BRITISH SPEEDWAY JUNE 27, 2024

(SPEEDWAY 1)

OXFORD’S COMFORTABLE VICTORY

OXFORD moved three points clear at the top of the Cab Direct Championship with a 57-33 win over closest rivals Workington at Cowley.
The Cheetahs racked up their biggest score of 2024 so far as they dominated proceedings despite a brilliant showing from Comets No.1 Craig Cook.   

The visitors’ captain scored 15 from six rides, winning five races, and he was only beaten by the home top two of Sam Masters and Scott Nicholls who managed to edge him out in Heat 13.
Cameron Heeps top-scored for the hosts with11+2, whilst Masters and Nicholls both scored 10+1 and sat out Heat 15.
The home youngsters also impressed with Jody Scott, promoted from their NDL team to guest for the injured Adam Roynon, notching 6+2.

Scott said: “Pete (Schroeck, team manager) gave me the opportunity tonight and I’m buzzed that I’ve responded to that by scoring good points.
“Getting out of the start is key for me to be able to do well at this level, and that’s why I’ve been practicing my starts because it does make a big difference and it’s paying off.
“I just want to keep on progressing. I’ve been working as hard this year as I ever have been, because it’s what I want to do with my career. Hopefully the opportunities for Cheetahs will continue to come and I can continue to score points.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

KING’S Lynn captain Nicolai Klindt has confirmed his season is over after sustaining injuries in Poland last weekend.
Klindt, who has been a big part of the Stars’ recent resurgence since rejoining the club, has a fractured C5 vertebra in his neck along with a broken arm.     

It is the second season in succession that the unlucky Dane has been ruled out due to neck damage, and he now requires a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Klindt’s team statement said: “Yesterday morning he was consulted by Dr. Adrian Szkudlarek, who could tell that the fracture was stable, though located in a very worrying place, which means that it won’t be a few weeks in a neck brace, but three months at least.
“This means Nicolai’s 2024 season is over. He will have an operation on his fractured arm today and stay at Guardian Clinic for the coming weeks to get the best rehabilitation possible, to make sure he comes back even stronger!”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

ROWE Motor Oil Premiership leaders Ipswich look to extend their lead at the top when they host Oxford tonight (Thursday).
The Witches are the only team with an unbeaten home record and will be going for a seventh Foxhall win in the league as they face the Spires.

The visitors currently hold fourth position in the table, but they are only one point clear of Leicester in the race for the play-offs.
Ipswich again bring in Scott Nicholls to guest for the injured Jason Doyle at No.1, whilst Oxford name a full-strength side having gone down by only six points on their previous trip to Suffolk.
Witches manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “After this, we’ve got a run of four out of the next five meetings away from home so it’s important to keep up our terrific home form and put a couple of points on the board.

“Oxford ran us close earlier on in the year when they came to Foxhall. It’s a bit like Leicester who we’d faced a couple of times before and kept it close, but we knew we needed to improve.
“We need to improve now we’re in the second half and we’ll look to get a bigger victory like we did last week. Their riders are obviously capable around Foxhall but the way we’re going we certainly don’t need to fear anyone at the moment.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 4)

SHEFFIELD face a ten-point deficit at Owlerton tonight (Thursday) as they face King’s Lynn in the second leg of their KO Cup semi-final.
The Stars were impressive 50-40 winners at the Adrian Flux Arena earlier this month, but they remain without Tobiasz Musielak and Nicolai Klindt with the latter now ruled out for the season.

Richard Lawson and Zach Cook step in as guests for the visitors, whilst the Tigers name a full-strength side as they chase a third successive Cup Final appearance with Ipswich awaiting the aggregate winners.
Sheffield manager Simon Stead said: “Of course I would’ve liked to have been coming into this with the scores a little bit closer on aggregate, but with them leading by ten points after ten races at their place, I was pretty pleased that the lads were at least able to contain them in those final five races in the first leg.

“We just need to go out there, keep doing what we have been doing in recent fixtures around Owlerton and as long as we do that, then I believe we’ll have more than what it takes to make it through.”
Stars boss Rob Lyon said: “You never know. I think we’ll be underdogs given our form this year and Sheffield’s form, but we’ve got a ten-point lead and they’ve got to pull that back.
“We’ve probably got to try to increase it, but certainly protect it at the very least, and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do on Thursday.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

POOLE reserve Sam Hagon took victory in the club’s NDL Individual event at Wimborne Road after a run-off with Jake Mulford.
Both riders scored 14 points from their programmed outings which meant an extra race was required to determine the overall winner on the night.

In that decider Hagon, who rides for Belle Vue in the third tier, defeated Mulford of Middlesbrough, whilst Leicester’s Joe Thompson completed the rostrum finishers with 12 points.
Meanwhile Vinnie Foord won his first three rides to lead the meeting at that stage, but he finished outside the top three after a crash in his last outing.

Hagon said: “To be fair after the first ride I thought I was completely out of it. I was the one that fluffed it my first race.
“Towards the end of the night it was brilliant, and we changed a couple of bits and it kind of showed where I was.
“Even in the last heat race I went from last to first in one corner which was really cool I have to say, because didn’t think I was going to get there.
“I think I got a bit fortunate in Vinnie losing a couple, but he beat me fair and square and he was going good until the track began to get better and unfortunately he got beat up a little bit.”
 
(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY JUNE 27:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v Oxford 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Sheffield (40) v King’s Lynn (50) 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 28:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Plymouth 7.30, Scunthorpe (34) v Edinburgh (56) 7pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Edinburgh (follows previous fixture)

MONDAY JULY 1:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn (42) v Leicester (47) 7.30
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Oxford v Sheffield 7.30