Workington Comets star Ricky Wells wants to prove to the doubters that he is the team’s definitive No1 as his side target a late-push for the play-offs.

The American has been in scintillating form in his second season in blue and white, scoring highly home and away and proving to be arguably Comets’ most consistent performer.

Wells makes his No1 debut in place of Kyle Howarth against his old club Sheffield tomorrow (7pm start) before forming part of Comets’ quartet for the Premier League Fours at Peterborough on Sunday.

The ambitious rider is itching to show he is heat-leader material after his meteoric rise from a slow start to his Workington career and is adamant he won’t surrender the top spot without a fight.

“It was one of my goals at the beginning of this year so I’m happy to have been able to achieve that,” he said.

“I’d like to keep hold of it for the rest of the year. The top three of Kyle, Rene Bach and me is really close so it’ll be a good battle but there’s no reason why I can’t stay there.

“Personally I just want to keep it up, finish over an 8.00 average and prove I’m a No1.

“I read something in the programme at Glasgow the other week saying that Workington don’t have a No1, so I’d like to prove that we do.

“It’s kind of a reward for a good start to the season I guess but now I hope we can make a late push for the play-offs.

“We’re in seventh place with matches in hand so it’s a very reachable target and if we can continue our home form and pick up a few points on the road we should be up there.

“I feel like the whole team is quicker already and the golden rule in speedway is if you stay unbeaten at home you have a decent chance.”

The four-man team of Bach, Rusty Harrison, Howarth and Wells, with Kenneth Hansen at reserve, have been drawn with Edinburgh, Ipswich and the hosts in the Premier League Fours.

They will hope to go one better than last year’s runners-up finish and Wells is expecting stiff competition if they are to achieve a record sixth win in the competition since speedway returned to the town in 1999.

“It’s a track I normally go quite well at so it should be fun,” he said.

“I think we have a pretty strong team but we’re in a tough group and when you’re in a competition like this one it’s always difficult.

“We’ll aim for the semi-finals and take it from there.

“It’s a long, drawn-out meeting so you can’t go there with your usual set-ups and routines, which keeps it interesting.”

Meanwhile, the kids-for-a-quid promotion will continue tomorrow until schools resume – children between five and 15 accompanied by an adult can get in for £1.