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.
BIG EVENT LATEST…
BEN Barker is looking to build on his promising start to the season when he takes his place in the British Under-21 Final later this month.
The Coventry star will line-up alongside other title hopefuls at Lakeside on Friday, April 24.
Eastbourne’s in-form Lewis Bridger – who has revealed interest from other clubs during the winter – is also included alongside reigning champion Tai Woffinden.
A bumper crowd is expected to see the youngsters in action and Barker insists he’s as ambitious as anyone.
“I want to be a Grand Prix rider, that is my ultimate aim,” said Barker. “And I want to win titles along the way. That’s not me being bold and brash, I’m just explaining my ambition.
“I’m happy with the way things have been going, it could have been better but I’m satisfied so far and we’re doing well as a team.
“We have a lot of good young riders and I’d love to be in the World Cup squad, that would be a massive boost for me.
“I know the other guys will feel the same way so it should be a good meeting at Lakeside and I want to put on a good performance in the British Final at Poole too.
“A place at Cardiff is available from that meeting so I’ll be going for it!”
* ADMISSION Prices for the British Under-21 Final are as follows: Adult: £15, Concessions: £11, Juniors: £3. A full colour souvenir programme will be available for £3.
SUPER 7EVEN SERIES 2009 BRITISH UNDER 21 FINAL: Lakeside, Friday April 24. BRITISH FINAL: Poole, Wednesday May 20. PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 26. PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Saturday July 25. ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: Eastbourne, Saturday August 8. PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sunday September 27. ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS' CHAMPIONSHIP: Coventry, Friday October 2.
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE manager Chris Morton was disappointed that rain forced the abandonment of the Aces' match against Lakeside just as his team looked to be taking control.
Morton said: "We were in front for the first time and it's bitterly disappointing that we can't get the points that we wanted.
"But I'm pleased that we pulled back and got in front from a poor start. They came back with guts and determination and a few things together made that change."
COVENTRY star Edward Kennett enjoyed his best night at Brandon with a 14-point haul as the Bees defeated Belle Vue to make it two Elite League wins out of two.
Kennett said: "Most people know that Coventry has not been my best track, and it's good to score some big points. I'm slowly turning it around here, I'm making good starts and the bike seems to be working well.
"I have a good team around me and I'm happy. It's a lovely track to ride when you get the hang of it, and I wouldn't say I'm one hundred per cent on it yet, but I'm picking it up as we go along."
EASTBOURNE star Lewis Bridger set his sights on qualifying for the British Grand Prix after another stunning Arlington display against Belle Vue - including a win over the unbeaten Krzysztof Kasprzak in the last race.
Bridger said: "I knew it was either get roasted or give 110% and beat Kasprzak, who was on a maximum. It was a great way to finish the night.
"I love stepping up to the challenge. That’s why I’d love to get the wild card for Cardiff because I won’t be fazed by it, I’ll have nothing to lose."
IPSWICH manager Pete Simmons admitted a poor start was to blame for the Witches' defeat in their opening home Elite League match against Coventry.
Simmons said: "I am disappointed with the result as we were good enough to win, but I had told the lads we could not afford to let our lack of competitive laps get in the way of making a confident start and unfortunately that is exactly what we did.
"Coventry are a solid side and I can take many positives from the way the team responded and never threw in the towel. It has been a difficult start for us but I am very confident that we have a good squad and we will move on from here."
LAKESIDE boss Jon Cook admitted satisfaction at the Hammers' start to the season, with a double win over Peterborough netting a seven-point Elite League total.
Cook said: "Peterborough made it difficult for us at home with a great effort from their heat-leaders. They've come and put on a good show and they've helped us put on some good entertainment out there.
"We're happy with the league points - it's a good start for us and we all look forward now to another busy week."
PETERBOROUGH have signed former Wolverhampton and Workington rider Kenneth Hansen to replace youngster Rene Bach, who has to return to Denmark to complete his studies and also has a hand injury.
Manager Trevor Swales said: "After our run of disappointing results and the loss of both Claus Vissing and Rene, we were able to secure the services of talented Dane Kenneth Hansen.
"Personally I feel that this will boost our scoring potential in the highly important reserve berth. Kenneth has signed for a short term initially, and this will allow us to monitor the situation as the two young Danes recover from their injuries."
POOLE have made two new signings to cover for the injury problems of Jason Doyle and Kyle Legault, with the Pirates bringing in Lukasz Jankowski and Paul Hurry.
Promoter Matt Ford said: "We saw Lukasz in the New Year Classic back in January when he finished third, and so we believe he is more than capable of slotting straight back into the rigours of regular league racing.
"Paul has been looking sharp in practice and his availability will provide us with greater options at the lower end of the side. We will be seeking a reduction on his average due to him being out for a year."
SWINDON manager Alun Rossiter has had words concerning the mechanical preparation in his team after a second-leg Knockout Cup defeat at Wolverhampton.
Rossiter said: "It’s a little bit disappointing and we’ve got a few little niggles at the moment. It’s not the end of the world and at least we made it through to the semi finals, but I’m not making any excuses for the way we performed.
"A few of the lads could not get their set-ups right and they are having a few problems. They know that they have got to get them sorted out and I reminded them afterwards about that."
WOLVERHAMPTON owner Chris Van Straaten has admitted to a touch of sadness over not staging a home meeting on Easter Monday.
The Monmore men will instead race on Tuesday against Belle Vue to avoid a clash with Polish action.
“It’s regrettable and a sign of the times that we’ve lost a lucrative day in the calendar because of Poland,” said Van Straaten. “But I’m sure there will still be a good atmosphere for the visit of Belle Vue on Tuesday.”
Nicolai Klindt faces a race against time to be fit for the Easter programme after suffering a dislocated shoulder in their cup win over Swindon.
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK's thrilling 46-46 draw with Edinburgh on Saturday was rated as one of the most exciting meetings ever to take place at Shielfield Park.
Bandits boss Dave Peet said: "We really earned that draw. The racing was brilliant, and it's many seasons since fans in Berwick have enjoyed that standard of entertainment."
BIRMINGHAM skipper Jason Lyons insists things will come good for the Perry Barr side.
He said: “It’s been a hard start to the season because of the new boys settling in but they have all shown glimpses of what they can achieve.
“When we all click on one night we can be a major force in the league, that has to be our major aim.”
EDINBURGH secured the first two-point away draw in the Premier Trophy this season with a 46-46 outcome at Berwick on Saturday.
Monarchs battled back from ten points down on the night with Michal Rajkowski and Thomas H Jonasson scoring an astonishing 31 (paid 34) between them.
GLASGOW kept up their encouraging start to the season with a comeback win over Redcar, overturning an early six-point deficit to come through 52-38.
Skipper Shane Parker clocked up a five-ride paid maximum and there was also a fine display from reserve Anders Andersen, who collected 12 (paid 14) from six outings.
KING'S LYNN skipper Tomas Topinka will equal Ian Turner's record of 505 appearances for the club when the Stars face Scunthorpe on Wednesday - leaving him second only to Terry Betts (649).
Topinka said: "I can't believe how quickly it has gone, I was shocked when the promotion told me how many meetings I had done. Now I want to clock up as many as Terry did as quickly as possible - that would be the biggest achievement of my life."
NEWCASTLE manager Richard Juul is calling for a positive reaction to a disappointing home defeat by Sheffield when the Diamonds go into a busy Easter period.
Juul said: "Our gating, or lack of it, badly let us down on a night of ragged starts. We gave Sheffield far too much advantage. But it is still early days, and this side will produce the goods."
NEWPORT manager Laurence Rogers believes the Wasps' surprise win at Birmingham last week will make the rest of the sport take notice of the Wasps.
He said: "What a comeback - not once, but twice in the match. I'm proud of the fighting spirit in the camp, and we should not be under-estimated after this performance."
REDCAR boss Brian Havelock remained upbeat despite seeing his side lose a six-point advantage to go down 52-38 at Glasgow.
Havelock said: "It was a far better meeting than the scoreline says, and it looked like we were going to give them a really good go. Unfortunately our reserves are struggling again, and that's a worry."
RYE HOUSE skipper Chris Neath believes it is only a matter of time before the Rockets start taking points from their away matches.
Neath said: "Apart from at King’s Lynn, we’ve come really close to getting some reward at Newport, Birmingham and Somerset. We’re confident that these things will come in the end - it’s a young team and things can only get better as the season progresses."
SCUNTHORPE recovered from a nightmare start at Newport when they conceded three 5-1s in the first three races to take a point from a 49-46 defeat.
Scorpions No.1 David Howe said: "I’ve been in plenty of teams that have been 15-3 down and they all withdraw into each other, but we didn't. We were still helping each other. When you go out for every race there's three or four riders around you, it's just brilliant."
SHEFFIELD skipper Ricky Ashworth is backing his side for big things this season – thanks to their strength in-depth.
He said: “Our win at Newcastle was all down to the depth of the team. It’s something we haven’t had for a few years here.
“We just need to get Coops (Paul Cooper) going now and we’ll be a real force this season.
SOMERSET have appointed the experienced Ronnie Russell to their management team for home meetings at the Oak Tree Arena.
General manager David Croucher said: "Former team manager, Steve Bishop has got work and family commitments that mean he will not be available to officiate all the time. Ronnie offered his help, and it's great having him on board."
STOKE skipper Lee Complin said the Potters had displayed their true potential in an impressive 15-point home win over Somerset.
Complin said: "I'm just starting to get my bikes how I want them, but the important thing is the team and victories such as this will make us feel good and, just as importantly, send out a message that we are at the races this year."
WORKINGTON reserve Richard Lawson secured his first race wins at Premier League level in the Comets' weekend win over Glasgow. Lawson said: "I’m ecstatic, one of my goals was to get a race win, and to get two is great."
NATIONAL LEAGUE LATEST…
SPEEDWAY’S newest league roars into action this week.. with the launch of the National League. A full round-up of club press releases from the third tier of British racing is available online at our website www.speedwaygb.com Results will be included alongside those from the Elite and Premier Leagues and e-mailed out at the end of a night’s racing and league tables will become available when relevant.
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY APRIL 7 CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Bournemouth 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 8 PREMIER TROPHY: King's Lynn v Scunthorpe 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 9 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Ipswich 7.30, Swindon v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Sheffield v Redcar 7.45
FRIDAY APRIL 10 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 12pm, Coventry v Swindon 8pm, Eastbourne v Poole 7.30, Ipswich v Lakeside 2.15, Lakeside v Ipswich 8pm, Poole v Eastbourne 11am PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v Stoke 7.30, Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30, Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: King's Lynn v Mildenhall 3pm CHALLENGE: Weymouth v Isle of Wight 7.15 BRITISH U21 SEMI-FINAL: Plymouth 7.30
SATURDAY APRIL 11 PREMIER TROPHY: Berwick v Workington 7pm, Stoke v Rye House 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Mildenhall 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 12 PREMIER TROPHY: Glasgow v Newcastle 4pm, Newport v King's Lynn 2.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KOC: Mildenhall v King's Lynn
MONDAY APRIL 13 PREMIER TROPHY: Newcastle v Glasgow 6.30, Rye House v Stoke 2pm, Scunthorpe v Somerset 3pm, Workington v Berwick 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Mildenhall 2.30, Scunthorpe v Weymouth (follows PT fixture)
TUESDAY APRIL 14 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30 BRITISH U21 SEMI-FINAL: Isle of Wight 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 15 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Coventry 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v Scunthorpe 7.30, King's Lynn v Somerset 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 16 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Eastbourne 7.30, Peterborough v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Redcar v Workington 7.30, Sheffield v Newcastle 7.45
FRIDAY APRIL 17 SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Poole 8pm, Lakeside v Eastbourne 8pm PREMIER TROPHY: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30, Scunthorpe v Rye House 7.30, Somerset v Birmingham 7.30 YOUNG GUNS INDIVIDUAL: Weymouth 7.15
SATURDAY APRIL 18: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Rye House v Scunthorpe 7pm, Stoke v Birmingham 7.30, Workington v Redcar 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Scunthorpe 7.30 DAVID MELDRUM FAREWELL, Berwick 7pm
SUNDAY APRIL 19: PREMIER TROPHY: Glasgow v Workington 4pm, Newcastle v Berwick 6.30, Newport v Stoke 2.30
MONDAY APRIL 20: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Peterborough 7.30, Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30 ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP 1st round 1st leg: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30
TUESDAY APRIL 21: CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Weymouth 7.30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v Somerset 7.30, King's Lynn v Newport 7.30
