Kim’s a Hammer

The Lakeside Hammers will return to home Elite League action with a new face in the line up as the Club are delighted to announce the signing of Swedish Under 21 International Kim Nilsson.

Nilsson will join the team on Friday 22nd July for the home fixture against the Poole Pirates and will join the Club initially on loan from Newport with a full transfer to follow before the end of the season.
He will be present at the Club’s National League meeting this Friday, 15th July, and will practice at the track, having flown in on Thursday to prepare his equipment.

Kim started the season in Britain with Newport in the Premier League before leaving to concentrate on his dual Swedish League commitments where he is enjoying a good season. In the Swedish top division, the Elitserien League, he rides for Vargarna, the same team as Hammers Captain Lee Richardson, along with Nicki Pedersen, Krzysztof Kasprzak and Tai Woffinden amongst others. In the second division, the Allsvenskan League, he competes for Rospiggarna, who include in their squad current Hammer Kauko Nieminen and former Hammers Andreas Jonsson and Andreas Messing. He comes to the Club on the recommendation of both Lee Richardson and Jonas Davidsson.

Kim commented from his home in Sweden on his move to the Hammers by stating: “I am delighted to be joining Lakeside in the Elite League. I have heard lots of good things about the Club and the fans from JD (Jonas Davidsson) and I can’t wait to get racing for them on the 22nd”.

Explaining the change Co Promoter Jon Cook said: “We have been keen to bring Kim to the Club for a couple of years having first been aware of his talent via Joonas Kylmakorpi a fair while back and we felt that now was the perfect time for rider and Club to make this move. Our hope is that Kim gives our season the kick it needs whilst at the same time we are bringing into the Club another young rider for the future.

“We are putting in place the backroom team Kim will need to succeed at this level and we felt it important to get him over in World Cup week to gain track time ahead of a tough opener against the Pirates. The timing of this move is that our Thursday away fixtures, which clash with his Swedish second League meetings, end the night before the Poole match and we will be adjusting our double up positions from two, as they currently are, down to one to accommodate this move.

“Who makes way is likely to be determined by availability as the Premier League fixture list has proved problematic so far and is likely to continue when it’s redrawn for August and September. We are also still actively working on another change, should it be necessary, having agreed a deadline with Adam Shields of next week to decide if he will attempt a return this season.”