TROY Batchelor is itching to finally fire up his engine in 2019 when Swindon Robins get their SGB Premiership season under way on Monday night.

Swindon were due to face their season opener at the newly-laid Abbey Stadium track tonight, only for the scheduled meeting against Belle Vue Aces to be postponed at the start of the week as the club seek to add finishing touches to the circuit revamp.

Alun Rossiter’s side instead now begin the campaign away at Wolverhampton Wolves on Monday, and that kick-starts a hectic early run.

The first home meeting at the Abbey will now be against Poole Pirates on Thursday, April 18, with the Robins then travelling back to Wimborne Road the following day.

Swindon then face a fourth meeting in eight days as they report back to Blunsdon on Easter Monday for the visit of Ipswich Witches in the Premiership Supporters Cup.

Australian Batchelor has found competitive time on track hard to come by both in the UK and overseas so far, and therefore cannot wait to finally get going.

“We’re starting the season a bit later than we planned and we haven’t really had a chance to ride in this country yet, so we will just see how it goes on Monday,” said Batchelor.

“We’re diving straight in at the deep end and Wolves are always a strong team at home. It is going to be a good test to see where we are at.

“I don’t think we’re going to see everything we are capable of on Monday and we will definitely still have some stuff to work on. If we can grab a point, that’ll be good.

“I have been busy in Poland, but I have had a bit of a rough time trying to get race meetings in. I have done some practice and got in whatever meetings I can here and there.

“Next week we are quite busy. We have meetings on Monday, Thursday and Friday with Swindon, then I am off to Poland, and then back to Swindon for Monday again.

“We are going to be straight into it, so that is good. I am feeling sharp and I am raring to go.”

Batchelor hopes to get some track time in at the new Swindon circuit before next week’s first home league meeting against Poole.

The 31-year-old believes any additional laps could make a big difference when it comes to establishing an early advantage at the Abbey.

“Hopefully we will get a chance to do some laps before the first home meeting. Sometimes you only need a few laps to find out a lot and that might count for a few points,” said Batchelor.

“A lot of times, we go to tracks that we have never even seen before and go straight to the tapes, so this is not something new to us.

“We are not the only ones who won’t have ridden it – it’s the same for everyone. So if we can get a few laps in, it could end up being a great advantage to have a track that no one else has ever ridden.”