The World under 21 Speedway champion, Max Fricke, is a surprise inclusion for the Yamaha 4-day Enduro at Mansfield, Victoria, from November 16-19.

News of the call-up follows hard on the heels of Fricke being announced as a permanent reserve rider for the World Speedway Grand Prix Series.

“Obviously, enduro is not my main discipline, but motocross has been something that I’ve really enjoyed over the years and I have done quite a lot of in my early days so to come out and do enduro will be a bit of fun,” Fricke said.

“I haven’t done any off-road events before so it’ll be a bit of a learning curve but it will all be about having fun and enjoying Merrijig and my hometown whilst I’m back,” he added.

The event will form a critical part of Fricke’s preparation for the domestic speedway season which will include a tilt at the Australian Speedway title.

He will join World EnduroGP Champion Matt Phillips and Australian enduro stars Josh Green, Daniel Milner and Daniel Sanders.

Fricke, as third permanent reserve for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, has the opportunity to step in for a Grand Prix should injury or some other drama befall another rider.

“There’s always the possibility of a rider getting injured. If there is a chance of getting a ride in the season, that would be a dream come true,” he said.

“There’s a slim chance I will get a ride throughout the year and possibility I won’t, but even just to be thought of in that company of riders is amazing.”

Former Grand Prix winner, Emil Sayfutdinov returns to the Grand Prix full time, along with Nicki Pedersen, Matej Zagar and Maciej Janowski as permanent wildcards, with the season closing in Melbourne next year.