PIRATES are finally set to get on track together this summer – more than two months after the SGB Championship campaign had been due to begin.

The Wimborne Road outfit are planning to hold a behind-closed-doors practice session for five of their riders later this month.

The date and location of the host track is yet to be disclosed but the Daily Echo understands the session will not be held at Wimborne Road.

Co-promoter Danny Ford is also set to be in attendance as the majority of Pirates’ septet meet for the first time since a team-bonding trip to owner Matt Ford’s Chateau La Briance at the start of March.

Danny Ford told the Daily Echo: “It will be great to see the guys on track and I know from their point of view they are absolutely buzzing for it.

“They are champing at the bit. They cannot wait to get out on track, put on their new kevlars and hone their skills a little bit.

“It will be the first live speedway I have seen since last year, so myself personally, I am very excited to go and see some bikes going round.

“We have built a really good team morale and talk most days between us in the group chat. I am sure that morale would have stuck and it will be good for them to dust off the cobwebs.”

The British speedway season is yet to be given the green light to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic – but league chiefs remain cautiously optimistic a campaign could happen.

If the sport can resume in 2020, the Daily Echo also understands Pirates will look to stage a press and practice day ahead of the start of the season, should they be able to fit it into their schedule.

Pirates skipper Danny King got on track for a practice session at Leicester on Saturday, and Danny Ford admitted seeing riders back on track showed “light at the end of the tunnel”.

“It makes us all wet the appetite a little bit,” he added. “It makes us even more hungry to get out there and put on a show.

“There are still hurdles to go and a fair way to go and we know that.

“Obviously all the social distancing will have to be in effect when we do eventually get the green light but it’s encouraging.

“At least we can see there may be some light at the end of the tunnel, finally.”