BIRMINGHAM have swooped to sign Purton rider Darryl Ritchings for the 2016 campaign.

The 21-year-old has completed the switch to the National League champions from Midland rivals Coventry which will see him form a powerful spearhead trio alongside Zach Wajtknecht and Tom Perry.

Ritchings spent three years with the Dudley Heathens before moving to the Isle of Wight in 2013 where he was voted their Rider of the Season.

The Wiltshire based racer sustained career threatening injuries while racing for hometown club Swindon in the Elite League in 2014 before making an impressive comeback with the Storm last season.

Ritchings will double-up with Ipswich in the Premier League next term and said: "It really is an honour to sign for Birmingham and I can't wait for my first meeting with the team.

"After doing a number of guest bookings for Cradley at Perry Barr last season, it quickly became one of my favourite tracks.

"I've come close before but I've never actually won the National League.

"I'd love to finally do that next year with Birmingham and with the side we've got, we should have a really good chance of making the play-offs as an absolute minimum."

Team manager Graham Drury added: "Having Darryl as a third, out-and-out, genuine heat-leader gives us so much strength," Drury commented.

"I could have gone for two middle order riders, but Darryl's attitude, enthusiasm, professionalism and ambition really impressed me and I simply had to have him in my team.

"You know what you're going to get from Darryl week in, week out - he's a solid, reliable rider and I'm confident he's going to have a big year with us and he can have a big say in our title chances in 2016 I'm sure."

Ritchings, who made one guest appearance for Swindon last season, was put into a medically induced coma just 19 months ago after a horror crash at the Abbey Stadium.

The Swindon asset's berth at Ipswich was confirmed after new rule brought in at British Speedway's AGM, where at Premier League level, every team must track a British rider who is eligible for the National League in the number seven berth, on a three-point average.