BRITISH SPEEDWAY APRIL 26, 2024

(SPEEDWAY 1)

MASTERS TAKES LEICESTER TO THE TOP

SAM Masters scored a paid maximum as Leicester moved to the top of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership table with a 53-37 win over Birmingham.

The Lions took advantage of the postponement of the Ipswich/Sheffield fixture to leapfrog their rivals, as they also collected the aggregate point following their victory at Perry Barr last week.
Masters, with 13+2, was unbeaten from five rides, whilst captain Max Fricke notched 13+1 as he dropped his only point to Vaclav Milik in Heat 1.

Milik was one of four race winners for the Brummies, who were only four points adrift after Heat 8, but they conceded two 5-1s in the last three races. Captain Steve Worrall top scored with 8+1.
Leicester manager Stewart Dickson said: “It was fairly convincing in the end, but I did say beforehand that Birmingham would score more than in their home match, regardless of the abandonment there, because I know they’ve got guys who can ride this place from the Championship.

“But from a Leicester point of view we’ve got the three points that were on offer, Max and Sam were really strong at the top, and we thoroughly deserved it.”
Birmingham boss Sam Ermolenko said: “I can see the passion. There was talent on our side shown and that’s given us some belief.
“We just couldn’t find the perfect combinations when chasing set-ups for them to be consistent.
“But there were positives and I want the riders to focus on those for when we go back to our home track.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 2)

OXFORD raced to a hard-fought 47-43 home win over King’s Lynn – exactly the same scoreline as in their previous two ROWE Motor Oil Premiership victories at Cowley.
The Spires had to come from behind as the Stars led for much of the first half of the meeting, with the hosts only hitting the front for the first time in Heat 10.

A key 5-1 from Erik Riss and Rohan Tungate in Heat 14 made it 44-40, meaning the Stars needed a maximum in the last race to level, but although Tobiasz Musielak took the win, guest Ben Cook was kept at the back by Tungate and Scott Nicholls.
Tungate (13+1) and Nicholls (10+1) led the way for the Spires, with Musielak racking up 15+1 for the visitors who were left frustrated by the disqualification of Niels-Kristian Iversen after a clash with Charles Wright in Heat 12.

Manager Rob Lyon said: “It was a better performance from us after the last outing at Sheffield last week – we were depleted then and we were depleted tonight, but Ben Cook did an admirable job for us and it was a better performance.
“It’s a little bit frustrating that we lost out. I didn’t feel we deserved to lose tonight, I thought we should probably have edged it.
“We often say refereeing decisions can turn a match, and it clearly did that tonight.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

REDCAR bid to turn the tables on Workington when the sides meet in the first leg of their Cab Direct KO Cup quarter-final tie at the ECCO Arena tonight (Friday).
The Comets got the better of the Bears in their recent BSN Series clashes, with the Teesside outfit throwing away a significant lead at home. Bears star Jason Edwards insists they are not far from an improvement in results, and is targeting a lead to take back to Cumbria for the return next weekend.

Edwards said: “Jamie (Swales) was saying last week, we aren’t doing too badly and at home, we have been in the lead for 27/30 heats so we just need to sharpen things up at the business end of the meeting and that will stand us in good stead.
“We need to get some race winners, ensure we don’t have any last places and that will make sure we win the meeting.”
Both sides are at full strength with Danny King and Charles Wright in action for the Bears after crashing out of their previous meetings for the club.

(SPEEDWAY 4)

GLASGOW host Oxford in the first leg of an attractive Cab Direct KO Cup quarter-final tonight (Friday) – after the clubs fought out a play-off thriller last autumn.
The Tigers were taken to the wire en route to the league title and edged out the Cheetahs to reach the Grand Final in a dramatic finish at Ashfield. Cup progress is on the line on this occasion with the tie to be concluded at Oxford next Wednesday. The home side bring in Jack Smith at reserve to deputise for the suspended Lee Complin, with the teams otherwise at full strength.

(SPEEDWAY 5)

EDINBURGH look to get off the mark in the BSN Series when they race their first home match of 2024 against Berwick tonight (Friday).
The Monarchs’ only meeting in the group so far was a 43-47 defeat in the reverse fixture, so the aggregate point is also up for grabs.
And it’s an important night for the Bandits who complete their group schedule and need an away win to back up their two home successes, with the Edinburgh/Glasgow fixtures to come.

The visitors bring in Kyle Howarth to guest at No.1 for the injured Lewis Kerr, whilst captain Rory Schlein spent his early years at this level with the Monarchs and reserve Bastian Borke had a spell with them last season.
Edinburgh manager Alex Harkess said: “What the match is all about against Berwick is not just winning, but we have to get the bonus as well.

“We are only four down so it has to be a realistic ambition. I feel if they all produce what they are capable of then we will be OK. “We know Bastian could be a danger – he’s as capable of winning a race as being last in a race, that’s what he brings. So who knows?” Berwick boss Stewart Dickson said: “We could catch Edinburgh a bit cold on Friday as they weren’t even able to get on track at their P&P Day.

“If you had said pre-season that we would go to Armadale with a chance of reaching the knockout stages and only beaten once then I think most of our fans would have taken it.
“Now we’re in that position it is in our hands to make it happen. We travel with no fears and are determined to put on a show for our supporters.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

SHEFFIELD opened their WSRA National Development League campaign with a hard-fought 48-42 home win over Middlesbrough.
The Tiger Cubs, who are running as a joint team with Scunthorpe, found themselves six points down with five gone at Owlerton but dug deep to turn things around.

Temporary No.1 Jack Smith (14) led from the front, dropping his only point in Heat 15 – the same race that fellow heat-leader Ace Pijper (12+2) was also denied a paid maximum of his own by Ben Trigger.
For the visitors, Trigger (11) was well supported by Jamie Halder who won two races for a ten-point score.
Tiger Cubs manager Simon Lambert said: “I thought it was a great performance from all the boys. They all contributed which was really pleasing and I am very proud of them all.

“For Stene Pijper to go and get 6+1 in his first ever competitive meeting on the 500cc’s deserves a special mention from me though – if that boy could gate, he wouldn’t have got beaten because he was carrying some proper speed.
“But as I said, they’ve all impressed me in their own way and to get a win in our first meeting is pretty cool.”

(FIXTURES)

FRIDAY APRIL 26:
CAB DIRECT KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Glasgow v Oxford 7.30, Redcar v Workington 7.30
BSN SERIES: Edinburgh (43) v Berwick (47) 7.30

SATURDAY APRIL 27:
CAB DIRECT KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Berwick v Scunthorpe 7pm 

SUNDAY APRIL 28:
BSN SERIES: Workington v Scunthorpe 3.30