BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2023/17

Feature photo by: Ian Adam… Bailey was crowned British Under-21 Champion with a sensational last-to-first ride in the Final at Glasgow on Sunday. The former Tigers racer made a dream return to Ashfield and completed his charge through the field on the last lap.

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

SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP NEWSROUND…

LIONS IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
LEICESTER recorded a seventh straight top-flight win for the first time in their history when they defeated King’s Lynn 54-36 on Monday.
The Lions stretched clear in the second half of the meeting after No.1 Max Fricke shattered his own track record in Heat 1, taking nearly three-quarters of a second off his previous mark.

Manager Stewart Dickson said: “We got there in the end. King’s Lynn put up a good fight, and the scoreline maybe flatters us slightly that we won by 18 points.
“They came and met us head-on, but we got into the groove and the victory on paper looks a bit more comfortable than what it actually was.”

ACES MARCH ON
DEFENDING Premiership champions Belle Vue are on the brink of wrapping up play-off qualification mathematically following a maximum-points haul against Ipswich.
The Aces defeated the Witches home and away in the past week, and only a hugely unlikely run of freak results would leave them outside the top four.

No.1 Dan Bewley said: “I threw a few points away, but I think the secret to the strength of this team is the fact that we can compensate for those who have an off-night.
“We’re going pretty good at the minute. The plan going forward is to keep putting in the points, have some fun and see how far we can go.”

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams admitted the idea of being taken to a Super Heat by Peterborough wasn’t on his pre-meeting agenda.
The Monmore side had a huge scare against the bottom club before Rory Schlein and Sam Masters got them out of jail in the extra race.

Adams said: “These meetings are not exactly a walk in the park, but we were expecting a much more clear cut victory.
“We had a few mishaps early on so we weren’t able to get on top of the opposition as we normally can. It’s a bit concerning that we’re not consistently dominant here; some days we are, some days we’re not.”

PLENTY STILL TO RACE FOR
IPSWICH manager Ritchie Hawkins says there will be no writing off of the club’s 2023 season with big matches still to come.
The Witches’ play-off hopes have faded in recent weeks but they are still strong favourites to reach the KO Cup Final where they would face Sheffield.

Hawkins said: “There are a lot of local derbies coming up as well against Peterborough and King’s Lynn, so we need to make sure we are winning them.
“We have provided great entertainment at home this year, but we have been on the wrong end of far too many results. We need to make sure we keep entertaining but getting the wins to reward our loyal supporters.”

PANTHERS FINALLY COOKING
PETERBOROUGH gave their season a welcome boost with a league point from a 45-45 ‘draw’ at Wolverhampton even though they lost the Super Heat.
Australian star Ben Cook had struggled on his previous visit to Monmore but he contributed 10+3 on this occasion as the visitors nearly pulled off the shock of the season.

Cook said: “The Wolves boys are good around their home track, they’ve done plenty of laps and that makes the result even better for us I think.
“It hasn’t been easy this season but we’re all gelling together now and if we could continue that, who knows what could happen and how many more meetings we can win.”

KEY CALL AGAINST STARS
KING’S Lynn boss David Hoggart pinpointed the Heat 8 disqualification of Simon Lambert as a key turning point in Monday’s defeat at Leicester.
Lambert clashed with the Lions’ Drew Kemp and was ruled to have caused him to fall – and the re-run saw the home side take the first of a run of three 5-1s in four races.

Hoggart said: “We gave Leicester a bit of a scare in the first seven or eight races without any shadow of a doubt, and it wasn’t easy for them at that point.
“Obviously Simon got excluded in Heat 8 which was a bit of hard riding and I think a more experienced rider might have stayed on. Stewart (Dickson) will probably disagree with me on that one, but that’s speedway at the end of the day.”

TIGERS ON COURSE
SHEFFIELD skipper Kyle Howarth says it’s been a good response to a surprise home defeat against Leicester last month – with the Owlerton side having won their next three matches after that.
Howarth said: “Apart from that one little slip-up against Leicester, we’ve been riding really well at home, we’ve all been showing some solid home form.

“Blips happen, that’s just how it goes, but we’ve bounced back well. We are strong and everyone knows that.”

THE WEEK AHEAD… Sports Insure Premiership leaders Belle Vue head to Sheffield on Thursday seeking revenge for early-season defeats to the Tigers… elsewhere on Thursday, play-off hopefuls Leicester travel to King’s Lynn, whilst Ipswich meet Peterborough at Foxhall… the Panthers and the Stars meet at the East of England Arena on Monday in a televised A47 derby, whilst Sheffield are at home again against Wolverhampton as two of the current top four meet.

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP NEWSROUND…

BAILEY’S U21 JOY
REDCAR’S Connor Bailey was crowned British Under-21 Champion in a sensational Final at Glasgow.
Bailey came from fourth to first in the race and made the decisive move at the start of the last lap when he steamed inside Dan Thompson.

Said Bailey: “I made the worst start of the day. But I just kept plugging away and knew I’d get my chance.
“I had to drive under Dan Thompson into the first bend. It was a risk, one of those crash or trophy moments. Thankfully it was the latter!”

HOOK BLOW FOR BANDITS
BERWICK have been rocked by an injury blow for recent signing Jacob Hook.
The Australian crashed heavily when racing for Gruziadz in the Polish Under-24 League on Tuesday and suffered a broken collarbone.

Ironically it will mean he misses the Bandits’ clash with former club Edinburgh on Saturday, who released him from their side earlier in the season.

PLUS POINTS FOR BRUMMIES
BIRMINGHAM boss Stewart Dickson says there were still reasons for optimism despite last week’s home defeat to Glasgow.
The Brummies were left hugely up against it when No.1 Nick Morris was ruled out for failing to comply with Alcohol and Doping testing procedure.
Dickson said: “I just want look at the plusses and take them into this next meeting against Poole.
“Alfie Bowtell continued to fly down at reserve, Troy Batchelor managed double figures once again against one of the other strongest teams in this league and Paul Starke grew into that meeting as well.”

WOOD SUFFERS COWLEY PAIN
EDINBURGH’S Dayle Wood experienced a painful moment due to mechanical failure during the Monarchs’ defeat at Oxford last week.Manager John Campbell explained: “Dayle rode a steady race in Heat 2 to pick up some points and was unlucky to shed a chain at the start line in his second ride.
“The chain whipped his leg leaving a very nasty gash and we hope this heals quickly. He powered on to take his third ride and showed good speed.”

MISSION IS ‘W’!
OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck says this week’s clash with fellow unbeaten Championship club Glasgow is one to savour – and also one to win.
Both clubs boast 100 per cent records ahead of a massive meeting at Cowley on Wednesday.

Schroeck said: “One thing we can guarantee is no team will want to end the night with an ‘L’ next to their name. This is about making a statement to the rest of the division that the Cheetahs are on a mission this season following our regeneration.
“The racing will be fierce and we’ll need our supporters behind the boys again if we’re to keep this 100 per cent record going.”

BRILLIANCE FROM BOMBER
GLASGOW boss Cami Brown hailed No.1 Chris Harris as ‘sensational’ after a 15-point maximum in the win at Birmingham last week.
It was Harris’s second successive five-ride full house for the Tigers, and Brown said: “Chris was sensational yet again. He produced two brilliant passes from the back and was different class.
“It was a proper all round team display, Tom (Brennan) and Claus (Vissing) were fantastic as well. It’s a good confidence boost for the boys, especially for Lee Complin and Ace Pijper.”

MIDDLO HEADS NORTH?
POOLE manager Neil Middleditch admits he could make a rare foray north on Friday when the Pirates travel to Glasgow in the second leg of the BSN Series Final.
The Pirates share management duties between Middleditch and the northern-based Gary Havelock due to Middleditch’s business commitments.
He said: “Leicester is about my limit. Any further north is Havvy’s domain, but then again he came down here for the first leg.
“So if business commitments allow then I might go up and muscle in, but in all honesty I am pretty busy all round at the minute.”

SWALES: MORE TO COME
REDCAR promoter Jamie Swales has given a ‘satisfactory’ verdict to the season so far – but says there’s plenty more to come!
Swales said: “I have been pleased with all of the boys so far this season but I know that they can all improve their level and that is great news for everybody, apart from the opposition!
“Also, I don’t think we’ve had a match where all seven Bears have hit their stride so there’s definitely more to come from our side.”

WEATHER WINS CUP SEMI
SCUNTHORPE and Redcar will have to seek alternative dates for their KO Cup semi-final after both scheduled legs were washed out last week.
Both clubs took early decisions to postpone due to poor weather, and the eagerly awaited tie will now take place later this summer.
Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We waited until today (Friday) to see if the forecast would improve, but it has not.
“There is no chance of getting on a speedway meeting tonight, so we’ve made the early decision to save everyone a wasted journey.”

THE WEEK AHEAD… Championship silverware will be won this Friday as Glasgow host Poole in the second leg of the BSN Series Final with the Pirates heavy favourites after the first leg… The Tigers visit Oxford on Wednesday in a big clash of two clubs with 100 per cent league records… champions Poole look to enhance their own position when they visit Birmingham… Redcar and Scunthorpe will hope for better luck with the weather for their league clash at the ECCO Arena on Friday… Berwick host Edinburgh on Saturday with both clubs still chasing a place in the top six.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE NEWSROUND…

MAX FOR MAX
EDINBURG’S Max Clegg and team-mate Jacob Hook were both unbeaten as the Monarchs Academy ran up a big 59-31 win over Workington.
Clegg scored 14+1 from five rides whilst Hook notched 17+1 from six in a dominant display for the first time – and Clegg insists that the result had been coming.

He said: “That was what we needed, and we came up with the goods. It was a fantastic performance from everyone. Workington have some decent riders so we knew it wasn’t going to be an easy meeting, but we got the job done.”

CRANG TARGETS RETURN
WORKINGTON skipper Luke Crang is keen to get back into action as quickly as possible as he is currently sidelined with knee ligament damage.
Crang said: “It all started a few weeks ago against Oxford during a fairly regular crash, but as it turns out the damage in my knee needs treatment and physio.
“I’ve had a couple of sessions already and it’s feeling better every day, so hopefully it won’t be too long. I just don’t want to rush back too soon and do more damage.”

GARRAD CHARGES IN
OXFORD have handed Jason Garrad a return to NDL racing after previous signing Kelsey Dugard was ruled out due to injury.
Garrad said: “I grew up watching the Cheetahs race at Sandy Lane, so it has always been a dream to ride for Oxford.
“It’s exciting to join a team that is having so much success within the league right now. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully make a positive contribution to the rest of the season.”

THE WEEK AHEAD… Belle Vue defend their unbeaten home record against Edinburgh on Friday, with a ten-point deficit for the aggregate point… defending champions Leicester visit Kent on Sunday holding a 56-34 advantage from a recent win at Beaumont Park.

ALSO… Belle Vue host the 500cc and 250cc sections of their British Youth Championship round on Friday, with Ashton Boughen set to secure the 500cc title.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

WEDNESDAY JULY 19:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Poole 7.30, Oxford v Glasgow 7.30

THURSDAY JULY 20:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v Peterborough 7.30, King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30, Sheffield v Belle Vue 7.30

FRIDAY JULY 21:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar (35) v Scunthorpe (55) 7.30
BSN SERIES FINAL 2nd leg: Glasgow v Poole 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue (40) v Edinburgh (50) 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP (500cc/250cc): Belle Vue 6pm

SATURDAY JULY 22:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm

SUNDAY JULY 23:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent (34) v Leicester (56) 12pm

MONDAY JULY 24:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Peterborough v King’s Lynn 7.30, Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

WEDNESDAY JULY 26:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Birmingham 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Kent 7.30

THURSDAY JULY 27:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Peterborough 7.30

FRIDAY JULY 28:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Berwick 7pm, Redcar (38) v Oxford (52) 7.30, Scunthorpe v Birmingham 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Berwick (follows Champ fixture)

SATURDAY JULY 29:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick (33) v Redcar (57) 7pm

SUNDAY JULY 30:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Poole 6pm
 
MONDAY JULY 31:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v Sheffield 7.30, Leicester v Ipswich 7.30
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R1: Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 1:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Edinburgh 7pm