BRITISH SPEEDWAY SOLOS JULY 4

Date: Sunday July 4, 2021

(SPEEDWAY 1)

BELLE Vue and Great Britain star Dan Bewley secured his second rostrum finish of his debut Speedway Euro Championship campaign in Gdansk last night.
Bewley finished third in round three of the series, behind Danish duo Mikkel Michelsen and Leon Madsen in the Final after battling through the last chance semi-final with Madsen.
There was frustration, though, for reigning champion Robert Lambert who topped the qualifying scores heading into the Final but finished fourth in the decider.
With one round remaining, Bewley is in the all-important fifth position overall – which secures automatic qualification for 2022 – eight points off joint leaders Michelsen and Piotr Pawlicki, and five ahead of sixth-placed Lambert.

(SPEEDWAY 2)

BERWICK reserve Leon Flint kept up his sensational start to the season with a match-winning display in the Bandits’ 51-39 win over Newcastle.
Flint racked up 16+1 from six rides at reserve, including a Heat 15 victory over the Diamonds’ previously unbeaten Matthew Wethers.
Dany Gappmaier (12+2) was also in double-figures for the hosts, whilst former Berwick man Wethers (12+1) was backed up by James Wright with 12 from seven rides at reserve.
Bandits boss Gary Flint said: “Again it was a team effort, and with Dany looking so fast tonight along with Leon picking up paid 17 at reserve we have a solid side getting good results, and we can continue to do so.”
Newcastle manager Nigel Hinchliffe said: “I think it’s fair to say we did better tonight than most people had expected, but that said with Ben (Barker) having awful luck, including a painful chain snapping, we know he could have done better than six.
“Max Clegg is still struggling for his true form, which we know he has, so again points could have been added and maybe pushed the Bandits even closer.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

EASTBOURNE and Glasgow have stressed their mutual respect ahead of today’s (Sunday) Championship clash at Arlington.
It will be the first meeting between the sides in Sussex since an infamous clash in 2019 which featured controversy both before and during the meeting.
Eagles director Ian Jordan said: “We very much see Glasgow as great friends and have massive respect for everyone there, so I see it more as “friends reuniting”, although for two hours or so on Sunday afternoon, there will be no quarter asked, nor given on either side and it will be unmissable.”
Tigers director Peter Facenna said: “The reality is that our relationship with the management at Eastbourne is excellent. There is a lot of mutual respect between the clubs and we’ve supported each other on and off the track over the last 18 months.
“It was unfortunate what happened in 2019, but it’s firmly behind us. Like the Tigers, the Eagles have some very passionate fans, which is great for the sport, and I hope some Tigers fans are able to make the long trip down on Sunday.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

SCUNTHORPE star Tero Aarnio says the Scorpions travel to his former club Newcastle today (Sunday) chasing an away win.
Victory on the road could see the visitors top of the Championship table depending on Glasgow’s result at Eastbourne – but they know their away from needs to improve, after six successive home league wins.
Aarnio said: “I live in Newcastle and it’s like my second home behind Finland. I always get a very warm reception when I return there to ride, even when I’m riding for the away team, which is nice.
“I think we have a good chance to win the meeting. Thomas (Jorgensen) rode for Newcastle and so did I. Adam (Ellis) scores well on the tight tracks and Theo (Pijper) is a track specialist around the tighter tracks.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who can score points around there, and possibly we’ve caught Newcastle at the right stage of the season.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

MILDENHALL finally get their home NDL campaign underway today (Sunday) with the visit of Berwick to West Row.
Youngster Nathan Ablitt is called up to guest for the Fen Tigers with Jason Edwards away on Championship duty with Eastbourne.
The Bullets, meanwhile, hand a debut to former Coventry Storm racer Luke Crang, who has replaced the now ineligible Leon Flint.
Mildenhall promoter Greg Palmer said: “The lads are raring to go and have been having some important practice at the track, something we haven’t been able to do in previous years.
“Although the loss of Leon Flint will be a blow to the Bullets, they look a solid team that should give the lads plenty to think about.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

NEW Wolverhampton signing Leon Flint has revealed the secret behind his stunning success in the win at Ipswich last week.
Flint, who makes his home debut on Monday against Sheffield, carded an impressive six points including his first Premiership race victory at Foxhall.
He tapped into the expert knowledge of former Ipswich rider Cameron Heeps, which clearly played a part in his success.
Flint said: “I had Cameron helping me in the pits. He’s a track expert at Ipswich and his advice and work was a great help.
“I was disappointed after Heat 2 because it was a tough first bend and I just missed out. I got back in pits, refocused and managed to score some points after that.
“To get my first win under my belt was a great feeling, but all through the race I felt fast. Crossing the finish line was one of the best feelings I’ve had in the sport, and it’s given me some confidence moving forward.”

(SPEEDWAY 7)

SCUNTHORPE have joined forces with the town’s football club to form a new partnership to benefit youngsters in the local community.
It will initially focus on the government’s Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding to employers to create jobs for 16-to-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. The partnership will also provide further marketing and promotional opportunities for both clubs.
Scunthorpe Utd Education Manager Gav Cooper said: “The importance of sport within a town is pivotal and it’s fantastic that we have not only a professional football team, but a professional speedway side as well.
“It’s not only a fantastic time, but also an important time for both teams to be supporting each other. There is a big cross-over in terms of the two fanbases.
“We are looking forward to working with them on a number of different ventures, including within the local community via the Kickstart Scheme and to help give individuals in Scunthorpe and the surrounding areas access to sport.”
Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey added: “We’ve been doing a lot of stuff that goes un-noticed at the Eddie Wright Raceway. For example, one day recently, we had 40 or so kids on our mini-track on little pee-wees.
“But with Scunthorpe United’s help, we can now unlock that the funding to the Kickstart Scheme and help our local community even more.”

(FIXTURES)

SUNDAY JULY 4:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Eastbourne v Glasgow 3pm, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 4pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Berwick 3pm

MONDAY JULY 5:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Sheffield 7.30

TUESDAY JULY 6:
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP 2nd leg: Kent v Eastbourne 6.30