Oxford Spires will be looking to pick up three points when they host league leaders Belle Vue Aces at Oxford Stadium for the first time in 17 years.

The ROWE Motor Oil Premiership points up for grabs at 7.30 pm on Thursday, May 23, include two for victory and an additional aggregate bonus point, after Belle Vue defeated Spires 51-39 on May 13.

The Aces' recent victory over King's Lynn saw them move to the top of the table.

They boast the record as the most successful team in British Speedway history, with 11 top-flight league titles under their belt.

But Oxford Spires too have a respectable track record, with five top-flight championships to their name.

Thursday night will be the first clash between the two clubs at Sandy Lane since 2007.

Spires will field an unchanged team from last Monday, featuring Craig Cook, who will be making his home debut following strong away performances at Sheffield and Belle Vue.

Oxford Mail: Oxford Spires rider Craig CookOxford Spires rider Craig Cook (Image: Dave Payne)

It will also be the first home meeting since Australian Champion Rohan Tungate moved to no 1 for Spires.

British Grand Prix star Dan Bewley leads the Belle Vue team and will be making his first appearance at Oxford Stadium.

Bewley won the 2022 British GP at Cardiff and is currently sixth in the world standings after three rounds in 2024.

Manager Peter Schroeck said: "The boys go into the meeting knowing exactly what we need to do.

"It’s essential to win your home meetings, that’s the minimum, while we haven’t ruled out the aggregate bonus point by any means because I feel we’re more than capable of pulling back the 12 points."

He acknowledged the differences in track compared to the reverse fixture, and how it could be an advantage for the his team.

Schroeck continued: "Our track is very different to Belle Vue, plus four of their side haven’t ridden around our track before.

"Our track is very fair and it’s a track that many visiting riders enjoy, but we’ll be looking to be firing from the off and pulling those points back."

He added: “Belle Vue are a big club, full of speedway history, and the Aces haven’t been at Oxford for many years.

"It will be a fabulous occasion to have Dan Bewley and the rest of the Aces competing at Oxford Stadium, but we’re keen to send them back to Manchester with no league points to show for their efforts."

Tickets are on sale on the Oxford Speedway website, with adult tickets costing £22, or £24 if bought on race day, while all under-16s can enter for free.