Stars sign Boughen as new ‘hot prospect’

King’s Lynn Stars has signed hot prospect Ashton Boughen to take their Rising Star position in next season’s ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.The 17-year-old Norfolk racer is regarded as one of Great Britain’s best hopes for the future, and the move to the PSH Environmental Stars brings him to his local club.Boughen is a relatively recent convert to speedway, having only raced for the first time just over two years ago. 2024 has been his first full season at the professional level.He has raced for Oxford this year where he showed plenty of glimpses of his talent, including a remarkable ride to defeat former World Champion Jason Doyle at Ipswich.The Stars needed to make a new selection for their Rising Star berth in 2025 because the impressive scoring of Anders Rowe this year means he is now outside the criteria for the scheme, with an average in excess of 4.00.They had a second choice in the selection process, which was carried out in reverse finishing order from this year, and they moved for Boughen who was available after Birmingham picked former Lynn rider Jason Edwards.Manager Rob Lyon said: “We were in a position where we knew we had to get a new Rising Star, which was the case for ourselves and Ipswich, and once we knew who was available in the pot depending on what Birmingham ended up doing, our first choice was Ashton. “He’s local, which I think is a major benefit and he will be someone the fans can relate to, and it’s fair to say he’s one of the most promising 17-year-olds in the country given his progress this year. “I think it’s an exciting acquisition, and we look forward to working with him and helping him improve even further.“Sometimes you can go for the tried and trusted but other times you go for a signing with huge potential, and I think that’s what we’ve done here.
“Ashton was very keen to be involved, and it’s a fresh rider at No.7 who I think the fans will be able to really get behind.”Stars are working on all other aspects of team building for 2025, and the club expect to be able to provide further updates after the sport’s AGM next month.