It’s National League action at Queensway Meadows tonight when the Newport Hornets take on the Dudley Heathens at Queensway Meadows with tapes up at 7.30pm.

Not only are an influx of fans from the former Cradley club expected but with the British round of the World Speedway Championship being staged at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night many speedway fans from home and abroad are in the area and increasingly choosing to take in a Friday meeting only 12 miles from the Welsh capital.

Although led by veteran ex-Newport Wasp Jon Armstrong the West Midlands club has mainly assembled a team of British teenagers on their way up in the sport.

Armstrong will receive strong support at the top of the score chart from former Wasp and Hornet Kyle Newman while fellow youngsters like Richard Franklin,  Ashley Morris, Tom Perry and Darryl Ritchings will also be hungry for points.

The Hornets, as ever, will look to Todd Kurtz and Jay Herne to lead the way with Matt Bates also looking lively in recent fixtures.

Newport team manager Kevin Brown will be expecting everybody to step up to the plate.

“We organised a private practice at the stadium last Sunday to try and ensure that the boys are well prepared for what will be a tough encounter,” he said.

“I have emphasised that we cannot keep relying on Todd and Jay and I am demanding a positive attitude from every team member.

“We have good second strings in Matt Bates and James White-Williams plus reasonable experience in the rest of the team and I am confident that they will all play a vital role in a victory.”

NEWPORT ‘DRILLERMAN’ HORNETS from: Richard Andrews, Matt Bates, David Gough, Jay Herne (captain), Todd Kurtz, James White-Williams, Tom Young DUDLEY HEATHENS from: Jon Armstrong (captain), Richard Franklin, Ashley Morris, Kyle Newman, Tom Perry, Daryll Ritchings, Danny Stoneman.

Present at the event will be award-winning speedway author Jeff Scott who will have copies of his latest title ‘Bouquet of Shale’ available for purchase.

The weekend concludes on Sunday afternoon at 1pm with the staging of the Welsh Open Championship at Newport Speedway with 16 top riders competing over 20 heats to qualify for a grand final for the top four scorers.

Full club details on www.newportwasps.co with previews and scores also on the club hotline 09066 555 915 (calls charged at 60p per minute).