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…
GREAT Britain boss Rob Lyon insists Scott Nicholls will be the man at beat at the British Final at Poole on May 20.
Nicholls will be making a rare appearance at a British track after deciding to sit out the Elite League this season.
Despite his decision, Lyon moved quickly to appoint him as skipper of the British side once again for this summer’s World Cup – and the BSPA were quick to ask him if he would like to defend his British crown.
Said Lyon: “It’ll be good to see Scott back on these shores. He’s still a great rider and it was a personal decision on his part to cut down on his schedule.
“I’m very pleased, however, that he’s agreed to continue captaining the side for this summer’s World Cup and I reckon he’ll be hard to beat in the British Final.”
Coventry duo Ben Barker and Oliver Allen will miss the meeting as both have suffered leg injuries.
Sheffield skipper Ricky Ashworth and Newcastle’s Jason King will replace them. Admission prices for the second in the Super 7even series of events are: £20 adults, £15 concessions and £5 juniors 12-15. Children aged 11 and under go free.
BRITISH FINAL LINE-UP: David Howe (Scunthorpe), Lee Complin (Stoke & Peterborough), William Lawson (Berwick), Ricky Ashworth (Sheffield), Edward Kennett (Coventry), Jason King (Newcastle), Lee Richardson (Lakeside), James Wright (Belle Vue), Scott Nicholls (Unattached), Tai Woffinden (Wolverhampton), Chris Harris (Coventry), Simon Stead (Swindon), Joe Screen (Poole), Lewis Bridger (Eastbourne), Joe Haines (Rye House & Wolverhampton), Danny King (Ipswich).
SUPER 7EVEN SERIES 2009 BRITISH UNDER 21 FINAL: Lakeside – LEWIS BRIDGER. BRITISH FINAL: Poole, Wednesday May 20. PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, Friday June 26. PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington, Satur! day 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
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE manager Chris Morton had strong words for his top two riders Krzysztof Kasprzak and Charlie Gjedde, who managed just five points between them in the Aces' shock home defeat by Peterborough.
Morton said: "It was a shame for Morten Risager (18 points) because our two heat leaders were disgraceful and I am sure they both feel the same way. Riders of their quality should not be getting two points and coming in last. It is just unacceptable.
"Morten is a rider that I have always felt has under-performed and he has showed tonight what he is capable of. But I think it would be wrong of me to say that I would expect him to score 18 points in every meeting."
COVENTRY co-boss Peter Oakes praised the efforts of teenage American Ricky Wells, whose first race win in the Elite League was of vital importance in the Bees' win over Lakeside.
Oakes said: "That should be a tremendous boost for Ricky and the crowd. We knew it was going to be difficult for him, but over the last few weeks he's shown what we see in him.
"He's obviously still got to conquer his problems out of the start, but it proved that when he does make it, he can hold on. He looked totally comfortable, and to go out and beat Stuart Robson and Kauko Nieminen was absolutely terrific and gave the rest of the team a real lift."
EASTBOURNE were left to count the injury cost of an extraordinary meeting against Swindon, from which Cameron Woodward emerged as the hero with a stunning last-race overtake of Leigh Adams and Travis McGowan.
Eagles boss Trevor Geer said: "Davey Watt was struggling with his groin, and now has another injury. He has got a few days rest so we'll see how he goes, although he can still move his fingers.
"Lewis (Bridger) has a big hole in his leg and it's not good at all. And David Norris didn't look good in the pits. He certainly has some bad abrasions on his arm."
IPSWICH reserve Dawid Stachyra says he is learning all the time and feels he can improve further during his debut season in the Elite League.
Stachyra said: "I have no regrets about coming to ride in England, and am pleased to be scoring points at Foxhall where I am much smoother than I was earlier in the year.
"Joining Ipswich has been a big step forward in my career although I know it will be tough for me away from home until I get to know the tracks better."
LAKESIDE gained three Elite League points from their clash with local rivals Eastbourne - and have been further boosted by the impending return from injury of Joonas Kylmakorpi.
Manager Jon Cook said: "We made the most of Eastbourne's misfortune, and things are starting to come together for us as a team.
"We are really missing JK, though, and rider replacement really isn't ideal. We're looking forward to seeing Joonas back in action when he will return to the saddle in our home meeting against Coventry on Monday May 18."
PETERBOROUGH reserve Kenneth Hansen has made a remarkable impression since joining the club after a troubled 2008 - and his short-term deal has now been made permanent.
Hansen said: "I am really grateful to Peterborough for giving me the chance to ride in Britain again, and it is great to be able to sign a contract for the rest of the season.
"I'm delighted to have scored plenty of points in away meetings because I wanted to prove I am an all-rounder. I just hope I can carry on doing well to repay the club for having faith in me."
POOLE promoter Matt Ford has appealed for patience as he seeks to bring fresh faces into the Pirates' team, with a move for former favourite Magnus Zetterstrom having seemingly fallen through.
Ford said: "I haven’t been able to agree terms with anyone as yet that would help us in our cause to strengthen up and so it seems evident that we won’t be able to make any change this week.
"I am absolutely determined to try and get the right men for the task but, at the same time, we have to be absolutely sensible as to what the club can afford."
SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter has confirmed that Cory Gathercole will definitely feature in Thursday's home clash with Eastbourne - after both regular reserves and Jurica Pavlic picked up injuries at Arlington on Monday.
Rossiter said: "Cory was going to be coming in on Thursday anyway to give Fish (Ryan Fisher) a rest, but we've got to see what's the matter with Pav because he's sore as well.
"We'll use rider replacement for if we need to but hopefully he'll be okay, and Richard Sweetman can come in for Krzysztof Stojanowski."
WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams believes his side are yet to face their toughest test of the season.
The Monmore men are still unbeaten at home but Adams insists that record will be severely tested over the next few weeks.
“We’re ticking over nicely but we have some very tough examinations ahead,” he said. “The toughest tests are yet to come for us.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST..
BERWICK have made their first team change of the season, with local rider Greg Blair coming into the Bandits' side at reserve in place of Danny Warwick.
Team boss Dave Peet said: "We’ve decided to take on a number seven who is now our own asset and a local lad too who is keen to make good with his local club, and we have to build for our future at Berwick. Our parting of the ways with Danny is perfectly amicable and we wish him all the very best for the future."
BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury is set to wield the axe – despite praising his side!
He said: “I cannot fault the effort of my riders in recent weeks, they have responded to my criticism and the top five in particular have done well.
“But we need to be more competitive for our Premier League campaign, particularly at reserve.”
EDINBURGH star Andrew Tully rode through the pain barrier to secure 13 points in Edinburgh's 59-31 Knockout Cup win over Sheffield - which makes them strong favourites to reach the next round.
Tully said: "My shoulder is still sore and I was just managing to hang on in some of my races. Every time I rode I aggravated it, but when I had Josh Auty behind me, I simply couldn't hang about."
GLASGOW are awaiting the outcome of Berwick's trip to Sheffield on Thursday before they know what they need to do in this week's derby clashes with Edinburgh in the Premier Trophy.
Manager Stewart Dickson said: "It is quite an achievement to still be in the running, and I am certain there are a lot of people in the speedway world who will have red faces after predicting we would finish bottom of the pile this season."
KING'S Lynn have moved to sign a replacement for the injured Christian Henry, as 20-year-old Swede Linus Eklof joins the club.
Manager Rob Lyon said: "I'm sure Linus will get his head around the British tracks quickly enough with all the help and support he will get from the great team we have here at King's Lynn."
NEWCASTLE celebrate 80 years of racing in the city with their anniversary meeting on Sunday featuring current and former Grand Prix stars Kenneth Bjerre, Bjarne Pedersen and Krzysztof Kasprzak.
Co-promoter George English said: "'We invite all speedway supporters from the North of England and the Borders to come and join us for this gala occasion with a top-class field racing for the best prize ever offered in our area. It should be something quite special."
NEWPORT co-promoter Nick Mallett has expressed concerns over attendances at the Hayley Stadium after a disappointing turn-out for Sunday's Four-Team Tournament event.
Mallett said: "We desperately need fans coming through the gate thick and fast. As I have said before, speedway was almost dead in the city until we came in and saved it.
We have fielded a competitive team for the fans to watch and despite three home losses so far, we are determined to bring some more decent results in. If we don't get the crowds, then we are in trouble."
REDCAR opened their Premier League programme with an eleven-point win over Stoke to take maximum points from the meeting.
Boss Brian Havelock said: "I said to the lads before the match that we needed three points to get us on our way. It was a good way to start our league fixtures, and hopefully we can keep it going now."
RYE House have made progress in the Knockout Cup - although skipper Chris Neath gave credit to Birmingham's efforts in the second leg of their tie.
Neath said: "I suppose in some ways the tie was won at Perry Bar but the Brummies also made us fight all the way. A couple of us also had off-nights, which didn’t help matters, but it was certainly a tough meeting."
SCUNTHORPE have come through a Knockout Cup tie for the first time in 13 attempts after a convincing two-legged win over Newcastle, set up by a 65-25 home win.
Promoter Rob Godfrey said: "We have David Howe and Magnus Karlsson doing the job they were brought in to do in heats 13 and 15, and everyone in the team chipped in. We served up some good entertainment again on a rain-soaked track."
SHEFFIELD owner Neil Machin insists his riders still have the backing of the club in the face of criticism from some fans.
He said: “We don’t have a sacking culture here at Sheffield and it’s not going to change now, but we are also listening to the fans and we hear their concerns.
“The riders have our full support but they also know results will need to improve over the next few weeks with the league programme kicking in.”
SOMERSET promoter Dave Croucher says his side must take maximum points from their Premier Trophy clash with King's Lynn on Friday to maintain their hopes of a semi-final place.
Croucher said: "We need to take three points from both of our remaining two matches in the Trophy - that’s our first objective, the second then being to score as many points as possible to put as much pressure as we possibly can on Scunthorpe for when they meet Newport at the end of the month."
STOKE promoter Dave Tattum has dropped a clear hint that he is mulling over potential options for change at Loomer Road.
He said: "As I’ve said before, gone are the days of Stoke Speedway resting on its laurels, and if changes are required then we will make them. If we feel there is a better alternative out there then supporters can rest assured we will be going for it."
WORKINGTON skipper Kevin Doolan believes the Comets deserve credit for overcoming their injury problems - with the Australian himself especially affected.
Doolan said: "At the moment it’s one of those situations where we haven’t had any luck and the boys have been really fighting for everything. We’re fighting through and I have got to be proud of the boys, because they are putting in 110 per cent effort and then hobbling around after the meeting."
NATIONAL LEAGUE action is now well underway and all the latest club press releases are now available at the news section on our website www.speedwaygb.com
FIXTURE PICTURE
TUESDAY MAY 12 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v King's Lynn OFF
WEDNESDAY MAY 13: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Birmingham v Stoke 7.30 ASHLEY JONES MEMORIAL: King's Lynn 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 14: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Coventry 7.30, Peterborough v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Eastbourne 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP:Redcar v Newport 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Sheffield v Berwick 7.45
FRIDAY MAY 15: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Berwick 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Somerset v King's Lynn 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Weymouth 7pm, Plymouth v Rye House 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 16: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Workington v Scunthorpe 7pm PREMIER TROPHY: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Stoke v Newport 7.30
SUNDAY MAY 17: WORLD UNDER-21 QUALIFIER: Rye House 2pm 80TH ANNIVERSARY MEETING: Newcastle 5.30 PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP: Newport v Redcar 2.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v King's Lynn 3pm
MONDAY MAY 18: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Lakeside v Coventry 7.30, Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 19: NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: Isle of Wight v Plymouth 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 20: BRITISH FINAL: Poole 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Redcar 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP: King's Lynn v Berwick 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 21: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Ipswich v Eastbourne 7.30, Swindon v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Redcar v Newcastle 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Bournemouth v King's Lynn 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 22: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Eastbourne 8pm, Lakeside v Swindon 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Somerset v Newport 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Rye House 7.30, Weymouth v Scunthorpe 7.15 SPRING CLASSIC INDIVIDUAL: Plymouth 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 23: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Peterborough 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm, Stoke v Newcastle 7.30, Workington v Rye House 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Rye House v Bournemouth 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 24: PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Sheffield 6pm, Glasgow v King's Lynn 4pm, Newport v Workington 2.30 PREMIER TROPHY: Newcastle v Redcar 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Scunthorpe 3pm
MONDAY MAY 25: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Ipswich 7.30, Peterborough v Swindon 6.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Workington 2pm, Scunthorpe v Edinburgh 3pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Isle of Wight 2.30, Scunthorpe v Plymouth (follows PL fixture) NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: Rye House v Buxton (follows PL fixture)
TUESDAY MAY 26: NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7.30
