PIRATES team boss Neil Middleditch slammed as "ludicrous" British speedway's rules after Kyle Newman hurtled into a heat-leader position.

Newman will become the second Pirates draft rider to experience heat-leader racing this season when he arrives at the tapes for the visit of Belle Vue tonight (7.30).

British under-21 international Adam Ellis previously achieved the feat having racked up a series of bumper hauls in a bottom-two berth.

Placed at number three for trips to Wolverhampton and Leicester, the Ringwood-based charger managed scores of just three and two paid three, respectively.

Newman will face a similar challenge on his return to Elite League action having not ridden in the top flight for a month due to a groin problem.

And Middleditch feels current rules are shattering the confidence of British reserves and insists changes must be made for the good of speedway.

He told the Daily Echo: "The way teams are structured is ludicrous. It needs to be looked at because it is not beneficial to the sport or the riders.

"You can't go straight from reserve to heat leader – it's like going from the lowest division in football to the Premier League – it's not a feasible thing to do.

"Back in the day, you went from reserve to second string and then built to heat leader. To go straight from reserve to heat leader is a very tough task.

"Adam had to do it and certainly didn't disgrace himself but it is a huge jump. It should be a gradual progression."

Middleditch believes reserves should initially be routed into a second-string role so they have a better chance to improve and stay in the main body.

He said: "Kyle and Adam have done a great job and should race at second string against guys of the same sort of calibre.

"That's not to say they are both not capable of beating heat leaders but to do so on a regular basis is a very difficult ask.

"It is absolutely ridiculous and confidence-killing. Speedway is about confidence and we are seeing riders go from scoring 12 or 13 points to scoring a couple.

"There has to be something put in place to ensure they can go from reserve to second string.

"With all the will in the world, a lot of the reserves are just not good enough to race as heat leaders. There are exceptions to the rule but not many."

Brady Kurtz will join Ellis at reserve against the Aces and Middleditch insisted the Australian champion should not occupy a bottom-two berth.

Middleditch added: "Brady shouldn't be a reserve and neither should Nicolai Klindt or Kyle Howarth. They are too good to be reserves but are not heat leader material.

"Rohan Tungate scored paid 17 at Belle Vue the other night and don't get me wrong, he's a good little rider but he was racing reserves.

"Riders are going up and down and that's not progression."