PIRATES racer Brady Kurtz eased fears over his hip injury and insisted there was "no doubt" he would be fit to start the new season.

Kurtz suffered considerable discomfort after colliding with new Poole team-mate Jack Holder in Saturday's Australian Under-21 Solo Championship.

A subsequent scan revealed no broken bones but Kurtz sought a second opinion from a physiotherapist, who concurred with the original diagnosis of bruising.

Kurtz told the Daily Echo: "The physio told me I had bruised the bone in the exact spot where the muscles join the hip and that's why it has caused so much pain.

"There is not a great deal of treatment to heal the bruise but I'll be doing everything to sort it out as quickly as possible.

"I'm in no doubt at all that I'll be 100 per cent come the start of the season."

The 20-year-old has pulled out of Darcy Ward's benefit meeting Down Under, which is due to take place a week tomorrow.