King’s Lynn have pulled off the headline signing of Polish ace Tobiasz Musielak to take their No.1 berth next season.
Musielak, part of the title-winning Sheffield squad this year, is a spectacular racer and proven race winner who has often shown his liking for the Adrian Flux Arena in the past.
And the Stars are also delighted to welcome back popular Dane Michael Palm Toft, who is expected to be a key member of the side free of the injuries that have blighted his past two seasons.
Musielak, 30, spent two successful seasons at Owlerton having previously won the Premiership title with Swindon on two occasions, although his 2023 campaign came to an early end when he suffered a broken tibia in a crash in his home country in mid-September.
But after being released by the Tigers, his record at the AFA – where his five visits have produced scores of 13, 12, 12+1, 13+2 and 8+2 – made him an obvious target to spearhead the new-look Stars line-up, coming in on an average of 8.69.
Team manager Rob Lyon said: “Tobi is a quality performer, he likes England and I think he’s proved over the last two years with Sheffield what a threat he is and what a good, solid top-end rider he is.
“He’s racy, determined and hard, and that’s what King’s Lynn are looking for to lead the team at No.1.
“I’m delighted to have him on board – he’s been very professional throughout the negotiations, and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
Palm Toft becomes the second member of the 2023 side to return next year, along with Rising Star Anders Rowe, although in the case of MPT it was an injury-plagued campaign which saw his average drop to 5.13.
He missed eight matches in mid-season after crashing out of the win over King’s Lynn in mid-June, but prior to that accident he had been scoring at an average of just under seven.
Lyon said: “Michael can be a bit of an enigma at times, but what we’re really hoping for is an injury-free season for him, because he’s had two bad injuries in the last two seasons that without a doubt have hampered his scoring.
“I think it’s fair to say he came back too early this year, but if we can get him back to his Peterborough 2021 form, which is only two years ago, he will be part of what should be a really solid side.
“I do feel he goes under the radar a little, because we analysed all of his stats and even last year before he was injured he was averaging 6.89, and that was riding predominantly at No.5 home and away.
“When he came back he was still at No.5, which made it even more difficult for him, so because of that he’s on a lower average than you’d expect for a rider of his ability, and if we can get him back up to 6.50-7.00, or possibly a bit higher if he pushes hard, we’ll be on to a winner.”
Musielak and Palm Toft join Benjamin Basso and Niels-Kristian Iversen along with Rowe as Rising Star in the 2024 line-up, with the remaining two riders to be announced shortly.
All signings are subject to approval and appropriate paperwork, with the full one-to-seven to be ratified by BSP Ltd.
