WHILE Darryl Ritchings’ main focus is on scoring points in his first season of Elite League racing, the Purton teenager also has lofty targets as he begins another campaign in British speedway’s bottom division.

As well as riding for the Robins, the youngster has switched National League clubs to ride for the King’s Lynn Young Stars in the bottom tier, while he is also hoping to secure some Premier League racing by the end of the season.

Ritchings has a simple goal when it comes to riding for Swindon - scoring as many points as possible - but when it comes to the Young Stars he wants to be at the top of the tree by the end of 2014.

“My goals for Swindon are to simply score as many points as I can for the team and to try and stay in the side all season, if I can do that I’ll be very happy,” he said.

“In the National League I want to be number one for the Stars by the end of the season and if I can do that I want to be trying to get some rides in the Premier League.

“If I can do that then I will be racing every night of the week pretty much but that’s what I want to do. You have to make those sacrifices to be a speedway rider.”

Ritchings and his partner Shelby are proud parents of nine-month-old daughter Poppy, but the young rider insisted fatherhood hasn’t changed the way he approaches his racing.

“I don’t think Poppy has changed me at all because I keep my family life very separate, but it has made me even more determined to do it for her and to do the best I can,” he said.

“It doesn’t change the way I ride either because I block everything out. I’m here to do a job and if there’s a gap there for me to go for then I will do it, nothing’s changed.

“My parents and brothers have made sacrifices in life to get where we are today so if I can make them proud I will be so, so happy.”