BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2024/21

Feature photo by: STEVE EDMUNDS

REDCAR clinched their second Championship Pairs title in three years as they defeated hosts Oxford in a dramatic Final on Friday at Cowley.
Danny King and Charles Wright were victorious for the Bears having held the advantage for most of the race until Wright was involved in a crash with Cheetahs captain Scott Nicholls at the end of the third lap.
The referee deemed Nicholls to be the cause of the incident meaning the Bears had won the meeting.
HERE’S the latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
In any other week JOSH PICKERING would have won this award in the Cab Direct Championship for his 20-point haul for Edinburgh at Glasgow – but then he went and matched it with 18+2 in Sheffield’s big comeback victory at Ipswich on Monday. The Aussie’s only dropped point came in an unusual Heat 3 and it helped fire the Tigers four points clear at the top of the table.

LIONS MARCH ON
LEICESTER added two more convincing wins in the space of five days to confirm their play-off place in the top-flight for the first time.
The Lions won 54-36 at former leaders Ipswich and then defeated Oxford 53-37 to ensure the Spires could not catch them in the race for the top four – meaning 2024 is a total contrast to their previous Premiership era.

Dickson said: “When we came back to the Premiership, I did promise that while I was here I would do everything in my power to make sure we didn’t have that sort of run again.
“Last year we fell agonisingly short of the play-offs and that pushed me on, and one or two of the guys who were here last year. “Credit to the riders and to the Leicester supporters, we have had a great response from them, they have been through some tough times but we got the win and we are in the play-offs.”

IPSWICH BID TO START AFRESH
IPSWICH manager Ritchie Hawkins accepts ambitions to finish top of the table are probably gone – with the focus now on halting their dip in form as injuries have bitten the Foxhall club.
Hawkins said: “We have lost at home twice in a row and we need to forget about top spot.
“That would have been nice because it is not something we have done for a long while, but we have got two weeks to get sorted and put something together for the Cup Final and three weeks until the play-offs. That is where are focus is now.”

STEAD: SAME FOR ALL
SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead said the performance of his riders was far more important than the debate over conditions as the Tigers stormed clear of Ipswich with a 52-38 win at Foxhall on Monday.
Stead said: “The track was the same for everybody, I never really like that excuse because everybody is riding it.
“But the fact that we just knuckled down and went about our business is the best thing I can say about this one.
“I think togetherness within the group helped turn things around; we had to work hard together to find that set-up that we were missing in the early heats.”

STARS SHINE AT BRUM
KING’S Lynn completed a hat-trick of away matches with a win, hitting back from defeats at Belle Vue and Oxford to register a 46-43 victory at Birmingham for their second success at Perry Barr this season.
Stars manager Rob Lyon said: “It was a terrific effort from all the boys, they all played their part,” he said.
“Rider Replacement worked for us and I was really proud of them, they put a good shift in again.
“I said I didn’t want a repeat of Thursday (away to Oxford) when we were 18 down after seven and there was a different game and I was really pleased with it.”

MORE MISERY FOR BRUMMIES
BIRMINGHAM experienced yet another home defeat with a 46-43 loss to basement rivals King’s Lynn despite excellent shows from their top two of Fredrik Lindgren and Piotr Pawlicki.
Brummies CEO Nigel Tolley said: “I think everybody was expecting us to get points tonight but it wasn’t our night again was it?
“Every time it’s just a few points lately and what a run we’ve had of losing by such small margins at home, it’s unbelievable.
“Freddie did superbly, Tom did superbly – I went up to Tom and said ‘I wish we could clone you!’”

SPIRES COME UP SHORT
OXFORD put in a valiant effort at Leicester on Monday despite the injury absence of No.1 Rohan Tungate, but their defeat in the East Midlands means their play-off hopes are as good as over.
Manager Peter Schroeck said: “We’ve battled to the end, in terms of trying to qualify for the play-offs. We closed right in at one point when it rained mid-meeting and we took two successive 5-1s, both involving Maciej (Janowski), who had a fantastic meeting.

“Of course, we wanted Spires to reach the play-offs, but we still want to secure fifth place in the table in our final two meetings, which would be a very respectable finish in our first season in the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership.
“Leicester are not newcomers to the league this year, but the promotion is new this season and I wish them well in the play-offs.”

NEWS IN BRIEF
BELLE Vue are just one point short of mathematically confirming their play-off place and they head to Ipswich on Thursday with a massive 58-26 advantage for the aggregate point… The Aces then have a big Bank Holiday double to come as they face Roses rivals Sheffield at home at midday before heading to Owlerton for the return at 7.30pm.

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Oxford reserve LUKE KILLEEN enjoyed the night of his career so far with a brilliant 11+3 in the Cheetahs’ shock victory at Poole last Wednesday. The British youngster dropped just one point in five rides, defeating home stars Tom Brennan and Zach Cook in the process in what was a breakthrough performance on a big night for the club.

PAIRFECTION FOR BEARS
CHARLES Wright and Danny King clinched the Championship Pairs on Friday at Oxford as the showpiece meeting came down to a dramatic conclusion.
Wright tangled with Cheetahs captain Scott Nicholls at the end of lap three in the Final, and with the referee’s verdict going the Bears’ way their second Pairs victory in three years was confirmed.
Said Wright: “It’s great to win another Pairs title, I felt really good and it was a really strong event on paper which made the win feel even better!”
 
HISTORIC WIN FOR CHEETAHS
OXFORD’S 49-41 win at Poole last Wednesday was not only the Pirates’ first home defeat in over two years – it was also the Cheetahs’ first victory at Wimborne Road since back in 1999, and only their second league win in 47 attempts in Dorset.
Youngster Luke Killeen was the hero with 11+3 and he said: “I’m so happy with my performance tonight. I had a good set-up from the get-go and I just kept my cool. I’m stoked and over the moon – it couldn’t have gone any better.

“It’s great to be the first away team to win at Poole in over two years – that’s a nice feat to take away. There’s always a great team atmosphere on our side of the pits and we worked together to win the meeting.
“I’ve had so much bike time recently, being in all three Oxford sides. My brother Declan is now over here for a few weeks. That takes a lot of pressure off me, because I know he can look after my bikes. I don’t have to touch my bike between races, so I can get my head space into watching the meeting.”

PIRATES BID TO BOUNCE BACK
POOLE promoter Dan Ford says his side must quickly get back on the winning trail with three trophies to go for.
Pirates saw their long unbeaten run ended by Oxford last week but their play-off place is guaranteed and this week they look to take a step towards the BSN Series Final.
Ford said: “As we gear up for the BSN Series semi-final against Workington, it’s crucial that we bounce back strong after our first home defeat of the season.
“This is a pivotal moment for us to re-establish our momentum. The stakes are high and our focus is on securing the big win to keep our season on track.”

TIGERS STILL IN THE BATTLE
GLASGOW kept their play-off dreams alive with a hard-fought 50-40 win over rivals Edinburgh despite a virtuoso show from visitors’ No.1 Josh Pickering who scored half of his team’s total.
Tigers boss Cami Brown said: “There’s little doubt that Josh Pickering was different class. He has been the best visitor to Ashfield this season by some margin.
“But they just didn’t have sufficient back-up for him whereas all our lads contributed in a big way.”
“It was just about getting the win tonight. At the end of the day, we’ll have to win at Armadale anyway if we are going to make the top four.”

MONARCHS PRAISE FOR JOSH
EDINBURGH boss Alex Harkess heaped praise on Josh Pickering for his sensational show at Glasgow last Wednesday – but a 20-point haul for the Australian wasn’t enough for the Monarchs to snatch an away win.
Harkess said: “It was a shame really we couldn’t do more, the bottom line is we can’t carry rider replacement away from home. I believe with a reasonable guest the score would have been a lot closer.
“Josh was exceptional as he tends to be, he carried the team and full marks to him.”

SECOND TIME LUCKY FOR COMETS?
WORKINGTON co-promoter Andrew Bain feels his side are better equipped for their trip to Poole in the BSN Series semi-finals than in their previous league visit.

The Comets suffered their heaviest defeat of the season the last time they raced at Wimborne Road, and their first target this week is to keep things close ahead of the return fixture.
Bain said: “It was hugely disappointing down there last time, but we have definitely strengthened up at reserve since then with Paul [Starke] coming in.
“Also, the lads have been there now and should know more of what to expect coming into the meeting, plus Craig [Cook] had an unusually off night as he was having frequent machinery issues.”

BANDITS CO-OWNER STEPS DOWN
SCOTT Courtney has stood down from his position as co-owner of Berwick leaving brother Jamie in sole charge, with Steven Dews remaining on board as co-promoter at Shielfield Park.
Scott said: “I knew what Berwick Speedway meant to so many people, the town and the surrounding area. Quite simply we had to give it a go and make sure it survived – and I’m so glad we did – but now is the time for both myself and the club to embark on a new direction.

“I couldn’t be signing off and leaving my part of the club in better hands than with Jamie and the people I’ve worked so closely with over the years.
“I won’t be a stranger and will happily muck in when I can on race nights, remaining a proud supporter of the Bandits, spreading the word and most importantly, enjoying the speedway.”

NEWS IN BRIEF….
SCUNTHORPE head to Edinburgh this Friday for the first leg of their BSN Series semi-final, with the next action at the Eddie Wright Raceway being a Championship/NDL double against Oxford on August 30… PLYMOUTH are still mathematically in play-off contention and they face three matches in three days this weekend, with trips to Redcar (Friday) and Workington (Sunday) sandwiching a home clash with Poole on Saturday.

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE…

NDL leaders Leicester have the opportunity to clinch the title across two away matches this week.
The Lion Cubs are three pojnts clear of Oxford at the top of the table, with Scunthorpe/Sheffield the only other team who can mathematically finish ahead of them.
Sheffield host the Lion Cubs in Thursday with the visitors holding a huge advantage for the aggregate point, and Leicester then travel to Oxford on Sunday in what will be both sides’ penultimate fixture of the season.
 
FIXTURE PICTURE…

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Glasgow 7.30
BSN SERIES SEMI-FINAL 1st leg: Poole v Workington 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 22:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich (26) v Belle Vue (58) 7.30, King’s Lynn (36) v Oxford (54) 7.30
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Sheffield (27) v Leicester (63) 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 23:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Oxford 7.30, Redcar (47) v Plymouth (43) 7.30
BSN SERIES SEMI-FINAL1st leg: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar (follows Champ fixture) (250cc/125cc A)

SATURDAY AUGUST 24:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth (35) v Poole (55) 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 25:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington (47) v Plymouth (43) 5pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford (41) v Leicester (47) 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 26:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Belle Vue v Sheffield 12pm, Birmingham v Ipswich 7.30, Sheffield v Belle Vue 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn (37) v Belle Vue (53) 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 29:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v Birmingham 7.30, King’s Lynn (31) v Sheffield (58) 7.30, Oxford (37) v Leicester (53) 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 30:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh (40) v Poole (50) 7.30, Glasgow (40) v Redcar (50) 7.30, Scunthorpe (34) v Oxford (55) 7pm
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Edinburgh 7.30, Scunthorpe v Oxford (follows Champ fixture)
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Belle Vue (prior to NDL fixture) (250cc/125A)
 
SATURDAY AUGUST 31:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth (39) v Oxford (51) 7pm
BSN SERIES SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Workington v Poole 3pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP + WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester 5pm

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1:
RICHARD LAWSON TESTIMONIAL: Poole 5pm

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP R2: King’s Lynn v Leicester 7.30
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP FINAL 1st leg: Sheffield v Ipswich 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham 7.30