Workington Comets have pulled out of the 2025 National Development Trophy competition.
British Speedway said Leicester have stepped in and will run teams in the trophy and National Development League competitions in parallel.
The National Trophy competition was set up for 2025 to run alongside the NDL. The two competitions will have the same points limit and regulations, but they will run as separate entities.
It is possible for riders to sign both for a club in the NDL and also a club in the National Trophy – maximising their track time and almost doubling their meetings at this level compared with 2024.
Workington were among the teams listed for the National Trophy at the end of November, but it has now been revealed that they will not compete.
Leicester will join Birmingham, Kent Eagles, King’s Lynn and Plymouth in a league which provides four home and four away fixtures for riders, many of whom also have team places in the NDL.
Leicester’s inclusion in the NDT does not change any of the one-to-sevens already announced by other teams in the competition, and they have selected from riders available at the time of their entry.
British Speedway chairman Rob Godfrey said: “With the timing of Workington making their decision, it was too late to move one of the (six) teams in the NDL across to the NDT, because they’d all already started or completed building their teams by then.
“However, Leicester put up their hands straightaway and said they were willing to run two teams, and we’re grateful to them for solving what would have been an imbalance.
“It still gives more riders more track time, which is exactly what we’re looking to achieve – it fits what they want to do, and it fits what everyone wants to do.
“It puts the NDT back to where we were originally, with five teams competing, and geographically it probably fits as well, so this is a positive outcome for all concerned.”
