BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 18, 2023

(SPEEDWAY 1)

LAMBERT’S PREMIERSHIP RETURN

KING’S LYNN favourite Robert Lambert is returning to the Sports Insure Premiership for the final six matches of the Stars’ season.
The Grand Prix regular rode for his local club in the top flight from 2014-19 and also had a stint with Belle Vue. 
He has agreed to see out the season with the Adrian Flux Arena side, who have released Artem Laguta having also suffered the major blow of the loss of captain Nicolai Klindt to injury.

Lambert said: “I’ve seen the scores this season and I know King’s Lynn haven’t been having the best of years.
“But even though the play-offs aren’t in reach it’s still a great opportunity for me to come in and give them a bit of a supporting boost towards the end of the season.
“The plan is to score lots of points, as I was doing the last time I rode for them! I wouldn’t want to show my performance any other way, I want to do my best for my original club and the club who I’ve raced with the most in the UK.”

Co-promoter Dale Allitt added: “Robert is loved by everyone at King’s Lynn. He’s done so much from his first meetings back in 2013 in the National League, and it’s been a pleasure to watch his development into one of the best riders in the World.
“We have six matches remaining, a couple of them at home, and when you look at the teams we are facing, the prospect of Robert taking on Dan Bewley and Brady Kurtz (Belle Vue) and then Jason Doyle and Emil Sayfutdinov (Ipswich) around King’s Lynn is very much one to look forward to.
“It’s quite amicable with Artem, and we thank him for his contribution. By his own admission he’s found the smaller tracks more difficult, and the option to bring back a King’s Lynn asset in Robert was one we couldn’t turn down.”
 (SPEEDWAY 2)
WOLVERHAMPTON moved to the brink of securing Sports Insure Premiership play-off qualification with an impressive 51-39 win at Leicester.
The visitors provided eleven race winners and took control of the meeting at Beaumont Park by going ten points up on the space of the first five races.

Former Lions man Ryan Douglas reeled off four wins before missing out on a maximum in Heat 15, and his 12 points were backed up by solid contributions down the order with skipper Sam Masters scoring nine.
Max Fricke (11+1) and Richard Lawson (10+1) both reached double figures for the Lions, who still have work to do to confirm a top four spot.

Wolves boss Peter Adams said: “I think we bullied them a bit from the starts, we had six different race winners and everybody in our team rode well today, and when they do we can win anywhere.
“It was a shame it wasn’t five wins for Dougy but you can’t have everything. He rode very well, and it does suit us having this ‘floating’ four and five position on various tracks.

“It worked well at Peterborough, we tried it again today and it’s paid dividends.”
Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “Wolverhampton were very good, but at the same time that’s two heavy defeats in a row at home for us, which is not something we’ve been used to.
“The riders just weren’t making starts, and even when we did we were getting passed, Wolves were just quicker. There was nothing wrong with the track, nobody was blaming the track, and it’s not something I can figure out straight away.
“Unfortunately there’s a slump somewhere and we need to get our motivation back, and when I say that I mean all of us.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

SHEFFIELD dug deep to earn a 48-42 win over Peterborough at Owlerton.
The Tigers were made to work hard for their points against a Panthers team who may be bottom of the Sports Insure Premiership, but certainly pushed the South Yorkshire side – with recent signing Chris Harris in outstanding form.
Harris piled up 16 points from six rides for the visitors, with his best support coming from Ben Cook with 8+2.

Tobiasz Musielak scored 10 for the Tigers whilst Tai Woffinden scored 8+1 after suffering mechanical trouble when on a 5-1 with youngster Dan Gilkes in Heat 4.
Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “The make-up of Peterborough’s team is different to the one that we faced last time they were here – that includes Bomber and he was on fire.

“We had a couple of riders who didn’t go as well as we know they can go and we had that engine failure for Woffy in his first one.
“So it was a bit of a strange one for us, I don’t think we were brilliant, but we got the job done, we got the points on the board and that was the important thing.”

Panthers manager Rob Lyon said: “I think it was one of our better away performances this year.
“We had one or two problems for a few of the boys but Chris was superb and there were a few positives for some of the others as well.
“We just fell away a little bit half way through the meeting, but we pegged them back and kept within six in the end.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

EDINBURGH welcome back Kye Thomson after illness for tonight’s (Friday) Cab Direct Championship clash with high-flying Oxford.

The Monarchs have booked Drew Kemp to guest for GP Challenge-bound Paco Castagna, as they bid to boost their play-off hopes with a win over the Cheetahs who put them out of the KO Cup earlier this season.

Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “It’s up to us on Friday, we all need to perform and we need everybody at their best.
“We welcome Oxford led by Sam Masters. He has always been part of the family here and always will be.”
Cheetahs manager Peter Schroeck said: “This won’t be an easy fixture. Edinburgh is a specialist track which can take some adjusting to, so getting dialled into the surface and configuration early will be key.

“At the same time, we’ve earned a draw against the Monarchs on the road already this season and I see no reason why we shouldn’t aim to do the same this time around or go one point better and win.
“Edinburgh have had their fair share of hard luck this season with the weather and other factors putting their season back a bit. That will only make them more determined to do a job against us at a time where points will strengthen their position inside the play-off frame.

“The boys are fired up for this one and we’re looking forward to the challenge as ever.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

GLASGOW and Berwick meet twice in the space of 24 hours with five Cab Direct Championship points up for grabs – starting at Ashfield tonight (Friday).
The Tigers go into their home meeting fourth in the table but with matches in hand on the three sides above them, whilst the Bandits are eighth after last week’s home defeat to Birmingham.

Glasgow operate rider replacement for Marcin Nowak, who has a Polish fixture clash, whilst Berwick track a full one-to-seven with Jacob Hook included having rejoined after injury in place of Jonas Knudsen.
Bandits boss Kevin Little said: “Jacob is fit, ready and raring to go and, to be honest, if it had not been for his injury the Bandits’ No.6 slot was his. “We are excited to see a full squad take to the track this weekend.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

REDCAR look to consolidate their position in the top three of the Cab Direct Championship when they host Birmingham at the ECCO Arena tonight (Friday).
Boss Gavin Parr has warned his side to be wary of the threat of the Brummies, who won at Berwick last week and are still chasing a play-off spot.

The home side hope to welcome back No.1 Charles Wright after he missed their midweek southern tour with injury, whilst Richard Lawson guests at No.1 for the visitors.
Parr said: “Birmingham have some good riders so we will have to be on our guard, we all know what Sedgy (Justin Sedgmen) can do around Redcar when he’s on it.

“Additionally, they have also brought in Richard as a guest which gives them even more top end power, but I’m confident in our boys to get the job done.”
Birmingham manager Stewart Dickson said: “Friday is another very big meeting for us.
“We again bring in Richard to lead us from the front at No.1 and we’re going there to get something out of it.
“We know it will be tough but we know we’re likely to need at least one more result away from home if we are to make it into that top six.”

(SPEEDWAY 7)

GREAT Britain will be competing in the FIM European Under 19 Pairs taking place at the Czech Republic venue of Pardubice on Saturday September 2.
It has been announced that the riders representing Great Britain will be Sam Hagon, Joe Thompson and Ashton Boughen.
British Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “Again this another event to look forward to, and it will be great for these riders to gain the experience of a European circuit that is often used for FIM and FIME events.

“There is a whole host of the current top British Under-21 riders who will not be eligible next season having exceeded the age group – so it will be up to the likes of Hagon, Thompson and Boughen amongst others to step up to the plate next season to compete in the Under-21 events as well as the Under-19s.”
Great Britain will be competing against the host nation Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine and Norway in this event which will be run over 28 heats.

(SPEEDWAY 8)

2023 British 250cc Champion William Cairns has made the long trip to Riga in Latvia to compete in this weekend’s FIM European 250cc Championship, which takes place at last weekend’s Grand Prix venue.
Cairns, who won his first British Championship at Belle Vue on July 21 following a successful British Youth Championship season, and finished fifth in the SGP3 Championship, goes into this European semi-final in good form having just won a 250cc Pairs event with Denmark’s Mikkel Andersen.

The event consists of two semi-finals which take place on Saturday at the Riga venue, with the top eight from each meeting qualifying for Sunday’s European 250cc Final, which again takes place at the Riga Grand Prix circuit.
Meanwhile, unfortunately Ipswich and Plymouth’s Dan Thompson, who qualified for the FIM European Under 19 Final, which takes place at the Polish venue of Gorzow on Saturday night, has had to withdraw from the event as he is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder he received at the Ipswich v Kings Lynn fixture on August 10.
 
(FIXTURES)

FRIDAY AUGUST 18:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Oxford 7.30, Glasgow v Berwick 7.30, Redcar (46) v Birmingham (44) 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 19:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Glasgow 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 20:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Edinburgh 5pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent (37) v Mildenhall (53) 12pm, Kent v Oxford (follows previous fixture)