KARLSSON, Magnus Erik
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 December 1981, Gullspang, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) Edinburgh; (2003) Edinburgh, Wolverhampton; (2004) Hull, Wolverhampton; (2005-07) Wolverhampton; (2008-09) Scunthorpe.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003 [Edinburgh], 2004 [Hull]; Knock-Out Cup Winner: 2004 [Hull]; Young Shield winner: 2004 [Hull].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Gunnar Karlsson (born: 16 December 1947, Nybble, Sweden). Brother of Peter Karlsson (born: 17 December 1969, Gullspang, Sweden) and Mikael Max (born: 21 August 1973, Amneharad, Gullspang, Sweden).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The youngest of three racing siblings made his official UK debut with Edinburgh in 2002 and, the following year, was a member of the Monarchs' legendary side - that also included the likes of Frede Schott, Peter Carr and Rory Schlein - which won the Premier League Championship. In 2004, he moved to Hull and helped the Vikings secure a glorious treble, again winning the League Championship, as well as the Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield. In both 2003 and 2004, he also ‘doubled-up' alongside his eldest brother, Peter, at top-flight Wolverhampton, before joining the Monmore men on a full-time basis in 2005. However, having had a good first term in their colours, his average slipped backwards in each of the two following years and he decided to return to the Premier League with Scunthorpe, where he enjoyed an upsurge in form. The Scorpions' linchpin missed part of the middle sector of the 2009 campaign through paternity leave and a knee injury, before returning to action on 24 July. Later, following the Kenny Smith Memorial meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway on 23 October, Karlsson confirmed that he would again be lining-up for the Scorpions in 2010.

KARLSSON, Peter Gunnar
DATE OF BIRTH: 17 December 1969, Gullspang, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (1990) Wolverhampton; (1992-97) Wolverhampton; (1999) Wolverhampton; (2000) Peterborough; (2001) King's Lynn, Belle Vue; (2002-03) Wolverhampton; (2005) Peterborough; (2006-07) Wolverhampton; (2009) Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOURS: Nordic Under-21 Champion: 1989; Swedish Champion: 1989, 1991; World Team Cup Champion: 2000; World Cup Champion: 2003, 2004.
CLUB HONOURS: Premiership winner: 1992, 1997 [both Wolverhampton], 2001 [King's Lynn]; Gold Cup winner: 1992 [Wolverhampton]; League Championship winner: 1996, 2002, 2009 [all Wolverhampton]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 1996 [Wolverhampton].
GRAND PRIX HIGHLIGHTS: Challenge Champion: 2000.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Gunnar Karlsson (born: 16 December 1947, Nybble, Sweden). Brother of Magnus Karlsson (born: 28 December 1981, Gullspang, Sweden) and Mikael Max (born: 21 August 1973, Amneharad, Gullspang, Sweden).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Aside from the club honours listed, the Swede also helped Poole to win the Craven Shield in 2002, when he guested for the Dorset side in all three legs of the final against Ipswich and Coventry. Monmore Green hosted a testimonial meeting for ‘PK' on 16 March 2003, when Wolverhampton defeated Kaparna 50-40. Karlsson returned to Wolverhampton once again in 2009, bringing a wealth of experience to the Midlands club. The former Grand Prix regular has long been associated with the Wolves and has spent many past years racing at the intricate Monmore Green raceway. He is a true professional, whose riding style exudes bundles of class and charisma. Regrettably, he sustained a broken collarbone during the Play-Off semi-final versus Lakeside at Monmore Green on 21 September, when he collided with Hammers' reserve Stuart Robson in a spectacular heat eleven spill. Karlsson - the Wolves' skipper and a key rider - subsequently flew back to Sweden for urgent treatment in Gothenburg with a specialist who works with the national football team. Remarkably, the veteran rider returned to action for Wolverhampton in the first leg of the Play-Off final versus Swindon at Monmore Green on 5 October - exactly two weeks after his accident. And, showing trademark on-track craft, he helped the Black Country club cement the Elite League Championship a week later in the second leg at the Robins' Abbey Stadium.

KASPRZAK, Krzysztof
DATE OF BIRTH: 18 July 1984, Leszno, Poland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003-06) Poole; (2007) Lakeside; (2008) Poole; (2009) Belle Vue.
NOTE: Kasprzak joined Swindon at the start of 2004, but is not credited with any official appearances as he rode only in four challenge matches.
MAJOR HONOURS: European Champion: 2003; World Under-21 Champion: 2005; World Under-21 Team Cup Champion: 2005; World Cup Champion: 2007, 2009.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2003, 2004, 2008 [all Poole]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2004 [Poole]; Craven Shield winner: 2006 [Poole].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Zenon Kasprzak (born: 10 May 1962, Poniec, Poland). Brother of Robert Kasprzak (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Kasprzak's spell with Swindon in 2004 was short-lived because of a crash in his homeland. This occurred in the Criterion of Aces individual event at Bydgoszcz on 21 March. He was initially replaced temporarily in the Robins' side by Andy Smith, but the move later became a permanent one for the season. Swindon did try to re-introduce Kasprzak following Rafal Kurmanski's suicide, but the BSPA refused to reduce his grading status and the move was vetoed; (2) The Pole's success in the 2005 World Under-21 Championship was bizarre, to say the least. Both he and Tomas Suchanek were tied on 8 points apiece when the meeting, at Wiener Neustadt, Austria, was abandoned because of adverse weather conditions. Kasprzak subsequently took the title on the toss of a coin!; (3) ‘KK' didn't have a British team berth in 2008, but answered an SOS call to join Poole on a short-term basis after club No. 1 Bjarne Pedersen had sustained a broken wrist in the Craven Shield semi-final at Coventry on 2 May; (4) Kasprzak is a rider who surely has an exciting international future ahead of him.  He was a full-time 2008 Grand Prix competitor and has regularly represented Poland in Speedway World Cup, playing a huge part in their successes of 2007 and 2009.

KATAJISTO, Kalle
DATE OF BIRTH: 24 April 1991, Varkaus, Finland.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Edinburgh; (2009) Edinburgh.
CLUB HONOUR: Play-Off winner: 2008 [Edinburgh].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Katajisto was recommended to Edinburgh by Kaj Laukkenen in 2007 and both riders subsequently linked with the Scottish side in July that year, amid a raft of team changes at Armadale. The young Finn was very inexperienced at the time, but certainly showed plenty of raw nerve as he entertained the knowledgeable Monarchs' supporters. Having missed the 2008 campaign in the UK, Katajisto returned to Edinburgh for a second stint in October 2009, following Byron Bekker's decision to stand down from the side.

KENNETT, Edward David
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 August 1986, Hastings, Sussex.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Rye House, Mildenhall; (2002-03) Rye House, Rye House II, Eastbourne; (2004) Eastbourne; (2005) Rye House, Poole; (2006) Rye House, Eastbourne; (2007) Poole; (2008) Eastbourne; (2009) Coventry.
MAJOR HONOURS: British Under-21 Champion: 2005, 2007.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2008 [Eastbourne].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Dave Kennett (born: 18 April 1952, Farnborough, Kent). Nephew of Gordon Kennett (born: 2 September 1953, Bromley, Kent) and Barney Kennett (15 March 1955, Orpington, Kent).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Following arbitration, it was decided in late April 2009 that Coventry would pay a fee of £29,000 plus VAT for the transfer of Kennett from Eastbourne. This was significantly lower than the initial £80,000 and £40,000 price tags placed by Eagles' boss Bob Dugard. The Bees had reacted quickly to reports that Kennett was looking to move away from Eastbourne in order to improve his all-round riding by being based at a larger home circuit, and his arrival at Brandon very much continued the club's policy of investing in young, talented riders for the future;  (2) Kennett comes from a family steeped in speedway as his father, Dave, and uncles, Barney and Gordon, are all former riders - with the latter famously having finished as runner-up in the 1978 World Final at Wembley.

KERR, Christopher (Chris) Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 28 June 1984, Grass Valley, California, USA.
BRITISH CAREER: (2006) Redcar; (2007) Redcar, Wolverhampton; (2008) Redcar; (2009) Newport, Wolverhampton.
CLUB HONOURS: Young Shield winner: 2007 [Redcar]; League Championship winner: 2009 [Wolverhampton].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kerr received a double fracture to his lower right leg whilst representing Redcar in a Premier Trophy match at Scunthorpe on 30 March 2008. The accident happened on the first bend in heat nine, when the American tangled with Viktor Bergström and both riders were sent flying into the safety fence. The American linked with Newport in 2009 and also joined Wolverhampton in a ‘doubling-up' role. He lost his position at Wolves towards the end of June - being replaced by Lee Complin - but returned within a matter of days in the No. 8 capacity, when he took over from Jesper Kristiansen. The season ended in glory for Kerr, as he was part of the Wolverhampton side that won the Elite League Championship courtesy of a Play-Off final victory over Swindon.

KESSLER, Robert (Robbie)
DATE OF BIRTH: 5 April 1973, Neuwied, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (1994) Sheffield; (1996-97) Sheffield; (1999) King's Lynn; (2000-01) Sheffield; (2002) Hull; (2003) Stoke; (2004) Stoke, Peterborough; (2005-06) Stoke; (2007) Stoke, Redcar, Rye House; (2008) Mildenhall, Coventry; (2009) Redcar.
MAJOR HONOURS: German Under-21 Champion: 1992, 1993.
CLUB HONOURS: Four-Team Championship winner: 2000 [Sheffield]; Premiership winner: 2000 [Sheffield], 2002 [Hull]; League Championship winner: 2007 [Rye House].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Johann Kessler.
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Kessler sustained a broken right arm in a bizarre accident at Mariestad, Sweden on 22 May 2003, when he was hit by a rider-less bike while representing Ornarna in a home match versus Bysarna; (2) Stoke hosted Kessler's testimonial meeting on 27 May 2006, when a four-team tournament resulted thus: Stoke 30, Sheffield 25, Hull 24, Wolverhampton 24; (3) After being released by Stoke in 2007, the German racer had a spell with Redcar, prior to joining Rye House. Unfortunately, his time with the Rockets was short-lived, as he suffered complicated ligament damage to his shoulder after crashing in the opening heat of a home league fixture against Newport on 4 August; (4) Kessler was again injured in 2008, when, in heat nine of a challenge match at Peterborough on 13 March, he suffered concussion and a neck injury; (5) The German aggravated his neck and shoulder injuries when he spun and fell, before being inadvertently struck by the closely following David Howe, during heat three of Redcar's Knock-Out Cup tie versus Scunthorpe at the South Tees Motorsports Park on 13 August 2009. This meant another spell on the sidelines for the popular rider.

KING, Daniel (Danny) Robert  
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 August 1986, Maidstone, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Peterborough II; (2002) Peterborough II, Swindon II; (2003) Peterborough II, Ipswich, Reading, Mildenhall, Arena-Essex; (2004) Ipswich, Mildenhall; (2005) Rye House, Ipswich; (2006) Mildenhall, Ipswich; (2007-08) Peterborough; (2009) Ipswich.
MAJOR HONOUR: British Under-18 Champion: 2004.
CLUB HONOURS: Knock-Out Cup winner: 2003 [Mildenhall]; League Championship winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Premier Trophy winner: 2005 [Rye House]; Elite Shield winner: 2007 [Peterborough].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Jason King (see separate entry).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The current campaign saw the British youngster return to Ipswich, his parent club, after spending two seasons on loan with Elite League rivals Peterborough. In his time away from the Witches, King significantly increased his average and is now an established top division rider. He first rode for the Witches in the 2003 British League Cup competition and then signed on at reserve in 2004. Since then he has made steady improvement and is expected the cement his position as a heat-leader in 2009. He was handed the club captaincy in June, following the decision to release Leigh Lanham.

KING, Jason Gary
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 April 1985, Maidstone, Kent.
BRITISH CAREER: (2000-01) Peterborough II; (2002) Swindon, Swindon II, Peterborough II; (2003) Arena-Essex, Peterborough II; (2004) Mildenhall, Rye House; (2005) Somerset, Newport; (2006-07) Mildenhall; (2008-09) Newcastle.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Daniel King (see separate entry).

KIRBY, Adam
DATE OF BIRTH: 6 February 1995, Boston, Lincolnshire.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) No official appearances.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kirby took his first rides on a 125cc machine at the age of eleven, in September 2006. He moved on to a full scale 500cc steed in February 2008 and continued to practice thereafter. Having originally been the club mascot - and following an injury to Dakota North that led to the Australian's subsequent return home - Kirby was drafted into Mildenhall's re-declaration late in August 2009. However, at just 14 years-of-age, he wasn't permitted to officially appear.

KLINDT, Nicolai
DATE OF BIRTH: 29 December 1988, Outrup, Vestjylland, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008-09) Wolverhampton.
MAJOR HONOURS: Danish Under-19 Champion: 2006; Danish Under-21 Champion: 2006, 2008; European Under-19 Champion: 2007.
CLUB HONOUR: League Championship winner: 2009 [Wolverhampton].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Klindt was unveiled as a Wolverhampton signing on 28 August 2007. The hotly-rated Dane had been linked with Poole and Peterborough but, after spending a day with team manager Peter Adams, he agreed to join the Black Country side. Of course, he had previously  ridden  in the Wolverhampton side as a guest in  the season-opening challenge at Sheffield on 15 March, when he scored 4 points in a narrow 46-44 defeat. Klindt subsequently appeared at Monmore Green on 15 October, when he participated in the Banks's Olympique, scoring 5 points and generally looking a fine prospect in a meeting that was won by Fredrik Lindgren. His Wolves debut occurred a week later, on 22 October, when he was part of the side that defeated Birmingham 55-38 in the first leg of the BBC West Midland Shield. Two days later, he notched 4 points as the Monmore men forced a 45-45 in the return match at Perry Barr Stadium to take victory on aggregate. Prior to that, there was glory for the Danish youngster on the world stage, when he took victory in the final of the European Under-19 Championship at Czestochowa, Poland on 19 August. The meeting saw him race to a 14-point haul to finish ahead of Jurica Pavlic and Filip Sitera on the rostrum. He also battled through to the final of the European Championship, scoring 5 points in the big event at Wiener-Neustadt, Austria on 29 September. The Dane had first appeared in the UK as a sixteen-year-old in 2005, carding a 5-point tally in the Young Guns Championship at Poole on 3 August. He went on to ride in the Scottish Open at Edinburgh, where he accrued a fine 7 points. Team honours came his way when he helped Fredericia to the Division One Championship in Denmark. And, in the World Under-21 Team Cup Final, he registered 5 points as Denmark finished in third position, behind winners Poland and second placed Sweden. In 2006, he again appeared for Denmark in the final of the World Under-21 Team Cup and gave a brilliant display to top-score with 12 points, as his nation replicated their third place finish of the season before, behind Poland and Sweden. Klindt took victory in the Danish Under-21 Championship at Holstebro on 12 August in a meeting that was curtailed by heavy rain. He had been due to face Patrick Hougaard, Kenneth Hansen and Klaus Jacobsen in the ‘A' Final to determine the outcome, however, a crash in the preceding ‘B' Final brought the event to a premature end. Klindt was deservedly declared the Champion because he had topped the scoring in the qualifying heats on 14 points. The year also saw Klindt make another trip to Britain, when he represented the Rest of the World in a challenge match at Swindon on 19 October. The young Danish star is certainly a rider for the future and is tipped by many to be a Grand Prix regular in the coming years. He represented Wolverhampton for a second successive season in 2009 and another term of progression culminated in the Black Country side scooping the Elite League Championship after defeating Swindon in the Play-Off final.

KLING, Ricky Anders
DATE OF BIRTH: 2 June 1987, Virserum, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007-08) Lakeside; (2009) Eastbourne.
NOTE: Kling also appeared for Oxford in 2007, but this is not credited in his career record because the club closed down prematurely, with all their matches expunged from the records.
MAJOR HONOUR: Swedish Under-21 Champion: 2008.CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2009 [Eastbourne].
RIDER LINKS: Son of Anders Kling (born: 18 July 1963, Virserum, Sweden).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Swede linked with Eastbourne in 2009, having spent the previous season with Elite League Play-Off finalists Lakeside. An instant success on joining the UK's top-flight in 2007, Kling's progress was hampered by the mid-season closure of Oxford - the Cowley club's unfortunate demise being a precursor to his full-time move to Lakeside. He stayed with the Hammers until the end of the 2008 season, when it was announced that he would be released on loan due to team-building constraints.

KNIGHT, Jake
DATE OF BIRTH: 13 August 1992, King's Lynn, Norfolk.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) King's Lynn II.
RIDER LINKS: Son of Richard Knight (born: 26 May 1959, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire).
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having made his official debut for King's Lynn's National League outfit on 10 April 2009, Knight was in the wars a little over a month later, on 21 May, when he sustained a broken bone in his left hand in a crash at Bournemouth's Wimborne Road circuit. The injury occurred when he fell in heat two and was accidentally run into by team-mate Rhys Naylor as he manfully attempted to lay his machine down. While he recuperated, Knight was replaced in the Barracudas' line-up by Ricky Scarboro. Once fit to return, that move was reversed, however, with Knight coming back into the King's Lynn squad in place of Scarboro at the end of July.

KORNELIUSSEN, Mads Klit
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 June 1983, Aalborg, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2003-04) Newport; (2005) Newport, Swindon; (2006-08) Swindon; (2009) Peterborough.
CLUB HONOUR: Elite Shield winner: 2008 [Swindon].
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Tim Korneliussen (born: 28 January 1968, Aalborg, Denmark).
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Korneliussen's 2005 campaign was disrupted by a nasty shoulder injury, sustained whilst riding for Newport against Reading in a Knock-Out Cup tie on 17 July. The innocuous appearance of his fall, as he crossed the line to win the opening heat, was deceptive and the severity of the injury kept him out of action for a lengthy period; (2) Having ‘doubled-up' with Swindon in 2005, the popular rider became a full asset of the Robins the following season after a transfer fee had been agreed with then Newport boss Tim Stone; (3) In 2007, the Dane was to suffer the first of two injuries on 7 June, when he broke a hand in a home match for Swindon against Wolverhampton after a defective chain had caused his machine to stop dead, sending him flying forward as he exited the fourth bend in heat nine. Having recovered from that, he was to end the season with his foot in plaster, following a crash during a Danish League match between Holsted and Esbjerg on 8 September. The injury, a broken bone at the bottom of the heel, occurred when Patrick Hougaard, who Korneliussen was chasing, blew an engine causing him to stop dead, with both riders unavoidably piling into the safety fence; (4) Korneliussen, who employs trademark wide-line swoops and a never-say-die attitude - which has earned him plenty of admirers during his time on the British scene - joined Peterborough on loan from Swindon for the 2009 campaign.

KRAMER, Emil Karl Leif
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 November 1979, Mariestad, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2002) King's Lynn, Hull; (2003) Hull; (2004-05) Hull, Oxford; (2006-09) Somerset.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2004 [Hull]; Knock-Out Cup Winner: 2004 [Hull], 2008 [Somerset]; Young Shield winner: 2004 [Hull].
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) Kramer took his initial speedway rides on an 80cc machine at his hometown track, Mariestad, when just 9-yers-of-age. He moved on to a full size steed in 1996, before first venturing to Britain to represent then top-flight King's Lynn. Understandably, he found the going tough at that level and was released in July, being replaced in the side by Slovenian Jernej Kolenko. The following month, Kramer joined Premier League Hull and was to enjoy a fruitful association with the East Yorkshire club, culminating in their treble success of 2004, when the now defunct Vikings clinched the League Championship, Knock-Out Cup and Young Shield; (2) The Swede is now a stalwart of the Premier League and again fills a heat-leader berth for Somerset in 2009, it being his fourth successive season with the Rebels. Kramer is a versatile competitor, who has the ability to ride any size of circuit and, with a shrewd head on experienced shoulders, he provides his side with a solid foundation.

KRISTIANSEN, Jesper Viftrup
DATE OF BIRTH: 27 July 1985, Givskud, Denmark.
BRITISH CAREER: (2008) Stoke; (2009) Stoke, Wolverhampton.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Having made his British debut with Stoke in 2008, Kristiansen lined-up in the Potters' colours for a second term in 2009, a year that also saw him take over from the injured Joe Haines as Wolverhampton's official No. 8 in June. His stay with the Black Country club was brief, however, as he was replaced in the role a matter of days later by Chris Kerr.

KRONER, Tobias (Tobi)
DATE OF BIRTH: 16 October 1985, Dohren, Nr. Bremen, Germany.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Oxford; (2006-09) Ipswich.
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kroner made solid strides in 2008 - in what was only actually his second full season of Elite League racing. Indeed, the German successfully made the transition from reserve into the main body of the team. He initially joined the Witches as a replacement for Jan Jaroš mid-way through the 2006 campaign and has been with the Suffolk side ever since. Prior to that, he made a dozen late-season appearances for Oxford in 2005. Regrettably, his 2009 campaign hit the buffers on 13 August, when he sustained a triple break to his collarbone in the Anglian Pairs meeting at Ipswich. The injury occurred in heat fifteen, when the German and Chris Schramm locked together entering the first turn, with both coming down heavily and Kroner coming off worst from the resultant mêlée. The rider subsequently underwent an operation in his homeland three days later and remained in the country to recuperate.

KSIEZAK, Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 15 January 1987, Pooraka, Adelaide, South Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2005) Edinburgh; (2006-07) Glasgow; (2008) Glasgow, Belle Vue; (2009) Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke.
ADDITIONAL INFO: (1) The former twice runner-up in the Australian Under-16 Championship (2002 and 2003) has Polish and Australian citizenship; (2) His British career began at Edinburgh in 2005, prior to a switch to their Scottish rivals, Glasgow, a year later. He remained with the Tigers for three seasons, the last of which saw him also assume the No. 8 role at Belle Vue; (3) The talented Aussie-born speedster linked with Birmingham for 2009 and, in June, also joined Coventry in a ‘doubling-up' role after the Bees had agreed with the BSPA that Jordan Frampton should stand down following Scott Nicholls' short-term return to the club. However, when Nicholls' spell in the side ended, Ksiezak was replaced in his role with the Bees by the returning Frampton - together with Josh Auty in a ‘doubling-up' capacity - in July. At the tail-end of the same month, it was announced that Birmingham had parted company with Ksiezak after a poor run of scores and that he was to be replaced in their line-up by fellow Australian Rusty Harrison. The rider from Adelaide was without a club for only a matter of days, though, before his services were acquired by Stoke - who had targeted the Aussie the previous winter - to fill the vacancy left by Phil Morris.

KURTZ, Todd William
DATE OF BIRTH: 4 November 1992, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH CAREER: (2009) Newport II.
RIDER LINKS: Brother of Brady Kurtz (born: 27 September 1996, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The young Aussie first started in junior speedway in 2004, becoming a member of the Cowra Motorcycle Racing Club. He also competed in junior rugby league and long-track racing, scooping an impressive collection of state titles along the way in the latter discipline; The highly-rated Kurtz netted 5 points in the 2009 Australian Under-21 Championship, despite suffering some heavy knocks in the meeting. He was subsequently recommended to Newport by club legend Craig Watson and eventually took the place of Jay Pickard in their National League outfit in a June re-declaration. His stay was to last a month or so, with a view to returning in 2010. He was eventually replaced by Marc Owen in late August.

KUS, Matej
DATE OF BIRTH: 11 July 1989, Plzek, Czech Republic.
BRITISH CAREER: (2007) Berwick.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Czech youngster made a successful appearance at Glasgow on 29 October 2006, when he won the Heathersfield Golden Helmet. He was subsequently introduced into the Berwick side late in 2007 but - just two days into his British career - on 9 September, the new recruit, who spoke very little English, awoke in hospital speaking the language fluently after crashing in a league match at Glasgow! This phenomenal tale was actually included in many of the national papers. Suffering from concussion and a leg injury, Kus didn't appear again for the Bandits. The rider agreed to join Poole on a temporary basis late in 2009, in order to participate in home and away challenge matches against Ipswich and Eastbourne. The Pirates had previously looked into the possibility of acquiring the Czech's services after it had become clear that both Jason Doyle and Kyle Legault would be out of action long term, but Kus wasn't able to commit himself at that early stage of the season.

KYLMAKORPI, Joonas Nikolai
DATE OF BIRTH: 14 February 1980, Stockholm, Sweden.
BRITISH CAREER: (2001) Eastbourne; (2002) Ipswich; (2003) Arena-Essex, Eastbourne; (2004) Eastbourne; (2005) Peterborough, Coventry; (2006) Arena-Essex; (2007-09) Lakeside.
MAJOR HONOURS: Swedish Under-21 Champion: 1999; Nordic Under-21 Champion: 2001.
CLUB HONOURS: League Championship winner: 2005 [Coventry]; Knock-Out Cup winner: 2009 [Lakeside].
ADDITIONAL INFO: Kylmakorpi received a 28-day ban from the BSPA in 2005, when he was deemed to have been withholding his services from the Peterborough side. He subsequently saw that season out with Coventry, gaining a League Championship medal with the Bees. After joining Arena-Essex in 2006, the Swedish-born Finn endured a couple of injury-hit seasons as the Thurrock-based club morphed into Lakeside in 2007 and 2008. And he was struck by further misfortune when he suffered a broken elbow in heat fourteen of a league match at Peterborough on 2 April 2009. Having recovered, Kylmakorpi returned to action with the Hammers and went on to represent them in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup final versus Coventry. Unfortunately, he missed the return match due to an operation to have metalwork taken out of his elbow, although he was credited with a winner's medal after the Essex side had completed an aggregate victory.