BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN

Date: Tuesday August 10, 2021  THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN

PIC OF THE WEEK…Supporters join Birmingham riders on their pre-meeting track walk ahead of last week’s Championship clash against Kent at Perry Barr.
Picture: CHRIS SIMPSON

BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2021/12

HERE’S our latest soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“None of us want to have to rely on others to do our job for us. We are more than capable of controlling our own fate. I strongly believe we can consolidate our place in the play-offs on our own merit. There’s nothing we can do now about this result, so we’ll have to take it on the chin and come back stronger.”
Aces skipper Steve Worrall urges his side to hit back harder when they resume their league campaign after suffering a shock home defeat to Peterborough on Monday.
NEXT HOME: British Final, Mon Aug 16
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon Aug 30

IPSWICH
“It was another really bad night, we know it is not good enough to keep losing, especially at home. We have come up short again and certainly as a team we have not performed consistently enough and that was the case again tonight. We need at least five or six riders out of the seven to be performing up to their usual standard to get a result. We are relying on three or four a meeting and that’s not going to get you results and never will.”
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins pulled no punches after Monday’s home defeat against Sheffield which all-but ended their play-off hopes.

NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur Aug 19
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Aug 26

KING’S LYNN
“There were some pleasing aspects and I thought both Ben and Kasper came in and showed they can offer us something different. Wolves are a good side everywhere though, especially at home, and as I’ve said I’m proud of the boys despite the end scoreline.”
Stars boss Alex Brady took encouragement from the displays of new signings Ben Barker and Kasper Andersen as they went down at league leaders Wolverhampton on Monday.

NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur Aug 12
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 23

PETERBOROUGH
“I guess that’s our best win so far. Sheffield was pretty good, but especially without Ulrich (Ostergaard), and with Belle Vue having turned us over twice at home we owed them one, so it certainly ranks up there!”
Panthers boss Rob Lyon felt Monday’s dramatic win at Belle Vue went to the top of the list as far as results from an excellent season so far are concerned.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Mon Aug 23
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur Aug 12

SHEFFIELD
“We rode well as a unit and it’s big result in our aim to make the play-offs. We have to beat Wolves at home on Thursday now, we cannot take anything for granted.”
Tigers boss Simon Stead is urging no let-up from his side after  a second successive away win at Ipswich on Monday put them in pole position to clinch a Premiership play-off place this season.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur Aug 12
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur Aug 19

WOLVERHAMPTON
“We’ve come through a tricky spell with seven straight wins. I know we’ve got hard matches coming up but we’re in a good position and if we can keep winning at home and picking up points away then we’re going to be heading into those play-offs with plenty of confidence.”
Skipper Rory Schlein is keen to keep the ball rolling as Wolverhampton maintained their momentum with a comfortable 52-38 win over King’s Lynn on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 30
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Aug 12

CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BERWICK
“What a match! What a result! Poole are a top-class team and for us to maintain Berwick’s unbeaten record against them up here is amazing. It was hard fought, and great entertainment and all the guys pulled their weight even with two taking heavy falls.”
Bandits boss Gary Flint was a delighted man after his side edged out in-form Poole in a nip-and-tuck Shielfield Park encounter last Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Sat Aug 14
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Tues Aug 17

BIRMINGHAM
“It has been worrying times, I cannot pretend otherwise. But last week it was great to see the stands packed again and it was the first time it felt like we were back to normal. It made it feel how Wednesday nights used to be at Birmingham and how they should be.”
Brummies star James Shanes says the feel-good factor returned to Perry Barr in last week’s narrow win over Kent, with the club reporting their biggest crowd of the season at a vital time for their survival.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed Aug 11
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Fri Aug 13

EASTBOURNE
“The tapes were fully tested before the meeting as part of the afternoon checks and worked without any problems. The issues on this occasion were totally different to those experienced earlier in the season, the cause of which has been rectified, and the fault could not have been foreseen and could have happened at any time. The problem has been diagnosed as a blown transponder and I’d like to thank Neil and Chris from the Stadium Staff, and everyone else including a few experts who are supporters in trying to fix the problem.”
Club director Ian Jordan sets the record straight after the Eagles were forced into green-light starts at their last home meeting due to problems at the starting gate.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Sat Aug 21
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Aug 14

EDINBURGH
“Sam and Richie were brilliant in Heat 15 to get the point. This is the toughest top three we have come up against this year and after not starting well against then we have come out on top of them at the end to get us that vital league point.”
Monarchs boss John Campbell was satisfied to emerge from Poole last Wednesday with a league point after a 42-48 defeat, with Sam Masters and Richie Worrall doing the job with a 5-1 in the final race.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Fri Aug 13
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Tues Aug 10

GLASGOW
“We’re at the top of the table for a reason. Once you are up at the top, you want to stay there and even second place isn’t good enough. We are a solid team and I think if we keep going the way we are we should be in for a great end to the year.”
Tigers star Ricky Wells underlines the determination at Ashfield to carry a strong first half of the season into a genuine bid for silverware as the most crucial time of the year approaches.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Fri Aug 13
NEXT AWAY: Newcastle, Sun Aug 15

KENT
“The arrival of Troy (Batchelor) has given the team an entirely new balance and even though we did not win either at home against Eastbourne on Tuesday or at Birmingham, both matches could easily have gone our way.”
Kings promoter Len Silver is feeling far more optimistic about his team’s prospects with the introduction of Troy Batchelor, and said they were worth far more than two narrow defeats last week.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Tues Aug 10
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Sat Aug 21

LEICESTER
“I think Poole are probably favourites to finish top, but I wouldn’t completely rule us out of being in the top two. The most important thing is to ensure we’re in the play-offs first and foremost, and then look to finish as high up as possible.”
Lions boss Stewart Dickson is content with his side’s current position – but says they are going into a period where a strong run of results is required to build them up for a bid to retain the Championship title this autumn.
NEXT HOME: Eastbourne, Sat Aug 14
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed Aug 11

NEWCASTLE
“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 up today, 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.”
Club owner Rob Grant confirmed the immediate future for the Diamonds looks far brighter following a bumper attendance for last weekend’s double-header against Poole and Plymouth. 
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Sun Aug 15
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Tues Aug 24

PLYMOUTH
The Gladiators overcame Edinburgh with a big finish to defeat the Monarchs 50-40 at the Coliseum, but were unable to back that result up on the road as they were beaten by 12 points at Newcastle last Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Tues Aug 10
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri Aug 13

POOLE
“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. Although even second place ahead of the play-offs is enough to get us directly into the semi-finals and we would take that.”
Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford responded to a massive 61-29 win at Newcastle on Sunday by expressing his pleasure at the club’s current position as they close in on confirming a play-off place.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Wed Aug 11
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri Aug 20

REDCAR
“We can only apologise to any fans making the trip to support the Bears over these couple of days for this disappointing news. It is far from ideal for us as a club, however we have to sympathise with the cards Poole have been dealt. I know Poole are devastated by this news, which is just as frustrating for them as it is us.”
Bears promoter Jitendra Duffill sums up the mood of frustration to have their southern tour cut short due to the Covid issues amongst stadium staff at Wimborne Road, forcing the postponement of their match at Poole.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Sun Aug 15
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues Aug 10

SCUNTHORPE
“Every meeting is important from now on, as we look to get the points that we need to ensure a place in the top six. Of course, Redcar have the same objective and that’s what should make Friday’s meeting such an exciting clash. Our fans have been starved of action for the last few weeks, but this meeting should make up for that because it should be a cracker.”
Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey expects an exciting return to action at the Eddie Wright Raceway this Friday with a clash against fellow play-off hopefuls Redcar.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Fri Aug 13
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues Aug 17
 
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“The most we fell behind was eight points and to fight back and to push them into a last-heat decider was extremely impressive. 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.”
Colts co-boss Steve Williams gave a positive reaction after his side missed out in a tight finish at Mildenhall on Sunday, collecting a league point from a narrow 44-46 defeat.
NEXT HOME: Armadale, Fri Aug 20
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat Sept 11
 
MILDENHALL
“There was some great racing with our captain Jordan Jenkins 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.”
Fen Tigers boss Malcolm Vasey was fulsome in praise for both sides after the Fen Tigers edged out Belle Vue 46-44 with skipper Jordan Jenkins competing a six-ride paid maximum.
NEXT HOME: British U19 Final, Sun Aug 22
NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, Sat Aug 21

FIXTURE PICTURE…

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

THURSDAY AUGUST 12:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Peterborough 7.30, Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 13:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Plymouth 7.30, Glasgow v Birmingham 7.30, Scunthorpe v Redcar 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 14:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Plymouth 7pm, Leicester v Eastbourne 7pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh 2.30

SUNDAY AUGUST 15:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Glasgow 6.30, Redcar v Plymouth 2pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: Redcar (125cc/150cc) (follows Champ fixture)

MONDAY AUGUST 16:
BRITISH FINAL: Belle Vue 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 17:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kent v Berwick 6.30, Plymouth v Scunthorpe 7pm

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 18:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Berwick 7.30, Poole v Scunthorpe 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 19:
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Wolverhampton 7.30, King’s Lynn v Sheffield 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 20:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Kent 7.30, Glasgow v Leicester 7.30, Redcar v Poole 7.30, Scunthorpe v Birmingham 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Armadale 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHP (125cc): Belle Vue 6pm

SATURDAY AUGUST 21:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Kent 6.30, Eastbourne v Redcar 7.30, Leicester v Glasgow 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Berwick v Kent (follows previous fixture), Eastbourne v Mildenhall (follows previous fixture)

SUNDAY AUGUST 22:
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Mildenhall 3pm
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Kent 4pm

MONDAY AUGUST 23:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Kent v Newcastle 6.30, Plymouth v Birmingham 7pm