ACCORDING to Brady Kurtz, improving is about listening to the right people. And Pirates' rising star appears to have found just the man in Jason Crump.

The 20-year-old idolised the former Poole charger when growing up Down Under but little did he know his flame-haired compatriot would one day be part of Team Kurtz.

In his first full season in the Elite League, Kurtz was a guinea pig for Crump, the teenager using the oil developed by the 41-year-old's company – C4 Industries – on his own bikes as he helped Poole reach the play-off semi-final.

Triple world champion Crump, co-owner of the Queensland-based business, also provided Kurtz with plenty of encouragement alongside sponsorship, which was gratefully received.

Reflecting on his embryonic career, Kurtz told the Daily Echo: "A lot of people give you advice and you have to learn to listen to the right people while having your own opinion as well.

"Jason has had a lot to say and has had a pretty big influence on what I have done. I don't think there's anybody better from Australia that you could listen to.

"I was actually sponsored by him this year and what he's done is pretty cool. He made his own oil and I was pretty much the first person to start testing it out. Anything like that is a help no matter what it is."

Motorbikes have been an interest of Kurtz's for most of his life, a situation he felt was inevitable given the leaning of older brother Todd towards two wheels and speedway in particular.

As a junior he rode regularly at Kurri Kurri and Somersby and became thick as thieves with Jack Holder – the younger brother of Pirates favourite Chris – a friendship he has maintained until the present day.

Kurtz said: "I've been riding bikes since I was about four or five. Back in Australia, racing flat track on motocross bikes is pretty massive and I did that for five or six years and then started in junior speedway.

"I'm not sure how it came about but Todd was already racing so it was going to happen, I guess. My dad used to race a little bit as well so when I was growing up, that was all I really knew.

"Me and Jack pretty much grew up together. Ever since I turned up to the speedway track, me and him have been best mates. He lived a couple of hours away from me but we always raced at the same meetings.

"It's pretty cool that we're both here in England now."

When he was not aboard a speedway bike, New South Wales-born Kurtz was watching others riding their own machines.

He followed the Elite League intently from the other side of the world and then, having served his apprenticeship at Somerset, became part of it with Pirates.

Kurtz said: "When I started watching the Elite League, I'm pretty sure Chris was just kicking off at Poole. I was always a massive fan of him, Leigh Adams, Jason Crump and all the Aussie riders.

"They used to show the Elite League repeats at a good time of night on Aussie TV. It's pretty cool that I spent so long watching the Poole team when I was younger and now I've spent a season in it.

"I'm sure the first few Elite League meetings this season were a bit surreal but after that it became more normal. I can't think of a better place I could have have ended up."