ALUN Rossiter thinks that the Elite League needs to axe the Fast Track scheme.

The Swindon Robins team manager reckons that Monday night’s dramatic 48-42 defeat at Belle Vue Aces highlighted the imbalance in the quality of reserve riders available to teams across the league, with Charles Wright and Australian Robert Branford, who is a temporary replacement for the injured Lewis Rose, outclassed by the Aces’ Stefan Nielsen and Steve Worrall.

Since the beginning of last season, all teams have been allocated two British youngsters that have graduated from the National League to ride at number six and seven, with riders picked up through a pre-season draft.

But with the best picks handed to the teams finishing highest the season before, Rossiter believes the system is subsequently having too much of an impact on results.

“It’s the same problem that we’re going to have when we go to Coventry. There are no riders in it and that’s why the fast-track’s dead and buried,” said Rossiter.

“It’s got to be ditched now because the way it’s working now, there just aren’t enough riders of the same calibre.

“I’ve got to put two riders in on Friday against the two best fast-trackers in the league (Coventry Bees’ Jason Garrity and James Sarjeant).

“It needs moving to the Premier League. We’ve done it in the Elite League, we’ve brought riders on and it’s done good but it’s very frustrating.

“(We gave away) eight points before you even start the meeting at Belle Vue. We got three points and they got 15.

“Really, the top five did their job but we lost it with the reserves. I’m not criticising them but it’s very costly and it just goes to show how important it is.

“It’s not right that reserves win your meetings. It’s got to be balanced and it’s so unbalanced now.”