Will Russian ace Vadim now live up to his 'Go Go Tarasenko' nickname?

Russian racer Vadim Tarasenko top-scored for the city side on his British debut, scoring 12 points in their Monday night defeat against Premiership champions Belle Vue.

And the 29-year-old newcomer took time out, after his sit-up-and-take-notice performance that had fans hailing a new hero, to talk about the reasons he wanted to race in England, his lofty ambitions for the future and what made him smile about his film star welcome from fans.

“It’s cool for me to come to England,” Tarasenko enthused. “It’s very new for me and a big challenge and I am excited about it.

“I was very happy to sign a contract at Peterborough and finally come to this country.

“I flew from Poznan to Manchester and I feel ready to do well for my club.

"It’s good for me to have extra races on my bike in England. This is good for my career.

“I spoke with Artem Laguta (fellow Russian) after his debut for King’s Lynn.

"He said ‘it’s so different’ and I said ‘cool, I want to try!’

“Emil (Ipswich Witches Russian ace Sayfutdinov) also told me it will be okay.

"I just can’t wait to ride all the tracks in the UK and enjoy them all.

“I am very happy to come to England to race because I’ve not done this before and I’ve wanted to come for some time.

“It’s been amazing so far. Everywhere I go everyone wants a photo and to speak to me.

"That is an incredible feeling. This makes me have a super-smile and makes me very happy.

“It was a good start for me.

"I have my engine from Poland and a mechanic in England so things worked well which was really good for me.

“I wanted a work permit and visa to come to England a long time ago.

“I had a Russian passport before so it was difficult. But when I was 20 I wanted to race over here, so to finally get here is a big dream for me.

“When I started in the Polish League, I started to speak more English and then I had a Polish passport which made this move possible for me.

“I wanted to come to England because I think this will be a good school for me.

“In Poland the tracks are similar, but I feel I can learn so much more for my career in England. I think that can help me go to the next level.

“Obviously the aim is to race in the Grand Prix.

"It’s a complicated situation. We (Russians) can only ride in the league racing. Hopefully we can go into the qualification for the GP very soon.

“I remember the nickname (people in England gave me) a few years ago of ‘Go, Go, Tarasenko’ when I was in the World Cup in 2017.

“But I didn’t live up to my nickname then, I made too many mistakes when I was younger. Maybe now I can be better and that nickname will then be good for me!”

Tarasenko will make his home debut next Monday (June 26, 7.30pm) when Panthers take on Belle Vue Aces in the return of Monday’s clash in Manchester.