POOLE Pirates asset Kyle Newman reckons his upturn in fortunes can be the catalyst behind two title assaults as the speedway season approaches its final stretch.

The Dorset charger raised the bar with a paid maximum against Leicester last week, despite not winning any of his four heats.

That eight paid 12 return in the Elite League followed on from a pair of impressive displays in Plymouth’s pair of second-tier thumpings of Somerset, ending the Rebels’ two-year unbeaten home run.

And having reclaimed the number-one race jacket at the Premier League Devils, the Poole-raised 23-year-old is confident he can influence the bids of his respective clubs.

Newman told the Daily Echo: “Against Leicester, I made some good starts without having good speed so we changed a few things during the meeting. Then I had good speed without the starts but I made a few good passes, which was nice.

“Overall, we are starting to see the improvement and I am feeling far more comfortable on the bike.

"We didn’t change a lot, I just had to ride out of it which is all you need sometimes.

“When you’re relaxed and enjoying it, you just seem to score points so hopefully, we can keep it going.”

On his nine-point haul at Somerset, Newman added: “I think that match might be talked about for some time! It was a fantastic result and at Plymouth, things are starting to gel now.

“I think we definitely have a shot at the play-offs down there. It will be a challenge because we have a lot of tough teams to face but we’re on a bit of a run and showing what we can do, so why not? I really think we can make it.

“Improving my average in the Premier League is an important part of the bigger picture so hopefully, I can keep banging in the points and stay top of the pile there.”

Newman has also taken on a position with Polish League One club Gniezno.

They were thumped 69-20 at Rybnik on his debut but Newman top scored for the visitors with seven points. Dakota North racked up five for Rybnik.

In Poland’s top tier, Maciej Janowski amassed 17 from six rides for Wroclaw but still finished on the losing side in their 47-43 defeat at Tarnow in the Ekstraliga.

Chris Holder got nine and Kacper Gomolski four as Torun were edged out 46-44 on home shale by Leszno. Pirates asset Darcy Ward supplied a whopping 20 points from seven rides as Zielona Gora lost 48-42 in Gorzow.