PIRATES will look to continue their title-winning form as they travel to Oxford for the first leg of the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final.

Poole sealed the BSN Series title on Wednesday at Wimborne Road with a comfortable 110-70 victory over Scunthorpe, but the Grand Final is the season’s main target.

Saturday’s first leg precedes Poole’s home leg next Wednesday, with Poole promoter Danny Ford calling the final ‘the big one’ of the Dorset outfit’s season.

Pirates number one Richard Lawson, who secured a paid maximum in the BSN Series final second leg, said it was good for Poole riders to be involved in other meetings between that meeting and this Saturdays’.

Skipper Ben Cook lined up for Belle Vue against Sam Hagon and Lawson for Leicester in the deciding leg of the Premiership final, with Cook’s Aces clinching the title.

Tom Brennan is in action tonight in Pardubice, racing in the GP Challenge, which, if he finishes in the top four, would be a pathway to next year’s GP Series.

Lawson said: “I think it is good that in the build up to the Grand Final we have fixtures to race as it can really keep the confidence going and we have plenty of that as a team right now.”

Poole make the trip to Sandy Lane aiming to put themselves in a good position for the concluding leg at Wimborne Road on Wednesday.

Pirates have made the trip to Oxford twice this season, gaining a league draw and a narrow one-point defeat in the group stages of the BSN Series.

This form at the OX4 venue, combined with their current nine meeting unbeaten run, five of which have been away from home, means Pirates carry confidence into the night.

Oxford (TM Peter Schroeck): 1: Sam Masters; 2: Cameron Heeps; 3: Ashton Boughen; 4: Dan Gilkes; (Guest); 5: Scott Nicholls (Capt); 6: Luke Killen; 7: Jody Scott (Guest).

Poole (TM Neil Middleditch): 1: Richard Lawson; 2: Sam Hagon; 3: Ben Cook (Capt); 4: Zach Cook; 5: Tom Brennan; 6: Tobias Thomsen; 7: Vinnie Foord.