DENTON-based Carl Stonehewer has admitted: ''This season has been murder but I'll be back for more.''

The ex-Belle Vue rider, now kingpin at Workington, goes to Krsko in Slovenia on Saturday for the dog-eat-dog Grand Prix Challenge meeting.

Riders who finished out of the top 10 in the World championship, including Belle Vue's Peter Karlsson and Matej Ferjan, face qualifying round survivors which brings in Aces' colleagues Jason Lyons and Kaj Laukkanen.

Stonehewer, 29, just missed out on a top-10 place and automatic qualification and now faces his keenest test of the season in Krsko where only the top six go into the 2002 Grand Prix.

He said: ''It has been a tough season with league racing in Poland and Sweden as well as England. I will have done around 100 meetings by the end and it has been absolute murder.

''But I'll continue doing it while I'm young enough and fit enough, even though I've got plenty on my plate.''

Belle Vue call in guests Paul Hurry, Daniel Newmark, Brent Werner and Simon Stead for Saturday's Craven Shield tie at Coventry.

The Alan Wilkinson benefit at Belle Vue on Sunday starts at 2-30 but fans will be admitted to the pits from 1-0.