BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 24, 2023

(SPEEDWAY 1)

PIRATES SET UP WIN AFTER EARLY MATCH DOMINANCE

POOLE are back on top of the Cab Direct Championship table after defeating Glasgow 53-37 in an eventful clash at Wimborne Road.
The Pirates, as so often when at home to the Tigers, started strongly with six successive heat advantages and they provided the first nine race winners.

Captain Steve Worrall scored 13 points from five rides, including four wins, whilst Ben Cook notched 11.
Chris Harris led the Glasgow resistance with 12+2 from six rides but reserve Ace Pijper was withdrawn with arm and wrist issues after a crash in Heat 6.

Worrall said: “It’s a nice feeling to be back on top and now we want to stay there. We have put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get where we are and we just have to keep going over the next couple of meetings.
“Once the play-offs start it is a clean slate all round and all what has happened before is forgotten and that is when it all gets interesting.”
Glasgow manager Cami Brown said: “I cannot fault the boys, they worked so hard all night to turn things around.
“Poole are a fantastic side, especially on their home track, we know that, but it was a disappointing night.
“Once again we couldn’t get out of the starts and the damage was done in the early stages.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

SCUNTHORPE made club history with their largest-ever away victory in the second tier of British Speedway when they won 55-35 at Birmingham on Wednesday.
The Scorpions raced into a 22-8 lead after five races and produced a relentless all-round team performance to move to the brink of play-off qualification.

Reserve Drew Kemp took top billing with an 11+1 paid maximum from four rides, whilst No.1 Ryan Douglas reeled off four wins after Heat 1 to finish on 13+1.
Manager Dave Peet said: “I’m so pleased. We put in an all-around team performance tonight, with the whole side putting a shift in.

“This was the first time we’ve been able to track a full seven-man line-up of our own riders for a couple of months. We got the lads together before the meeting, and told them now we’ve got a full team, it was time we started firing on all cylinders.  
“In particular, I’m pleased for Drew. He put in a new engine, and it worked a treat. He was making starts and when he didn’t, he had plenty of speed. We signed Drew for a reason, because he’s a very good speedway rider and tonight he did what we knew he could do. Speedway is all about confidence and he’s now buzzing.”

Josh Pickering racked up 15+1 as a guest for the Brummies, whose CEO Nigel Tolley pulled no punches over his side’s performance.
He said: “Scunthorpe walked all over us and we didn’t look like a team who deserve to be anywhere near the play-offs.
“That was nowhere near good enough; I’m seething and I’m very angry.
“Again I can only sympathise with and apologise to our loyal supporters who came along to watch that performance – they have been badly let down.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)
 
OXFORD charged back to the top of the National Development League table with a 60-30 win over bottom club Berwick.
Henry Atkins recorded a faultless 15-point maximum for the Chargers and skipper Jordan Jenkins was also unbeaten with 13+2. Steve Boxall and guest Ben Trigger both picked up ten points for the injury-hit Bullets.
Oxford boss Peter Schroeck said: “That was a great result for us. We were favourites and while we targeted victory before the meeting we were all thrilled to break the 60-point mark.

“It shows the boys have clicked as a team and as I keep saying everyone in the pits is helping one another out knowing we have the talent to go all the way in this league.”
Berwick manager Kevin Little said: “It was a tough night but, despite missing three key men, I was happy with the way the boys battled and gave an excellent Oxford side something to think about.
“They are top of the league for a reason, but Ben Trigger and Steve Boxall in particular made them battle for their points.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

IPSWICH look to keep the pressure on the play-off places in tonight’s (Thursday) Sports Insure Premiership clash with Leicester at Foxhall.
The Witches can reach 34 points with wins in their last two matches, and should they do so, the Lions would be one of the teams who would still have work to do to overhaul them in the race for the top four.

Ipswich once again bring in Jason Edwards to guest for the injured Dan Thompson, whilst Craig Cook returns from injury for the visitors and lines up at No.5.
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “It is clear that we must win just to carry on the league season with any slim hopes of making the play-offs, which are still mathematically possible.
“We need to put in a strong performance and keep this run going because we are riding well and are in good form and we need to keep that going for the rest of the season.

“Leicester will be a tough task and they will be coming to win and make up for their home defeat to us earlier on in the year. They are full of riders who are capable at Foxhall. Let’s keep the buzz going and take another home win on Thursday, our last in the league this season.”
Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “I’ve been looking to get a better balance in the team and we weren’t fully aware on Craig’s fitness when the line-up was declared, but that’s what we’re trying to do.
“I want to look to hurt Ipswich in certain areas, but I know it’s going to be really tough to win down there.

“The bottom line is we’ve got to win at home over the weekend, but we can make life easier with a good performance at Ipswich.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead says his team must re-focus for tonight’s (Thursday) Sports Insure Premiership match against Wolverhampton.
The Tigers were below-par at Peterborough on Monday and still need three more wins to mathematically guarantee their play-off place, whilst Wolves are much closer to the mark and would secure a top four finish with an away win.
Tobaisz Musielak returns at No.1 for the hosts, with 16-year-old Ashton Boughen making his senior debut as a guest for the injured Dan Gilkes.

Wolves are at full-strength, and they and manager Peter Adams face Tai Woffinden in the opposition pits for the very first time.
Stead said: “I don’t want to dwell too much on Monday night’s result and performance. But it goes without saying that we expect a lot, lot better on both of those fronts in front of our home crowd on Thursday night.
“It’s not going to be easy though because Wolves have got a solid looking side and something which is quite rare for them, they’re actually looking more convincing away from home than they are at Monmore lately.

“So we’re going to need all of the lads to chip in and contribute, and if there’s one way to refocus on our goal in front of us, then a home win on Thursday should do just the trick.”
Adams said: “We’ve had two very pleasing results on our travels of late, and as a group we’re happy with the way things are starting to move away from Monmore.
“Each meeting is different though, and we know there’s a lot riding on it for Sheffield as well.
“But we’ve got riders in our team who enjoy going there so we’ll be going there for the win.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 6)

ROBERT Lambert makes his first home appearance for King’s Lynn since 2019 when they host Belle Vue in the Sports Insure Premiership tonight (Thursday).
Lambert’s return is a big boost for the injury-hit Stars, who are without long-term injury victims Nicolai Klindt and Thomas Jorgensen, and bring in Jordan Jenkins to guest.

The Aces are seven points clear at the top of the table with two regular matches remaining, having already been successful six times on the road this season.
King’s Lynn captain Simon Lambert said: “We’ve got Belle Vue again on Thursday and there are no easy meetings, but it would be so good just to get a win, for Buster (Chapman), Dale (Allitt), Hoggy (David Hoggart) and the fans especially.
“I saw a few Lynn fans on the back straight at Belle Vue and we keep saying it’s not easy for anyone – but we keep going and Thursday is a new day. We’ll regroup and give it our all.”

Aces captain Brady Kurtz said: “You have to take King’s Lynn for what it is. It’s a special track and conditions are always pretty good and you have to turn up with a mind to attack it if you want to be successful.
“All the boys are looking forward to this meeting, and to the rest of our season and the play-offs. We’re enjoying ourselves and our results are testament to that.
“We want to finish top, we’re not taking our foot off the gas now. Everyone looks to be hitting some great form and we need to ensure every other club realises that.”

(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY AUGUST 24:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich (53) v Leicester (37) 7.30, King’s Lynn (27) v Belle Vue (57) 7.30, Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 25:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh (31) v Poole (59) 7pm, Edinburgh (54) v Birmingham (36) (follows previous fixture), Oxford (47) v Plymouth (42) 7.30, Scunthorpe (28) v Glasgow (38) 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Workington 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 26:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Leicester (36) v Sheffield (54) 6.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester (39) v Oxford (50) (follows previous fixture), Workington v Belle Vue 3pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 27:
CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar 5pm