PREVIEW: Cheetahs can go top with a big win against Birmingham on Wednesday

The Monarch Oxford Cheetahs can go top of the Cab Direct Championship table with a win against Birmingham Brummies at Oxford Stadium on Wednesday night (7.30pm).

Cheetahs trail leaders Poole Pirates by three points at a time where most clubs have completed a quarter of their league campaign. Victory over the Brummies by 17 points or more would place Peter Schroeck’s men at the top of the nine-team division.

And the Cheetahs boss wants to use the opportunity to go top as a motivator to get the very best out of his side off the back of an impressive performance against the Brummies away from home only a week ago.

“Birmingham are going through a tough patch right now but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capable of upsetting the formbook,” said Schroeck. “They’re a team of competent riders so our first target is to obviously win the meeting.

“Beyond that, we would love to lay down a marker to the rest of the division and climb to the top of the table with three wins out of three under our belt.

“Our home form will count for a lot this season and so far results have pleased me. As a team we’ve made great progress in the last two months and Wednesday can be a good indicator of how far we’ve come.”

Cheetahs are unchanged from last week’s 36-54 triumph at Perry Barr with Sam Masters again due to lead the hosts. Birmingham meanwhile have called on Drew Kemp to guest at four with Dan Thompson also riding.

With clear skies and 23c temperatures forecast, Schroeck is hoping for a good turnout.

“We’ll be laying down a lot of water to deliver the best racing surface possible,” said Schroeck. “At the start of the year we couldn’t buy a clear forecast, now we’ve got perfect conditions for racing and supporting the Cheetahs from the terraces.

“The boys are fired up for this one and hopefully by the end of the night we can proudly position ourselves at the top of the table, for now at least.”

The Monarch Cheetahs’ Cab Direct Championship campaign resumes at Oxford Stadium on Wednesday, June 14, with the visit of Birmingham Brummies. Tapes-up is at 7.30pm.

Tickets are on sale via the club website and all U16s go free with a paying adult.

Monarch Cheetahs: Sam Masters, Cameron Heeps, Lewis Kerr, Jordan Jenkins, Scott Nicholls, Henry Atkins, Ryan Kinsley.

Birmingham: Nick Morris, Alfie Bowtell, Dan Thompson, Drew Kemp (G), Justin Sedgmen, Joe Thompson, James Pearson.

Photo: Paul Rose.