Peterborough Panthers star ​‘Basho’ Basso reveals the targets he wants to hit

​Ben Basso has been talking about the strain of the losing run, how he and his teammates turned it around and his ambitions for the rest of the season…and how he hit the headlines after a clash with former British Champion and ex-Great Britain skipper Craig Cook earlier this season.

The 21-year-old takes us into the dressing room in our exclusive Class of 2023 column from Holeshot Media.

“It’s been a tough start to the season for all of us without a number one. We have lost a couple of meetings by seven or 10 points which is what a number one would score.

"And if you look around most other number ones in the league are Grand Prix riders so it’s been really tough without Nicki Pedersen, but it does look as if there are moves being made.

“There were some rumours about Peterborough shutting down and we asked about that. I’d heard the rumours as well as everyone else, but we told that they would definitely carry on and I think that has helped.

“We had a team meeting the other night and agreed to start the season over again and I think the motivation is back now.

“There was a lot better team spirit on Monday night and most of us went well, especially Ben Cook, he was unbelievable.

“I rode a season with Ben when I first came to the UK and joined Poole so I know him pretty well and he’s a good lad. He’s had a blast this season in both the Championship and the Premiership.

“I’m doing pretty well at Glasgow where I’m number one in the Championship averages and things have started to turn around at Peterborough, not only for myself, but also the team.

“People expected too much of me and I was finding it tough.

it’s just different tracks and different set-ups and nothing was fitting into place.

“But now we have just had a rethink and I went back to some of the old stuff on Monday night and it seemed to work better for me. The track has been different each meeting and that doesn’t help anyone.

“Things like the moisture in the track can make a difference but hopefully it should be more consistent now and I will know what set-ups are the ones to do.

“Monday night’s win has definitely helped us all. It’s still early in the season and we believe we can turn things around and it will be about time.

“I want to make some good points. I set a target to average over eight points a meeting in the Premiership and over 10 in the Championship and that should be achieveable.

“I always set myself targets and I have almost always achieved them.

“I know some riders keep their goals to themselves, but I have always wanted to tell people about mine.

“It’s about balance, not setting it too high or aiming too low. It’s important, if you set targets you also show you want to do it and want to achieve something instead of just saying I want to score over four or five points a meeting.”

Suprisingly Basso (21) was involved in a fight with Edinburgh’s Craig Cook earlier in the month and his pals have been giving him stick ever since.

He said: “Everywhere I go now, everyone is talking about the ruck I had on the track.

“It was out of character for me to be honest. I’m usually such a calm person. I’ve never done that before in my career, even in junior speedway.

“For just 10 seconds I lost my cool. This can happen I guess. I was knocked off, he also was chatting s***, so I got angry.

“It’s just funny now. That’s why they are calling me ‘Basho’ just to tease me!”