Cup hero Simon Lambert back for Scorpions in 2024

SKIPPER Simon Lambert has been the first rider revealed to be competing for the Scunthorpe Scorpions in 2024.

The 34-year-old was one of the heroes as Attis Insurance Scorpions won the Knockout Cup – their first silverware in over a decade. He scored 12+2 at Redcar in the semi-final and then won his opening four rides in the final at Poole.

Lambert’s second spell at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway began in 2019 when he was a mid-season capture. He was made captain in 2021, while he enjoyed perhaps his best-ever season in 2023.

He piled up a total of 243 points from 32 official meetings for Scorpions, for a calculated match average of 7.04 during the year for Scorpions. However, his Green Sheet average for the start of 2024 – based on the last 20 regular league matches only, excluding bonus points and including a 2.5% deduction for British riders – is just 5.87.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “It was a total no-brainer to make our captain Simon Lambert the first name on our team sheet for 2024.

“The fans love him, because he gives 100% in every race. Not only that, but he has ability to raise his game when we really need him to. We saw that in the cup final at Poole. He was gating well, but it didn’t matter when he didn’t, because he was so committed. Simon rode like a man possessed at Poole – around a track he doesn’t even like that much!

“There’s a saying that the team who wants it more wins. It’s not always quite true, because both teams tend to want to win, but you can have riders within the team who will put everything on the line and that can be the difference between winning and losing.

“Simon is one of those riders. He wants Scunthorpe to win trophies as badly as I do. The cup was a great start, but I want to win more and I know Simon does too.

“He’s a good rider to have around the pits, encouraging the rest of the team – he is a very good captain. He is excellent value on his starting average – I know how much he wants to build upon last season and have an even better year in 2024.”

Scorpions’ second signing is set to be announced next week.