BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAY 9, 2022
Photo: by Jeff Davies
(SPEEDWAY 1)
PETERBOROUGH CHASING HOME VICTORY
REIGNING champions Peterborough look to get off the mark in this season’s Premiership when they host Belle Vue in tonight’s (Monday) televised fixture.
The Panthers have been beaten twice on the road so far, including a big defeat in the reverse fixture in Manchester last week.
Boss Rob Lyon said: “We just need to get a bit more consistency, and I’m sure that will come.
“It’s important to win the first home meeting, the boys know it, and they’re up for it.
“It’s been three weeks since we’ve been at home, so we’re looking forward to it, and Belle Vue are in our sights. Hopefully we can pull it off and get revenge for last week!”
The Aces have a good recent record at Alwalton, despite their defeat in the Grand Final last October.
Youngster Norick Blodorn said: “This will be my first meeting at Peterborough.
I’ve been watching YouTube videos of a few races there and it’s very similar to Belle Vue so I think it will be good. “I have struggled a little with the away meetings so far, but I feel like I’m getting better with each one. I know I have speed and I’m on the pace, I just need a little more track knowledge.
“It’s not beyond us to take a point from this match, like we did at Ipswich, but I think we can go one better and take the overall win on the night.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams is respectful of the challenge posed by Ipswich ahead of tonight’s (Monday) Premiership clash at Monmore Green.
Wolves were comfortable winners in their league opener against King’s Lynn last week, whilst the Witches also got off the mark against Belle Vue after a disappointing League Cup campaign.
Adams said: “Their winter capture of Jason Doyle was a clear signal of intent and it’s great to see quality like the hard charging Aussie icon back plying his trade here in the UK, and I’m sure all of our boys will relish their clashes with him.
“Last week, it was a very strong performance, particularly among the top five, they rode very well and were on their game.
“Whilst we’re hopeful of course of adding another three points to our stockpile, we certainly won’t be taking anything for granted.”
Wolves again include No.8 Joe Thompson as a replacement for the injured Leon Flint, whilst Ipswich also promote Danyon Hume into the line-up as Anders Rowe is unwell. Boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “Wolves are a very good team around their home track and have plenty of experience there.
“We have got a lot of riders that like Wolverhampton and have good records around there, but it will be a tough test. Looking at our side, we can go there with confidence.
“It’s a track where experience helps but we are a team, certainly at the top end, that is full of experience and who have ridden at Wolves many times and had good results. We will need to all put it together as a team and we are capable of doing that.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
GLASGOW were 31-29 winners at Newcastle on Sunday in a meeting abandoned after ten completed races due to track conditions.
The Tigers went level on points with Championship leaders Leicester but saw Tom Brennan withdraw with a hand injury after a crash in his first ride.
Captain Ulrich Ostergaard was unbeaten for the visitors with 7+2 from three rides, and Benjamin Basso won two races as he scored seven. Max Clegg scored seven from three for the Diamonds.
Glasgow boss Cami Brown said: “We get the three points, but I told them that we came here for four, so we were not trying to pull a fast one by having it abandoned – we just don’t want to have any more riders injured.
“The boys all gave it 100 per cent in very difficult conditions. Ulrich and Ben were really good with a couple of 5-1s. Broc Nicol was good as well and may be coming into some form. He says he is taking little steps.
“Tom has a hand injury but we don’t know if he has broken anything, he’s going to have to get it X-rayed.”
Newcastle promoter Rob Grant said: “The match had provided some excellent racing, with some really exciting stuff to watch, and I think as we were only two points down, we all believe this was a match we could have won had it gone to the end of Heat 15, but that wasn’t to be when the referee was called to the pits.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
NEWCASTLE promoter Rob Grant has confirmed significant track work was already scheduled for the venue prior to Sunday’s abandonment.
The Diamonds now have a break in home fixtures and plan for the work to be complete in time for the visit of Scunthorpe on May 22.
Grant said: “We do have issues with drainage with the track, and also have issues with an old kerb from years ago coming through the surface from below.
“We know that, but tonight (Sunday) was absolutely no worse than it had been over the last few weeks, so there was no need for any of this tonight.
“We have no meeting next week, and we’ve already had scheduled major track work with nationally renowned track men from the SCB coming up to oversee and sort the track out.
“One option that we are looking at is with that kerb reappearing, is taking the track out again to the line of the old kerb as an option to sort out some of the issues.
“So by the time Scunthorpe come to us on we believe we’ll have a trouble-free track to race on again.”
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY MAY 9:
PREMIERSHIP: Peterborough v Belle Vue 7.30, Wolverhampton v Ipswich 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 10:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Oxford 7pm
WEDNESDAY MAY 11:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Redcar 7.30, Poole v Newcastle 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 13:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Leicester 7.30, Redcar v Poole 7.30, Scunthorpe v Oxford 7.30
NO PRESSURE ON ZMARZLIK AFTER LATVIAN GP WIN