WEYMOUTH Weyline Wildcats will keep their engines running with a Challenge meeting against the Tamworth Saxons tonight (7.15pm).

The Cats had been scheduled to welcome the Mildenhall Fen Tigers to the Wessex Raceway until the Suffolk outfit withdrew from the National League due to financial difficulties.

Weymouth chairman Phil Bartlett was eager to fill the void in order to provide his riders with valuable time on the shale ahead of Sunday’s visit to the Newport Hornets.

Speaking to Echosport, Bartlett said: “We had to get something organised because we were supposed to be racing against Mildenhall, but they unfortunately had to pull out of the league.

“It should be an entertaining evening and the main aim is to keep the boys ticking over with an important league meeting against Newport coming up.

“They need to keep race-fit and the best way to do that is by racing competitively. We’ve been excellent at home recently, so it’s another chance to capitalise and maintain our good form.”

Kelvin Lapworth, manager of Team Viking, has assembled the Saxons, who feature new British Under-18 champion and former Wildcat, Brendon Johnson, among their ranks.

Another ex-Weymouth rider, Karl Mason, will also be in action, as will Micky Dyer and Jake Anderson from Dudley, the Isle of Wight’s Danny Hodgson, Tom Armstrong and Cats’ number eight, Luke Wiltshire.

Wildcats: 1 Bekker, 2 McKinna, 3 Brown, 4 Cottham, 5 Cockle, 6 Andrews, 7 Chessell.

Saxons: 1 Dyer, 2 Mason, 3 Johnson, 4 Armstrong, 5 Anderson, 6 Hodgson, 7 Wiltshire.