STARKE JOINS PIRATES

24 year old Paul Starke will be part of the league championship defending Poole Pirates team in 2015 after being selected from the tier 2 bank of riders at today's Elite Draft Rider scheme held at BSPA headquarters.

Starke, who last season rode for Somerset in the Premier League, will be joined by 2014 Poole Pirates' Rider of the Year Kyle Newman who not unsurprisingly was retained by the Poole management.

Starke's racing career began with Oxford in 2007 when he made one appearance at Conference level and has since gone on to represent Plymouth, Isle of Wight, Rye House, Newport, Berwick and Dudley. Last season he was a member of the Birmingham side that was forced to withdraw mid-campaign whilst also riding for the Somerset Rebels and Cradley Heathens.

The full outcome of the Draft was

Belle Vue Steve Worrall & Stefan Nielsen

Coventry  Jason Garritty & James Sarjeant

King's Lynn Lewis Kerr & Joe Jacobs

Lakeside Ashley Birks & Adam Ellis

Leicester Josh Auty & Simon Lambert

POOLE: Kyle Newman & Paul Starke

Swindon: Charles Wright & Lewis Rose

Wolverhampton: Lewis Blackbird & Josh Bates