SIMON Stead believes the Premier League’s finest will present him with a stiff test tonight as he begins his bid to become British champion.

The 28-year-old will take a step towards the national title if he finishes in the top eight of the British semi-final at King’s Lynn, as part of a 16-strong field that includes 10 riders currently plying their trade in speedway’s second tier.

Alongside the likes of Lee Richardson, Chris Harris and Eddie Kennett, Stead will be one of the favourites to make it to the final at Wolverhampton next month, but the Swindon rider, who has started the season in red-hot form, has warned he has no divine right to make it to Monmore Green.

“I’m quietly confident, but you can’t take the Premier League guys for granted, it’s still a tough competition,” he said.

“They are going to be up for it and they have had a lot more track time at King’s Lynn than we have as Elite League riders.

“They will probably start the meeting better set up than we are, so I’ll have to be on it from the start.

“I’ve got to get top eight and first and foremost that’s what I’m go and try to achieve. Anything above that will be a bonus.

“Obviously I’d like to win it or certainly be in the top three, but it’s top eight that counts.”

The winner of next month’s final will secure a berth at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff, but Stead revealed he was not looking that far ahead.

“Cardiff would be a great result come the end of the British final but there’s a long way to go,” he said.

“We’ve seen at Sheffield (in the first semi) that there can be lots of different surprises.

“You only need a couple of engine failures and you’re out of there.

“I just need to make sure I’m going good from the start and clock up the points.”

If Stead does qualify tonight then he will join fellow Robin Jordan Frampton in the line-up for next month’s final, the latter having qualified at Sheffield.

Meanwhile, Stead revealed his disappointment at the shock home defeat to Coventry on Monday, in which he was one of Swindon’s few strong performers with paid 12.

“If you look at the score charts it wasn’t a matter of just one or two of our riders not turning up,” he said. “That was where the problem was, you can’t afford to carry that many in a team.

“It was massively disappointing for us as riders, the fans and obviously the management.

“It’s something that needs to be addressed and improvement needs to be done ASAP.”