WELCOME to the latest edition of the weekly BSPA bulletins keeping you in touch with news, views and fixtures from the tracks up and down the country.
LYNCH BACKS THE YOUNG GUNS
NEW Great Britain boss Jim Lynch is backing the younger generation to challenge for a place in the British Grand Prix.
For the second successive season, the highest placed rider outside GP regulars Scott Nicholls and Chris Harris in the British Final will go to the Millennium Stadium as the Wild Card - and the next two will be meeting reserves.
The British Final takes place at Swindon on Thursday, May 29 - and Lynch is excited by the prospect of a new generation of riders challenging the established stars.
He said: "I don't buy into all the doom and gloom about the national side, we have some exciting youngsters who are ready to explode onto the big stage.
"Established lads like Joe Screen, Gary Havelock and Chris Louis are ready to step aside and let the new boys come through. I'll be interested to see what the likes of Tai Woffinden and Adam Roynon can do in the British Final.
"I would think lads like Lee Richardson, Simon Stead and David Howe will be knocking on the door for Cardiff but it wouldn't surprise me if we saw one of the younger lads making a strong claim.
"The British Final also carries qualifying places for the 2009 World Championship rounds, not to mention the prestigious British title itself!"
The field will be known shortly with Lynch having the facility of three wildcard picks at his discretion alongside the three British Under-21 qualifiers and the top 10 in average order.
SUPER 7EVEN DATES AND VENUES: BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: Arena-Essex, Friday April 25 - TAI WOFFINDEN BRITISH FINAL: Swindon, Thursday May 29 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 27 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Saturday July 26 - 7pm ELITE LEAGUE BEST PAIRS: Swindon, Sunday August 17 – 6pm ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham, Wednesday August 20 - 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 21 - 3.30 www.super7even.com or www.speedwaygb.com
(ELITE LEAGUE LATEST)
BELLE VUE are contemplating their team strengthening options as they could be without Billy Forsberg and Steve Boxall for much of the month of May - although Lukas Jankowski is set to return this week.
Manager Chris Morton said: "We have a busy schedule in May so it is a real problem being without Forsberg and Boxall, especially as both of them were doing well when they were injured.
"I am still searching for a suitable signing and considering plans for the rest of the month. I have discussed possibilities with a number of riders but I cannot name any names yet. Two riders have told me they could be available to ride for us in June but that is no good to us at the moment."
COVENTRY manager Peter Oakes saluted his team's attitude in two spectacular Bank Holiday wins - a dramatic Craven Shield comeback at home to Poole, followed by their first away win of the season at local rivals Wolverhampton.
Oakes said: "You could see on Friday night when we got into the Craven Shield Final that everyone got an enormous lift, and that shows you how confidence plays it part.
"I know it might have got a bit boring and clichéd earlier in the season when we said there was an awful long way to go, but now we've pulled three points back with an away win so we're more or less on a level keel."
EASTBOURNE manager Trevor Geer's decision to select Edward Kennett for a crucial Heat 15 against Swindon was justified when the youngster salvaged a match-clinching third place with an overtaking move on Travis McGowan.
Geer said: "Scotty (Nicholls) was a definite choice but we didn't know whether to go with Lee (Richardson) or Ed. Lee was popping out of the gate but Edward was fantastic in Heat 13. I just thought with Leigh Adams out there we needed a real battler.
"Lee is still suffering with his wrist so I thought 'Edward's fit, he'll take it.' There was a bit of a conflab in the pits but I really wanted Edward out there."
IPSWICH have declared Steve Johnston as their new team captain with Chris Louis set for a long spell out after breaking his upper right arm last month.
Manager Pete Simmons said: "We considered Jarek Hampel to replace Chris as skipper, but went for Steve as he gets around the pits and there will be no possible language barrier with him.
"I saw Chris and he had just gone back to see his specialist as his hand has swollen. He will be missed, and we will not know for how long for a month or so. Then the injury should have settled down, and we have around a month's grace before he ceases to be or No.1, and have time to assess whether to re-declare our one-to-seven."
LAKESIDE promoter Stuart Douglas is relishing the prospect of the Craven Shield Final against Coventry - having kept in touch with the Bees' remarkable comeback against Poole in the semi-final.
Douglas said: "We were celebrating a good home win against a team (Ipswich) that had given us a wake up call earlier in the season, but we had one ear on developments up at Coventry where we knew the Bees were mounting a strong fightback.
"I must admit that I thought Poole had done enough but it just shows that the Shield has significant importance this year, because Coventry fought bravely to battle through to face us in the final. The two legs are going to see an epic battle at Brandon and back here at the Arena Essex raceway. I know both teams really want this trophy."
PETERBOROUGH manager Trevor Swales sprung to the defence of captain Hans Andersen who scored an uncharacteristically low eight points from six rides in another heavy Panthers defeat at Ipswich.
Swales said: "We simply cannot expect to rely on Hans in every meeting. He is one of the most professional riders I have ever known, but it is not realistic to expect him to score maximums home and away every time he gets on his bike.
"He had arguably his worst meeting for the club at Ipswich, but you won't find me knocking him. The major problem is that when Hans does have an off-day there are no other riders weighing in with loads of points to cover for him."
POOLE will not be able to make a second team change in time for this week's trip to Peterborough due to concerns over the availability of their main target.
The Pirates have already introduced club asset Krzysztof Kasprzak to cover for injured skipper Bjarne Pedersen (broken wrist) but were hoping to make a further re-declaration.
Promoter Matt Ford said: "Over the weekend it had looked hopeful that we would be able to introduce a new rider who I really believed would have come in and done a job for us, but there was a big question mark over how long he would be willing to come to us for and whether he would have been available for sufficient meetings. I respect the fact that the rider was up-front with us."
SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter has no concerns about his team's ability to bounce back after suffering away defeats against Eastbourne and Poole over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Rossiter said: "It was a bad night at the office (at Poole) that was plagued with various gremlins throughout. The key is not to let our heads drop and remain positive. There is a long way to go in this season and we are still top of the Elite League.
"These youngsters will come on strong again, tonight just hasn't been our night. We've had a great run and with such a string of good scores this result has acted as a reminder of how hard we need to work."
WOLVERHAMPTON duo David Howe and Christian Hefenbrock are facing a race against time to be fit for the trip to Ipswich on Thursday.
Both riders crashed in Heat 11 of Monday's agonising 45-44 defeat by Coventry at Monmore Green. Parrys International Wolves boss Peter Adams said: "Both have to be rated as doubtful after what happened in that race.
"David was badly knocked about and is generally battered and bruised and Christian went back out in the re-run just to pick up the formality of a point. It's a tough time for us but we will continue to strive for some away wins to get our season back on track."
(PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST)
BERWICK promoter Peter Waite has hinted that his top-of-the-table side may require further strengthening after salvaging a rather fortunate home draw with King's Lynn.
Waite said: "That was an excellent meeting with some amazing racing, but we really were lucky to get a draw proving we are just not strong enough as yet, and whilst it's still early days for Benny (Johansson) it was concerning to see him so far off the pace. Maybe now he's had a match here he'll improve soon."
BIRMINGHAM star James Birkinshaw is on the comeback trail - after over a month out of the saddle. Birkinshaw is set to get back on a bike this week after recovering from a broken collarbone and, if he declares himself fit, he is expected to return to the Brummies side.
Boss Graham Drury said: "James is desperate to get back into action, he's determined to be a success with Birmingham and he hasn't really had the chance to prove himself as yet."
EDINBURGH'S fast-rising star Aaron Summers says that both he and the in-form Monarchs will get even better as the weather conditions begin to improve.
Summers said: "If we get a dry track then I think some of us will only get better. You can be caught out in the wet. I don't think I've reached my peak yet at Armadale, and it was a good thing that I adapted to the Ashfield (Glasgow) track - I haven't been used to a dry surface so far."
GLASGOW have major injury problems with three riders on the sidelines including inspirational captain Shane Parker, who broke his collarbone and wrist in a crash whilst guesting at Berwick on Saturday.
Following that setback, the Tigers also saw their promising Australian youngsters both suffer injuries with Mitchell Davey set to miss ten days with concussion, whilst Josh Grajczonek is having X-rays on a suspected broken wrist.
The ISLE OF WIGHT will head for their weekend Northern tour without the services of Polish star Krzysztof Stojanowski, who suffered a dislocated shoulder and ligament damage in a last-race crash at Reading on Monday.
Team manager Dave Croucher said: "Both Berwick and Glasgow will be hurting over recent misfortunes that have beset them, and that's bound to make them even more determined. Kryzsztof being ruled out is a huge blow for us, but I know our remaining team members will do their utmost to compensate, and I still remain hopeful that we can pick up at least one win at the weekend - if not two."
KING'S LYNN believe they can still pull back a 25-point deficit against Reading in their Knockout Cup tie on Wednesday - and the Stars have booked Elite League rider Billy Janniro to guest for the injured Kevin Doolan.
Manager Rob Lyon said: "After witnessing our two performances at Edinburgh and Berwick I am confident that the whole team can pull together and achieve what most people have written us off to do. Billy was our first choice after he helped Coventry to their amazing aggregate win over Poole on Friday."
MILDENHALL have issued an apology to supporters for the lengthy running of their recent home fixture of Rye House, which started with a half-hour delay due to an electrical fault.
Promoter Simon Barton said: "I would like to apologise to everyone who attended the meeting for the delays and interruptions. We do like to put on well run, entertaining meetings and we believe that in most cases we do.
This meeting, however, seemed to have everything go wrong - from false alcohol tests, electrical failures, long delays between races caused by falls, tapes exclusions and long delays between the green start light and the tapes going up!"
NEWCASTLE collected back-to-back wins over Glasgow over the Bank Holiday, although it appears certain that Ben Powell has ridden his last race for the club after a row over transport arrangements.
Manager George English said: "It was very satisfying to get both these wins over Glasgow this weekend, especially as one rider decided not to turn up for us, but that just makes victories like this all the sweeter. All I can do now is hope we don't lose this taste for winning."
NEWPORT'S immediate future should become clearer following a meeting of the sport's Management Committee next Tuesday, May 13.
It is hoped that a solution can be found to enable the club to continue racing following the tragic death of promoter Tim Stone, whose funeral takes place this Thursday.
READING skipper Mark Lemon combined with Ulrich Ostergaard for a stunning last-race 5-1 to see the Racers record a narrow two-point victory over the Isle of Wight at Smallmead.
Lemon said: "The Bank Holiday really brought the crowd in and I think the racing and thrilling climax that was served up will have sent them all home with smiles on their faces. Winning under those circumstances doesn't get much better than that."
REDCAR star James Grieves says the mix of youth and experience in the Bears team is set to be a big factor in the club's success as they begin to gain momentum after several early-season rain-offs.
Grieves said: "The atmosphere in the pits is unbelievable. Ty Proctor is full of life and he’s good to be around, which is what you need in a team. On top of that Gary Havelock is a great captain - we’re doing very well at the moment and I hope we can keep it up."
RYE HOUSE are awaiting news of the outcome of Tommy Allen's knee scan - and if he requires an operation, he could be out of action for up to three months.
The Rockets have more encouraging news on their other two injured riders, with Luke Bowen (shoulder ligaments) and Danny Betson (fractured elbow) both hoping to return within the next fortnight.
SCUNTHORPE secured their first Premier League win by overcoming Somerset at home - three days after going down to a heavy defeat at the Oak Tree Arena.
Scorpions boss Kenny Smith said: "Away wins are great things but you usually need a bit of luck to pull one off. Home wins are the bread and butter of speedway."
SHEFFIELD are in talks with Birmingham over dates for their Premier Trophy semi-finals. The two clubs are hoping to arrange back-to-back clashes with Birmingham a Wednesday track and Sheffield traditionally racing on Thursday.
Said Machin: "It's an attractive draw for us and one in which we feel we can do well. It would be terrific to get to a major final, but Birmingham will be tough."
SOMERSET star Stephan Katt experienced the full range of emotions over the weekend as he played a key role in the Rebels' home demolition of Scunthorpe with an impressive 14-points haul.
Three days later the popular German failed to score from three rides in the reverse fixture in Lincolnshire as the Rebels dropped to a twelve-point defeat.
STOKE secured an emphatic home win over Birmingham as the Potters riders responded to their management's message following their disappointing defeat against Workington the previous week.
Boss John Adams said: "We showed a lot of character in some tight situations and kept the pressure on throughout. It was the sort of performance we have been capable of and we need to build on it now."
WORKINGTON are sweating on the fitness of top man Daniel Nermark, who suffered a hand injury in a nasty accident at Rye House on Bank Holiday Monday.
Manager Ian Thomas said: "We’re not sure as to the extent of the injury and are just keeping everything crossed that there's nothing broken. We thought he’d got away with it but after five minutes he was in pain and swelling started to appear."
(FIXTURE PICTURE)
TUESDAY MAY 6: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Reading 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 7: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Eastbourne 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Newcastle 7.45 PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP: King's Lynn v Reading 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 8: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Wolverhampton 7.30, Peterborough v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Somerset 7.30, YORKSHIRE CUP: Sheffield v Hull 7.45
FRIDAY MAY 9: PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Reading 7.30, Scunthorpe v Workington 7.30, Somerset v Rye House 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Plymouth v Boston 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 10: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Isle of Wight 7pm, Rye House v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Reading 7pm PREMIER TROPHY: Stoke v Newcastle 7.30 CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Sittingbourne 7.15
SUNDAY MAY 11: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Isle of Wight 4pm, Mildenhall v Edinburgh 4.30, CONFERENCE LEAGUE KOC: Sittingbourne v Rye House 12pm CONFERENCE TROPHY: Boston v Buxton 7.30 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle 5.30
MONDAY MAY 12: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.30, Coventry v Lakeside 8pm, Eastbourne v Poole 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Reading v Sheffield 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 13: PREMIER LEAGUE KOC: Isle of Wight v Sheffield 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 14: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Glasgow 7.45, King's Lynn v Rye House 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 15: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Eastbourne 7.30, Swindon v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Stoke 7.30, Sheffield v Glasgow 7.45
FRIDAY MAY 16: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Eastbourne 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Newcastle 7.30, Somerset v Berwick 7.30 DIAMOND JUBILEE MEETING: Edinburgh 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 17: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Somerset 7pm, Stoke v Mildenhall 7.30, Workington v Scunthorpe 7pm CHALLENGE: Weymouth v Wimbledon 7.15
SUNDAY MAY 18: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 4pm, Newcastle v Somerset 5.30, *Newport v Sheffield 3pm
MONDAY MAY 19: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Reading v Redcar 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 20: PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Redcar 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 21: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Birmingham 7.30
