Smart move by Swindon Sprockets.

Swindon Speedway have today announced the signing of Lee Smart on the occasion of his fifteenth birthday, just in time to make his debut for the Sprockets at Carmarthen on Sunday.

Ever-enthusiastic Swindon boss Peter Toogood stated: "Young Lee came on a bundle last season, and he is sure to keep on improving this year with regular outings in the Conference League on top of the weekly second-half rides after all home meetings at Blunsdon."

Born in 1988, Lee is the son of Malcolm, who was team manager of the Sprockets during their Youth Development League campaign in 1998.

Having begun with youth grass-track racing at a very early age, Smart's interests moved onto speedway, and he actually took his first practice skids around Blunsdon as far back as 1995!

He has subsequently continued to put in many laps of the Swindon circuit, as well as attending training schools at Newport and Somerset. In 2002, the tall-in-the-saddle youngster began to make real progress, having attended a training school at Mildenhall, run by Louis Carr and 1980 World Champion Michael Lee, and his good form has been maintained in second-half outings at Blunsdon so far this term.

By Robert Bamford.