BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 9

Date: Monday August 9, 2021

(SPEEDWAY 1)

NEWCASTLE owner Rob Grant has confirmed the club’s future has been secured at least until the end of the season.
A bumper crowd attended the Diamonds’ home double header with Poole and Plymouth, and a package has been put together to ensure they continue their Championship campaign.
Grant said: “We will see 2021 out to its completion thanks to the events of today, and not least by any means to all the crowd who turned, and we thank, wholeheartedly each and every one of you who came today in huge numbers.
“We can reveal the great news and that over 1,000 of you have attended giving us massive hope for the future.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

PREMIERSHIP leaders Wolverhampton defend their unbeaten home record against bottom side King’s Lynn at Monmore tonight (Monday).
Wolves have been run close in their last two outings by Belle Vue and Peterborough, whilst the Stars bring in Ben Barker and Kasper Andersen after their recent team re-shuffle.
Home No.1 Sam Masters said: “We’ve managed to continue our unbeaten run at Monmore Green and touch wood we can keep it that way.
“We’ve had a lot of close meetings at home so we can’t slip up and we need to keep it rolling.
“We’ve got a good bunch of boys in our team and we all get on well working together, so we want to keep it rolling now.”
Stars boss Alex Brady said: “I’m really pleased to have Ben and Kasper coming in.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming them both into the team and working alongside them.
“We know what a tough place Wolverhampton is to go, but our boys will give it their all.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

BELLE Vue host Peterborough in a clash of the second and third-placed Premiership sides tonight (Monday).
The Aces have won on both of their visits to the East of England Arena this season but they were held to a 45-45 draw the last time they faced the Panthers in Manchester at the end of May.
The hosts bring in Ricky Wells to guest for the injured Jye Etheridge, whilst the visitors continue to operate rider replacement for Ulrich Ostergaard.
Aces boss Mark Lemon said: “We have almost consolidated our position in the top four, but while there are meetings remaining there is still a job for us to do, and we must win all of our home fixtures.
“We’ve enjoyed plenty of success against Peterborough this season, though our most difficult challenge was when they last visited us in May.
“It was a fantastic meeting but just a little too close in the end, and the boys are ready to step things up and take up whatever challenge they bring with them.
“There is no question we are capable of winning against Peterborough at home, we’re in good form at the moment and this team has a habit of never backing down.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

IPSWICH take on Sheffield in a re-arranged clash at Foxhall tonight (Monday) which could be vital to the fourth Premiership play-off place.
The sides are level on 18 points but the visitors have four matches in hand, so the Witches must maximise all five of their remaining fixtures – and prevent the Tigers from scoring tonight.
Ipswich welcome back Jason Crump at No.1 and track a full-strength side for the first time since late June, whilst Sheffield again bring in Danyon Hume for the injured Josh Bates at reserve.
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It is must-win for us on Monday to keep our hopes alive for the season, and we need to win by seven or more.
“Our slim hopes depend on it, and we need to win as our fans have not seen enough wins this season.
“From our regular line-up we have been racing with in recent weeks, I have moved Jake (Allen) to two and hopefully he should perform there, he is a really strong No.2. Anders (Rowe) is going to have to show he can handle racing at four. It will be nice to see him racing with Danny (King) so it will be nice to try that pairing as well.”
Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “It’s important for us to pick up points from both meetings this week and that has to be our priority.
“We’ve tweaked the team and that served us well at King’s Lynn last week, but we’ve got to do it again at Ipswich on Monday.
“Their results have surprised me a little but they’ve had injury problems this season so that explains quite a bit.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

POOLE topped the 60-point mark away from home for the first time in a decade with a 61-29 demolition of Newcastle at Brough Park.
The Pirates raced up to second place in the Championship table with twelve race wins a dominant display in the North-East.
Heat-leaders Steve Worrall (14), Danny King (11) and Rory Schlein (9+2) all dropped just one point to the opposition, whilst Connor Mountain topped the Diamonds’ scoring with 6+1.
Poole co-promoter Danny Ford said: “It was a clinical performance to be proud of. We had good contributions all round and our guests Alfie (Bowtell) and Zach (Cook) both did a good job for us.
“For once it was nice to be able to enjoy the last few heats of a meeting knowing that the points were coming our way.
“To move into second place is just where we are happy to be right now and we are certainly on Glasgow’s tails because we have matches in hand, most of which are home ones to allow us to close that three-point gap.”
Newcastle manager Steve Pate said: “We were thoroughly overwhelmed by the Pirates who just turned the screw hard and fast on us and we couldn’t handle it.
“We had engine failures to contend with, the cruellest denying Archie Freeman his first points of his Diamonds’ career in Heat 2 when he was well on his way to three great points.
“His time will come. However, well done to Poole who never gave us a chance.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

NEWCASTLE quickly bounced back from their heavy home defeat to Poole by beating Plymouth 45-33 in the second part of a double-header.
Ben Barker led the way for the Diamonds with 11 points from four rides, whilst guest Paul Starke contributed nine in a meeting which was curtailed two races short due to a heavy downpour.
Bjarne Pedersen won three races on his return to Brough Park and finished with 11, whilst Alfie Bowtell scored 10 at reserve, but the Gladiators fell short of a league point.
Diamonds boss Steve Pate said: “This was more like it! Huge determination from the lads, and this was against Bjarne Pedersen and Jason Crump no less, so to get a solid win over the Gladiators was reward indeed.
“Ben looked a different rider in this match, as did the whole team who were determined not to go down twice in one night, and they really fought hard to get this result, which was well deserved.”

(SPEEDWAY 7)

JORDAN Jenkins scored a six-ride paid maximum as Mildenhall edged out Belle 46-44 in an NDL thriller at West Row.
Jenkins got the better of Harry McGurk and Jack Smith in Heat 15 to see the Fen Tigers home and complete an impressive 17+1 score.
McGurk (12), Connor Coles (11+2) and Smith (11+1) all scored double figures as the Colts left Suffolk with a league point.
Mildenhall boss Malcolm Vasey said: “If there is more exciting speedway than at Mildenhall just now I’d like to know where it is! Both sides were a credit to the sport today and the league.
“There was some great racing with our captain leading the way with a wonderful performance. Jordan has really stepped up to the plate now and is a captain on and off the track.
“His race against Harry McGurk in Heat 15 was worth the entrance alone in my opinion. Both riders deserve immense credit for a wonderful race.”
Colts co-boss Steve Williams said: “We couldn’t fault the boys with the effort they put in, Mildenhall is a tough place to come to as a visiting team.
“Any time you can travel to an away track and steal a point is a good day’s work, but it was a very well-deserved point that these boys went home with.”
 
(FIXTURES)

TUESDAY AUGUST 10:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kent v Edinburgh 6.30, Plymouth v Redcar 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Leicester 7.30, Poole v Redcar 7.30