IT'S time for the handlebar heroes to roar back into action as the new British Speedway season gets underway this weekend.
The winter months have provided plenty of talking points, with plenty of rider movement and the introduction of promotion and relegation play-offs between the top two leagues.
It's hard to predict who will come out on top in the battle for silverware... and that can only be a good thing for the sport.
Once again Sky Sports are on board to broadcast live coverage of league racing throughout the UK, mainly on Monday nights, and the race for the Elite League title is sure to be more wide open than last year.
British Speedway chairman Peter Toogood said: "It's that time of year where there is fresh optimism in the air for everyone, the tapes are about to rise, the nights are getting brighter and the smell of the bikes starts to whet your appetite.
"We're moving forward as a sport, we have made some big decisions in the winter and everyone will be interested to see how it all works out.
"Sky Sports have done a remarkable job in projecting speedway to a wider audience and it's down to us to try and bring new supporters into the sport.
"We also need to enhance our profile within the national print and radio media, at the same time as remaining most grateful to the regional media who give such superb coverage to their local tracks.
"Let the racing commence... and here's to eight months of thrilling, spectacular and exciting speedway racing throughout the UK."
Let's take a look at how the Elite League and Premier League teams line-up... plus the early fixtures...
ELITE LEAGUE:
BELLE VUE Jason Crump Charlie Gjedde Joe Screen Billy Forsberg Steve Boxall Lukasz Jankowski Michal Rajkowski (Robert Ksiezak)
COVENTRY Chris Harris Rory Schlein Simon Stead Olly Allen Billy Janniro Stanislaw Burza Andreas Messing (Ben Barker)
EASTBOURNE Scott Nicholls Lee Richardson Edward Kennett Lewis Bridger Cameron Woodward Simon Gustafsson James Brundle (TBC)
IPSWICH Jarek Hampel Robert Miskowiak Chris Louis Steve Johnston Piotr Swiderski Tobias Kroner Chris Schramm (Robbie Kessler)
LAKESIDE Andreas Jonsson Adam Shields Joonas Kylmakorpi Jonas Davidsson Leigh Lanham Ricky Kling Lubos Tomicek (Chris Mills)
PETERBOROUGH Hans Andersen Kenneth Bjerre Daniel King Sam Simota Morten Risager Claus Vissing Henrik Moller (James Cockle)
POOLE Bjarne Pedersen Davey Watt Chris Holder Karol Zabik Adam Skornicki Zibi Suchecki Freddie Eriksson (Jordan Frampton)
SWINDON Leigh Adams Troy Batchelor Travis McGowan Mads Korneliussen James Wright Sebastian Alden Theo Pijper (Cory Gathercole)
WOLVERHAMPTON Fredrik Lindgren Niels-Kristian Iversen David Howe Ales Dryml Nicolai Klindt Kenneth Hansen Christian Hefenbrock (Chris Neath)
PREMIER LEAGUE:
BERWICK Adrian Rymel Michal Makovsky Norbert Magosi Tero Aarnio Guglielmo Franchetti Adam McKinna TBC
BIRMINGHAM Jason Lyons Kyle Legault Adam Roynon Phil Morris James Birkinshaw Lee Smart Jack Hargreaves
EDINBURGH Ryan Fisher Tomas H Jonasson William Lawson Derek Sneddon Andrew Tully Matthew Wethers Aaron Summers
GLASGOW Shane Parker Robert Ksiezak Trent Leverington Ross Brady Mitchell Davey Josh Grajczonek Lee Dicken
ISLE OF WIGHT Jason Bunyan Cory Gathercole Paul Fry Krzysztof Stojanowski Glen Phillips Andrew Bargh James Holder
KING'S LYNN Tomas Topinka Kevin Doolan Rusty Harrison Shaun Tacey Kozza Smith John Oliver Simon Lambert
MILDENHALL Kaj Laukkanen Robbie Kessler Casper Wortmann Jan Graversen Grant Tregoning Mark Baseby James Cockle
NEWCASTLE Christian Henry George Stancl Josef Franc Jason King Ben Powell Sean Stoddart Jamie Robertson
NEWPORT Craig Watson Sebastian Truminski Marek Mroz Tony Atkin Nick Simmons TBC TBC
READING Mark Lemon Ulrich Ostergaard Chris Mills Tom P Madsen Tomas Suchanek Danny Warwick Jamie Smith
REDCAR Gary Havelock James Grieves Chris Kerr Dan Giffard Josh Auty Ty Proctor Arlo Bugeja
RYE HOUSE Tai Woffinden Chris Neath Stefan Ekberg Tommy Allen Luke Bowen Robert Mere Danny Betson
SCUNTHORPE Richard Hall Magnus Karlsson Andrew Moore Carl Wilkinson Viktor Bergstrom Byron Bekker Benji Compton
SHEFFIELD Andre Compton Ricky Ashworth Ben Wilson Joel Parsons Paul Cooper Lee Smethills Sam Martin
SOMERSET Jason Doyle Emil Kramer TBC Brent Werner Jordan Frampton Simon Walker Stephan Katt
STOKE Lee Complin Emiliano Sanchez Ben Barker Jesper Kristiansen Klaus Jakobsen Barrie Evans Mark Burrows
WORKINGTON Daniel Nermark Kauko Nieminen Carl Stonehewer Scott Smith Charles Wright John Branney Joe Haines
FIXTURES:
SATURDAY MARCH 8: TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 1st leg: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm
SUNDAY MARCH 9: DIAMOND JUBILEE INDIVIDUAL: Poole 3pm SPRING TROPHY 1st leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 2nd leg: Newcastle v Berwick 5.30pm
MONDAY MARCH 10: THAMES VALLEY TROPHY 1st leg: Reading v Rye House 7.30
TUESDAY MARCH 11:
WEDNESDAY MARCH 12: CHALLENGE: King's Lynn v Ipswich 7.30, Poole v Lakeside 7.30,
THURSDAY MARCH 13: CHALLENGE: Ipswich v King's Lynn 7.30, Peterborough v Mildenhall 7.30, Sheffield v Coventry 7.45
FRIDAY MARCH 14: CHALLENGE: Coventry v Sheffield 8pm, Lakeside v Poole 8pm SPRING TROPHY 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
SATURDAY MARCH 15: CRAVEN SHIELD: Eastbourne v Swindon 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Stoke v Newcastle 7.30 THAMES VALLEY TROPHY 2nd leg: Rye House v Reading 7pm
SUNDAY MARCH 16: ALAN HUNT MEMORIAL TROPHY: Birmingham 6pm PREMIER TROPHY: Glasgow v Berwick 3pm, Mildenhall v Rye House 4.30, Newcastle v Stoke 5.30 NICK SIMMONS TESTIMONIAL: Newport 1pm
MONDAY MARCH 17: CRAVEN SHIELD: Wolverhampton v Coventry 7.30 CHALLENGE: Reading v Somerset 7.30
TUESDAY MARCH 18:
WEDNESDAY MARCH 19: PREMIER TROPHY: King's Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
THURSDAY MARCH 20: CRAVEN SHIELD: Peterborough v Lakeside 7.30, Swindon v Eastbourne 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Redcar v Stoke 7.30, Sheffield v Scunthorpe 7.45
FRIDAY MARCH 21: CRAVEN SHIELD: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 11am, Poole v Eastbourne 11am, Coventry v Wolverhampton 8pm, Eastbourne v Poole 7.30, Ipswich v Lakeside 2.30, Lakeside v Ipswich 8pm PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v King's Lynn 7.45, Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, King's Lynn v Birmingham 12pm, Scunthorpe v Sheffield 5pm CHALLENGE: Somerset v Reading 7.30
SATURDAY MARCH 22: PREMIER TROPHY: Berwick v Workington 7pm, Rye House v Mildenhall 7pm, Stoke v Redcar 7.30 CHALFONT COACHES TROPHY 1st leg: Isle of Wight v Reading 7.30
SUNDAY MARCH 23: ELITE SHIELD: Swindon v Coventry 6pm PREMIER TROPHY: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm, Mildenhall v King's Lynn 4.30, Newcastle v Redcar 5.30, Newport v Somerset 3pm CHALFONT COACHES TROPHY 2nd leg: Reading v Isle of Wight 7.30
MONDAY MARCH 24: ELITE SHIELD: Coventry v Swindon 8pm CRAVEN SHIELD: Peterborough v Ipswich 6.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Workington v Berwick 7pm CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Boston 3pm
SUPER 7EVEN SERIES ALMOST HERE...
THE countdown is on the launch of the 2008 Super 7even series... with top Elite League stars doing battle at King's Lynn next month.
The Elite League Pairs Championship will feature the top two riders from top flight clubs - but thanks to a winter of change, the line-up will be different to last year.
Double world champion Jason Crump, who was a winner with Poole last year, has returned to Belle Vue and has a superb record in this competition.
It all takes place at King's Lynn's Norfolk Arena on Saturday, April 5 at 7pm... and once again a bumper crowd is expected to see top Grand Prix stars like Crump, Leigh Adams, Hans Andersen, Bjarne Pedersen - and British duo Chris Harris and Scott Nicholls - do battle.
Super 7even series director Jonathan Chapman said: "The aim is to take the major events forward once again this year after making good progress in the launch campaign last season.
"The Elite League Pairs is a great way to start the series and when you look down the dates and venues there are exciting times ahead for British Speedway fans this season."
The full line-up for the opening event should be known soon... watch this space, or keep checking the websites!
SUPER 7EVEN DATES AND VENUES: ELITE LEAGUE BEST PAIRS: King's Lynn, Saturday April 5 - 7pm BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Arena-Essex, Friday April 25 - 7.30 BRITISH FINAL: Swindon, Thursday May 29 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 27 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Saturday July 26 - 7pm ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham, Wednesday August 20 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 21 - 3.30
