PIRATES star Brady Kurtz hopes to defy recent history and make home advantage count when he lines up in tomorrow’s SGB Premiership Riders’ Championship.

Kurtz and team-mate Josh Grajczonek take on an all-star cast at Wimborne Road including world champion Jason Doyle and Swindon’s Troy Batchelor, who are both former winners.

Since Poole legend Bjarne Pedersen roared to the crown on Dorset shale 14 years ago, there has been just one home winner of the prestigious event – Doyle at Leicester in 2015.

Kurtz’s biggest individual title to date came when he sealed a surprise success in the Australian Senior Solo Championship two years ago.

And the 21-year-old hopes track knowledge can play in his favour as he goes in search of further silverware.

He told the Daily Echo: “It being at Poole is of benefit to me but they are all good riders. It doesn’t matter what track it’s on, it’s going to be tough.

“Any of the 16 riders are good enough to win it. If I’m on my game, I don’t see a reason why I couldn’t do it. The opportunity is there.

“It was only two years ago I was hoping to win the Premier League Riders’ Championship and now I’m here thinking I might win this one!

“It would be something nice. A lot of good riders have won it in their career and it’s something cool to have by your name.”

One statistic which does favour Aussie duo Kurtz and Grajczonek is nationality. For the past decade, the title has been won exclusively by riders from Australia and Sweden.

Among them is Poole’s Chris Holder, who triumphed at Swindon’s Blunsdon headquarters in 2012, the same season he won the Grand Prix series.

Swedish star Freddie Lindgren has been denied the chance to defend the title he won twice on the spin after being frozen out of Wolverhampton’s team-building plans for this year.

Kurtz is heading into the prestigious individual event in flying form having racked up 47 points in Poole's past four meetings.

And his team manager and landlord Neil Middleditch believes the youngster is a serious contender for glory.

Middleditch said: "If Brady makes starts, there are very few people who will pass him. In a meeting of that calibre, you need to be making some starts.

"He has got a good chance. He is riding well and is going into Wednesday on a high, which is nice.

"He has to be one of the pre-meeting favourites but it is a very good field and there are 15 other riders who want to win as well."

The format will see riders compete in 20 qualifying heats, with the top two points scorers reaching the final and the riders placing third to sixth racing in a semi-final.

First and second from the semi will then progress to the closing showdown.

Draw: 1 Chris Harris, 2 Craig Cook, 3 Troy Batchelor, 4 Hans Andersen, 5 Ty Proctor, 6 Sam Masters, 7 Scott Nicholls, 8 Jason Doyle, 9 Josh Grajczonek, 10 Nick Morris, 11 Kyle Newman, 12 Charles Wright, 13 Niels-Kristian Iversen, 14 Jacob Thorssell, 15 Brady Kurtz, 16 Max Fricke.