BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2022 / 11

Date: Tuesday June 21, 2022

THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN

PIC OF THE WEEK…

Ipswich beat Sheffield in Round 2 of the Premiership Pairs at Foxhall last week. The Witches now just sit two-points behind joint-leaders King’s Lynn and Sheffield with four rounds left to race.
Photo By: JEFF HIGGOTT

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

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“Wolves is a very specific track and their riders know it so well by this point. We started off OK but as the night went on home track knowledge definitely played to their advantage. A 4-2 in the last heat would’ve gotten us a point and I tried everything to get through, but it just wasn’t to be and we are disappointed, but we learned a lot so we’ll be back, stronger.”

A brilliant night for Aces star Max Fricke at Monmore Green on Monday as he scored 17+1, but the team just missed out on a point with Brady Kurtz out due to illness.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Mon July 4
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur July 14
 
IPSWICH
“Paul (Starke) came back and was maybe suffering from a lack of race-sharpness tonight and he was one rider who was struggling for speed as well. I’m sure he will be sore in the morning, but he has a busy period coming up racing-wise so hopefully his shoulder will strengthen up.

Erik (Riss) blew his engine in his first ride and that hampered his evening as well. Ben (Barker) is currently in hospital with a shoulder injury being assessed.”

Problems for the Witches in an eventful meeting at Peterborough on Monday with boss Ritchie Hawkins explaining some of the reasons for a 50-39 defeat.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur June 23
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Mon June 27
 
KING’S LYNN
“Jason’s a well-measured and well-calculated young man, and when I spoke to him he’d already been thinking about potentially riding in the Premiership and what it would mean for him.

He’s come across really well, I’m very impressed with his attitude and he’s a rider who’s doing some good things at the moment, so I’m pleased to have him with us.”

Stars boss Alex Brady has confirmed new Rising Star recruit Jason Edwards will make his debut against Sheffield on Thursday having come in as a replacement for the injured Jack Thomas.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Thur June 23
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon July 4

PETERBOROUGH
“It was a strange meeting with lots of different crashes, and to think we had four exclusions in the first eight races and ended up winning by 11 points was very unusual.

It was so tight all the way through and Ipswich losing Ben (Barker) probably cost them, but our boys really knuckled down and got a great win.”

Rob Lyon’s side have now picked up six points from two matches to breathe new life into their title defence, as they overcame Ipswich 50-39 despite a number of incidents at the East of England Arena on Monday.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Mon July 4
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur June 23
 
SHEFFIELD
“The boys rode really well tonight and while it could’ve been more and as much as I’m frustrated, I’d prefer to focus on the positives.

It’s another good result for us, more points on the board and we’re joint leaders overall.” Tigers boss Simon Stead was pleased with the efforts of Adam Ellis and Tobiasz Musielak in the second round of the Pairs at Ipswich, where they continued a consistent campaign with another runners-up spot.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Mon June 27
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur June 23
 
WOLVERHAMPTON
“We had our little team talk before and we’d have been happy with any kind of win. To win by that many and send them home with zero points feels good though, and we’re stoked on it.”

Wolves star Luke Becker said there was a good mood in the camp after Monday’s 49-41 win over Belle Vue which turned the tables on the Aces after last week’s result in Manchester.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Mon June 27
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon July 11
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BERWICK
“I’ve wanted to race in England and, know the Flint family through racing against Leon around Europe. When the opportunity to join Berwick arose I jumped at the chance. The tracks will all be new to me but the whole point is to challenge myself and do the best for Berwick in the process.”

New signing Jonas Knudsen can’t wait to get going with the Bandits as he prepares for his debut against Scunthorpe this Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sat June 25
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Wed June 29

BIRMINGHAM
“I’m very proud of all the boys tonight. I thought they rode well, I thought we deserved the victory and it was just a great night for the Brummies all round. We had a bit of luck on our side in Heat 13 but it’s nice for luck to go our way for a change, probably for the first time this year!”

Relief for the Brummies and boss Laurence Rogers with a 46-44 win over Plymouth in a close contest last Tuesday to end their five-match losing sequence.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Wed June 22
NEXT AWAY: Leicester Sat June 25

 
EDINBURGH
The Monarchs have confirmed re-admission tickets from the recent abandoned match against Newcastle will be fully redeemed, with the Monarchs next in action at Armadale this Friday against Oxford.
NEXT HOME: Oxford, Fri June 24
NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Sun July 3
 
GLASGOW
“I’m confident with the bike, I know what it does when it hits something or when I hit the air fence when I’m that wide out. Today some guys struggled but you never know, it might be me next time, so it’s good that we can make up for each other.”

Tigers star Benjamin Basso put in a brilliant display in last Friday’s home win over Oxford, being unbeaten until missing out on a maximum to Scott Nicholls in Heat 15.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Fri June 24
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed June 22
 
LEICESTER
“We’ve been on a good run, we’ve picked up a lot of points earlier this month and now we can dust ourselves down for our next set of matches, and it’s a big weekend coming up.”

Lions boss Stewart Dickson is building up to two more important matches in their title challenge, starting with a trip to 2019 Grand Final rivals Glasgow on Friday.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Sat June 25
NEXT AWAY: Glasgow, Fri June 24
 
OXFORD
“It was an unbelievable performance by Aaron Summers. He hasn’t turned a wheel or dropped a clutch since he retired at the end of last season. He did brilliantly well. We’ve been searching for a third heat leader all year and, in Aaron, we seem to have found one!”

Cheetahs co-boss Peter Schroeck praised new signing Aaron Summers for an impressive performance in his first meeting of the season at Glasgow on Friday.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Wed June 22
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri June 24

PLYMOUTH
“A losing bonus point was the very least the Gladiators deserved to maintain their outstanding consistency away from home and they are indeed the only team in the championship who have scored above 40 points in each of their away matches so far.”

The Gladiators were edged out 46-44 at Birmingham last Wednesday in a last heat decider which saw skipper Hans Andersen disqualified, but they still took a useful league point from the meeting.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Tues June 28
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Wed June 22
 
POOLE
“They are genuine play-off contenders, and they are riding high on confidence of late. Of course our cup victory against them was impressive but that doesn’t give us anything other than the bragging rights for Wednesday.

They are going to be tough, and we need to have solid contributions right through the team.”
Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford is urging plenty of respect for opponents Plymouth when the sides meet in an intriguing Championship clash this week.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Wed June 22
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh, Fri July 8
 
REDCAR
“I believe we have the side to go all the way but first things first, we need to get enough points to make the play-offs. The riders are capable but we will need things to fall into place for that to happen, but the same goes for any team that does end up winning the league, you need that bit of luck along the way.”

Bears boss Jade Mudgway says his side are well placed to mount a strong challenge for silverware in the second half of the season – but they have to ensure a top-six finish first of all.
NEXT HOME: TBC, Fri June 24
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed June 22
 
SCUNTHORPE
“Jake (Allen) did his job in Heat 15, in keeping the Poole riders occupied while Ryan (Douglas) swept to the front. Ryan did a real No 1’s job yet again, in beating Danny King in the battle for first place in that final race to get us over the winning line. Some of Ryan’s passing moves during the night were sublime.”
Scorpions boss Dave Peet was delighted to see a plan come together in the last-heat decider victory over champions Poole on Friday, with the home side pulling off a narrow 45-44 victory.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Sun July 3
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Sat June 25

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

ARMADALE
“Mildenhall deserved their win obviously, but we did manage to give them a better fight over the closing races. Josh Embleton worked hard and got some reward and Danny Phillips led the way for us.”

Stand-in boss Alex Harkess had no complaints over the Devils’ home defeat to Mildenhall last Friday, but did feel there were some bright points to take from the meeting.
NEXT HOME: Kent, Fri July 15
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 16
 
BELLE VUE
The Colts are back in action on Friday in a big clash with league leaders Berwick as they look to maintain their 100 per cent home record.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri June 24
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun July 24

BERWICK
“Kyle (Bickley) led superbly from the front. Not many people have beaten Jason Edwards twice in a meeting at any level in 2022 but, with all due respect to his superb effort, I think Ben Rathbone’s heat wins in eight and 14 proved to be the difference between the sides.”

Bullets boss Gary Flint highlighted the key moments in the Bullets’ win over reigning champions Mildenhall at Shielfield Park last Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Leicester (KOC), Sat July 2
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Fri June 24
 
KENT
The Royals’ hopes of getting back into action last weekend were dashed with a rain-off at Leicester, and they must now wait until next month to host leaders Berwick at Iwade.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sun July 10
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri July 15 

LEICESTER
“It is great to have Max back on track for the Lion Cubs. After Max’s great debut last month and a really positive post collarbone recovery practice test session at Peterborough, he is itching to get back into competitive racing and continue his first NDL campaign.”

Cubs boss Dave Howard is delighted to have youngster Max Perry back in action after a month on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.
NEXT HOME: Berwick (KOC), Sun July 3
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun June 26
 
MILDENHALL
“It really was a great team performance. It has to be said that of all away tracks Berwick’s is the hardest place to go – especially when some of the team have been out injured prior to the tour.”

Fen Tigers co-boss Jason Gardner was pleased to take a point from a 48-42 defeat at Shielfield Park on Saturday, coming just a day after an impressive away win at Armadale.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Sun June 26
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues July 5
 
OXFORD
“I wanted to do Heat 15. I was told that I was in it, and there were no thoughts in my mind to ask not to be out there to protect my maximum. The more track time I can get the better, especially after missing the start of the season. I want to take every opportunity to race.”

Chargers newcomer Luke Killeen made a sensational debut in last Tuesday’s win at Plymouth, dropping his only points in six rides when he also appeared in Heat 15.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed July 20
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 9

PLYMOUTH
“With the absence of key riders from their originally declared 1-7, the SWTR Centurions, with the exception of (Alfie) Bowtell, struggled manfully against the tide of a team who were simply better on the night.”
A tough run for the Centurions continued with a home defeat to Oxford in their most recent NDL meeting last Tuesday.
NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Tues July 5
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Sat Aug 6

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY JUNE 21:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Newcastle OFF

WEDNESDAY JUNE 22:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Redcar 7.30, Oxford v Glasgow 7.30, Poole v Plymouth 7.30

THURSDAY JUNE 23:
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30, King’s Lynn v Sheffield 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Oxford 7.30, Glasgow v Leicester 7.30, Redcar v TBC 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Berwick 7.30

SATURDAY JUNE 25:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm, Leicester v Birmingham 7pm

SUNDAY JUNE 26:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Poole OFF
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Leicester 3pm

MONDAY JUNE 27:
PREMIERSHIP: Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30

TUESDAY JUNE 28:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Glasgow 7pm

WEDNESDAY JUNE 29:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Newcastle OFF, Oxford v Leicester 7.30, Poole v Berwick 7.30

FRIDAY JULY 1:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30, Glasgow v Redcar 7.30

SATURDAY JULY 2:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Berwick v Leicester 7pm

SUNDAY JULY 3:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Birmingham OFF, Scunthorpe v Edinburgh 5pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Leicester v Berwick 4pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 5: Redcar 10.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 6: Scunthorpe (follows Championship fixture)

MONDAY JULY 4:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Sheffield 7.30, Peterborough v King’s Lynn 7.30, Wolverhampton v Ipswich 7.30

TUESDAY JULY 5:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Plymouth v Mildenhall 7pm