Hammers get new sponsor.

Arena-Essex Speedway Promoter, Ronnie Russell, has announced in the latest edition of the Sport's weekly magazine, The Speedway Star, that the Hammers will have a new main team sponsor for the 2006 season.

Duggo 7, a London based film production company run by Stuart Douglas, will take over from Husqvarna as the Club's main sponsors for next year.

Duggo 7 have previously been involved in sponsorship in British Superbikes and the Essex based Club have now managed to bridge the gap between Superbikes and Speedway. Stuart Douglas, who first watched Speedway at Rayleigh, has a passion for motorcycle sport and Ronnie Russell has witnessed that enthusiasm through their conversations and meetings.

Husqvarna will continue as associate sponsors but the Hammers boss believes that the arrival of Duggo 7 has personally given him a new lease of life.

Russell has said: "The more times I speak and meet with Stuart, the more people he is introducing me to from the Superbike world, which is fantastic for Arena-Essex Speedway.

"He is so keen and enthusiastic and I find myself getting excited with him. Stuart has told me that if he is able to make the difference between us running or not running in 2006 he would rather support us than the Superbikes. This sponsorship deal is purely down to Stuart's passion for motorsport and I am delighted to have him on board. Next season we will be called 'The Arena-Essex Hammers powered by Duggo 7.'

"Husqvarna stepped in last year as our main sponsors and served us proudly. I am very thankful to them and am pleased that they are staying on in 2006 as associate sponsors."

The Hammers boss is now in Tenerife for the BSPA Annual Conference and more details are likely to be made available when he returns back to this Country. One of the major discussion areas will be deciding the team building structure for the Elite League in 2006. Until this has been decided upon Ronnie Russell will not be in a position of confirming the team that will represent the Club next season.

However, one piece of news that he was made aware of just prior to flying out of the Country was that Russian, Sergey Darkin, has finally had the long awaited operation on his collarbone. The operation took place last Tuesday in a Russian Hospital and it is hoped that he is now back home with his family. In a telephone conversation with his UK mechanic Darkin stated that he will be able to start exercising within a month and that he expects to be fully fit by the time the 2006 season is due to start.