams - who had set a new fastest time of the season in heat one - trailing more than 50 met-res behind at the chequered flag.

Rickardsson said: "When I had watched the first heat and saw the track conditions I thought 'if I don't make a big mistake I could break the track record'.

"I have been so close when I wasn't really going for it that everyone in the pits and in the team said I should go for it properly.

"I was going for it this time. The track was prepared for the record to be broken tonight and I felt good. I knew if I could make a good start in my first race, I would have a good chance.

"When I had done a couple of laps I realised I could set a new record because the bike was going so well."

Rickardsson, who went on to reel off a 15-point maximum, added: "There was more dirt on the track tonight.

"That makes you go faster. Normally it is quite slick. Tonight there was more grip on the outside, more loose grit on the top.

"I like conditions like that. It is harder for the rider but the rider has to use more skill. It is more the rider than the bike.

"Not being over-confident, but I have been surprised I haven't beaten the track record here already.

"All the other tracks I have been at, I have usually set a new mark quite quickly.

"It took me a long time to beat this one but it is great now I have done it. Now I'm really delighted. And if it has more grip, I think I can probably go faster."

Rickardsson, who led Poole to a comfortable win over Oxford and into fourth place in the table, was also quick to congratulate track curator John Hector for producing such a surface.

The Pirate had produced an electrifying gate to beat Adams into the first corner.

He roared round the first lap in 15.31 secs - the fastest is 15.17 - and then created a new second lap best of 13.94 secs.

The Swede scorched round the third circuit in 14.05 secs - the fastest is 14.00 secs - then he produced a fourth lap best of 14.02 secs.

So comfortable was Rickardsson's success over Adams - the Cheetahs number one - that the Australian, fifth in last year's Grand Prix, was only just coming off the final bend as the Pirate fizzed past the finish line.

The Swede's performance set Poole up for their sixth successive home league win and took them above Peterborough in the table.

Rickardsson's performance overshadowed three great rides by Pir-ates men who all gained standing ovations from the home fans in another healthy 3,500 crowd.

Mariusz Staszewski dived under Steve John-ston into second place on the pits bend on the last lap to join team mate Hans Andersen on a 5-1 in heat three.

Poole guest Dave Watt, who lives in the town but rides for Newcastle in the Premier League, followed Grzegorz Walasek home for a brilliant 5-1 over Lukas Dryml in race eight.

And Andersen cut across Adams on the first bend in heat nine before going on to show some superb track craft as he defeated the GP star.

Pirates had victory sewn up on the night by the end of heat 13 after which they had also secured the bonus point on aggregate.

With Rickardsson pull-ing the strings, the Poole camp must now be beginning to believe they could spring a few surprises in the end-of-season title play-offs if they can maintain their current explosive home form.

Swedish team for the Test match against Team Great Britain at Poole on Wednesday, June 12 is: Tony Rickardsson, And-reas Jonsson (Coventry) , Mikael Karlsson, Peter Karlsson (both Wolves), Niklas Klingberg (Un-attached), Stefan Ander-sson (Eastbourne), Fred-die Eriksson (K Lynn).

HEAT DETAILS

Pirates: 1 Gary Havelock (2-2*-2-2*) 8+2, 2 Grzegorz Walasek (ret-3-3-0) 6, 3 Hans Andersen (3-2-3-2-0) 10, 4 Mariusz Staszewski (2*-0-1-0) 3+1, 5 Tony Rickardsson (3-3-3-3-3) 15, 6 Bjarne Pedersen (2-1-0-1) 4, 7 (guest) Dave Watt (1*-0-2*-1*) 4+3. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.

Oxford: 1 Leigh Adams (3-2-3-2-1*-0-2) 13+1, 2 Lukas Dryml (1-1-1-1-3) 7, 3 Steve Johnston (1-1-2-3-2-3-1*) 13+1, 4 Ales Dryml (0-0-1-2*) 3+1, 5 Rider replacement for Brian Andersen (injured), 6 Mark Lemon (3-0-0-0) 3, 7 Andrew Appleton (0-1*-0) 1+1. Team manager: Colin Meredith.

Referee: Craig Ackroyd. Ht 1: Adams, Havelock, L Dryml, Walasek (retired), 58.70 (2-4). Ht 2: Lemon, Pedersen, Watt, Appleton, 59.8 (5-7). Ht 3: Andersen, Staszewski, Johnston, A Dryml, 60.4 (10-8). Ht 4: Rickardsson, Adams, Apple-ton, Watt, 57.32 new track record (13-11). Ht 5: Adams, Andersen, L Dryml, Staszewski, 59.6 (15-15). Ht 6: Walasek, Havelock, John-ston, Lemon, 60.5 (20-16). Ht 7: Rickardsson, Johnston, Pedersen, A Dryml, 59.2 (24-18). Ht 8: Walasek, Watt, L Dryml, Appleton, 61.0 (29-19). Ht 9: Andersen, Adams, Staszew-ski, Lemon, 60.6 (33-21). Ht 10: Johnston, Havelock, A Dryml, Walasek, 60.6 (35-25). Ht 11: Rickardsson, Johnston, Adams, Pedersen, 59.2 (38-28). Ht 12: Johnston, Andersen, Watt, Lemon, 61.1 (41-31). Ht 13: Rickardsson, Havelock, L Dryml, Adams, 61.0 (46-32). Ht 14: L Dryml, A Dryml, Pedersen, Staszewski, 60.7 (47-37). Ht 15: Rickardsson, Adams, John-ston, Andersen, 60.5 (50-40). Last night's other Sky Sports Elite League results: Coventry 49 (Jonsson 12+1) Belle Vue 41 (Lyons 13+1), King's Lynn 44 (Ulamek 10) Eastbourne 46 (Loram 14), Wolves 60 (M Karlsson 14) Peterborough 30 (Sullivan 13).