PLYMOUTH have signed Australian youngster James Pearson following his recent release from Birmingham.

Pearson has joined the Gladiators as a replacement for Jake Turner, and goes straight into the side for their Cab Direct Championship match at Redcar tonight (7.30pm).

He has given up his Under-24 place for Leszno in Poland at the present time, with that league also operating on Plymouth’s Tuesday race-night.

Pearson told the British Speedway website: “Plymouth isn’t the easiest track to ride, but I enjoy it to be honest. I have come down to Plymouth three times and I have really enjoyed myself because it’s a fun little track to ride. I am keen to start racing there.

“Hopefully, I can keep banging in some good points for Plymouth and we can win some races. It would be nice to help the boys a bit, but I am not the most experienced. If I can score six points, then that would be amazing and we can go on to get some wins.

“I have gone up a spot now, but my aim is to get into the main body of the team. That is my personal goal and another goal is to make the play-offs, which is the club’s goal and the team’s goal as well.

!I haven’t been in the play-offs before, so to make it would be awesome and when you are in the play-offs, you never know what can happen.”

The Gladiators will be seeking to avoid a ninth straight defeat when they face a tough fixture at title-chasing Redcar this evening.

The Gladiators lost their home match against leaders Oxford Cheetahs 47-42 on Tuesday night, and 24 hours later, Birmingham's victory over Berwick Bandits sent the Gladiators to the foot of the Championship table.

If they cannot win at Redcar, they will be looking to keep the scores as close as possible so they can try and win the aggregate bonus point when the two sides meet again at The Coliseum in August.

The Bears bring in Connor Coles as a guest for Jake Mulford who is away riding in a Longtrack meeting.

Redcar promoter Jamie Swales said: “If you’d offered me this start to the season when we began 2023, I would have taken it – but having some good away wins is not the aim for 2023, we are here to win things!

“Plymouth are on a bad run at the moment, but they again have track specialists including the former Bears captain Ben Barker.

“We knew when we signed Jake that he has a few Longtrack commitments but there won’t be many clashes.

“For Friday, we have brought in Connor Coles, who showed on his first visit this year he’s more than capable of riding our track and we are confident he can do similar whilst riding for us!”

Redcar Agilia Bears: 1. Danny King. 2. Danyon Hume 3. Erik Riss 4. Jason Edwards 5. Charles Wright (capt). 6 Connor Bailey 7 Connor Coles (guest). Team Manager Gavin Parr.

Plymouth Prow Park Gladiators: 1. Kyle Howarth (capt) 2. Ben Morley 3. Ben Barker 4. Dan Gilkes 5. Richie Worrall 6. James Pearson 7. Ben Trigger 2.00. Team Manager Garry May.