BIRMINGHAM team manager Chris Adams says his riders need to master a set-up to get them out of the starts on home shale.
The Curtis Sport Brummies were well beaten 57-33 on opening night on Monday at Perry Barr in the first leg of their Premiership Knockout Cup tie against Leicester.
The Second City side managed just three race winners and one heat advantage all night in a contest where they were dominated away from the tapes by their opponents.
Unsurprisingly, Adams was disappointed with the result, but with him predicting that Leicester will be the toughest team they’ll come up against at home, he hopes his Brummies will know what to do differently when Ipswich visit in the league on Monday, April 7 (7.30pm).
“It’s not how we wanted to start our season off whether it’s the cup or not,” Adams said.
“We were well below par and second off the gates all night.
“Take nothing away from Leicester though, they were far better than us out the gates and that’s just the way it went unfortunately for us.
“We’ve got seven new guys, none of them are used to racing here week in, week out and let’s be fair, Leicester are a good team, they’re solid and probably out of all the teams in the league, they’re probably going to be the best ones that come to Birmingham.
“It was a good test for us, the lads were all trying different set-ups to work but it’s definitely from the gate they need to be working it from.”
The second leg takes place at Leicester’s Hydroscand Arena tonight (March 27, 7.30 pm).
There is action at Perry Barr on Monday (March 31, 7.30 pm) as Birmingham’s Ductair Bulls face Leicester Fox Cubs in the National Development Trophy.
BIRMINGHAM 33: Keynan Rew 9, Jonas Jeppesen 5, Matej Zagar 5, Jason Edwards 5, Tobiasz Musielak 4, Antti Vuolas 3+3, Michael Jepsen Jensen 2+1. LEICESTER 57: Max Fricke 13+2, Ryan Douglas 11, Drew Kemp 9+2, Kyle Howarth 9+1, Luke Becker 7+1, Sam Masters 7, Sam Hagon 1+1.
