PIRATES mascot Brendan Johnson admits the lure of regular racing was too tempting to resist, after joining Conference League outfit Oxford.

The 15-year-old quickly became one of British speedway's hottest commodities with some high scoring guest appearances in the third tier.

A 14-point haul for Rye House at Hoddesdon on Saturday, July 14 left the Raiders fighting the Cheetahs and Buxton for his signature.

But just 24 hours later, Johnson moved fast to put pen to paper on an Oxford contract and joined the Allen Trump revolution at Cowley.

Rumours on the South Coast were linking him with a move to Weymouth, until Wildcats signed Poole asset Jay Herne.

However, Johnson is delighted to have been offered a Cheetahs reserve berth and is striving for plenty more double figure returns this season.

He said: "Oxford proved they wanted me from day one and guaranteed me a team spot every week.

"The spirit in the camp is great and when I was guesting for them before I signed, all their riders were constantly helping me during the meetings.

"I also get on well with team manager Peter Oakes and working with him has been a huge bonus.

"I didn't think I'd be ready for the Conference League at first.

"But things have started well and now I would like to get double figures consistently towards the end of the year."

Johnson is quickly making himself at home at Cowley and bagged five points against Weymouth on his full Oxford debut on July 15.

He then made an impressive return to Dorset, scoring seven paid eight in the return leg at the Wessex Stadium last Friday.

This will be far from Johnson's last appearance on the South Coast this season, however.

The starlet will still be appearing in Poole and Somerset colours as part of the clubs' academy teams.

However, the teenager admits the constant cancellation of the training league fixtures has been a big concern as he seeks to build his racing experience.

"We were arriving for meetings and often, the tracks had run out of time or clubs were turning up with small teams," Johnson added.

"It was turning out to be a shambles and I wanted competitive riding week in, week out.

"This meant the Conference League was the way to go but I'll still be able to complete all the Poole fixtures."

Next year marks another huge milestone for Johnson, as he will become eligible to sign as a club asset.

And although the Poole-based star is yet to give his word to any prospective promoter, he admits home is where his heart is.

He added: "I think I might have a few clubs on the phone asking me to sign up.

"But I'm a Poole lad and I'd love to become an asset to Pirates - that would be my dream."