Reading under starters orders.

The moment every Euphony Racers fan has been waiting for the past few months is just days away, the tapes are set to rise for the 2004 British Speedway season. Reading open up on Monday night (15th March), when they play host to Kings Lynn Stars in a Challenge Match at Smallmead Stadium (7.30pm).

It promises to be a great season for the Berkshire club, with the Club and its supporters eagerly awaiting to see how their new-look team fair in all the major competitions in 2004.

The Euphony Racers had a disappointing campaign in 2003, with injuries and with just about anything that could go wrong appeared to happening to the Smallmead men. However Racers co-promoter Chris Shears has gone on record as
saying that the lessons had been learned and, the club's management would do everything in their power to correct it for the new season.

True to their word the promotion have invested, with the help of club sponsors Euphony, and have assembled a top quality team that many neutrals are predicting won't be far away when they medals are being handed out at
the end of the season.

Changes from last year see Slovenian international Matej Zagar coming in as the club's new number one on loan from Trelawny, and the heat-leader berths are further boosted with the full transfer of Danny Bird from Isle of Wight.
Other incoming changes see Smallmead favourite Chris Schramm return for another season on loan at Smallmead, after spending 2003 at Newport and, Bird's team-mate at Isle of Wight Chris Mills, takes over one of the vacated
Euphony Racers reserve berths.

Other signings see Wolverhampton's Steven Braidford and Rye House's James Cockle sharing the other reserve slot on a match-by-match basis. Completing the Racers 2004 squad is 15-year-old prospect Jamie Westacott, who may figure in the team once he turns 16 in May, and if the opertunity arises.

However there are some familiar faces back at Smallmead as Andrew Appleton returns for his third year with the club, and skipper Phil Morris, who missed a large part of last season through injury, has declared himself fully fit and is set to lead the team once again.

So after all the good publicity the Euphony Racers have had over the past few months, and the general 'feel-good' factor within the club and amongst the supporters, it's time to put it all to the test on the track for the new
race season.

Kings Lynn arrive at Smallmead on Monday night with much the same team that visited Reading on the final night of the season last October. Top riders Tomas Topinka of Czech Republic and Danish star Tom P Madsen return for
their second successive season's with the Norfolk club, and both will pose a tough test for Racers big guns on Monday night.