BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2024/27

Feature photo by: Ian Rispin…POOLE look set to retain the BSN Series trophy after a stunning performance on Sunday to win the first leg of the Final 53-37 at Scunthorpe.
Stand-in captain Zach Cook raced to a 15-point maximum for the Pirates at the Eddie Wright Raceway, and No.1 Richard Lawson was also unbeaten by an opponent with 14+1.

HERE’S the latest news and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.

ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP…

ACES – NO COMPLACENCY
BELLE VUE boss Mark Lemon says there’s still a big job to do in the second leg of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final.
The Aces defeated Leicester 54-36 on their home track but now have to complete the job on aggregate on a circuit where they have suffered 16 and 20-point defeats earlier this season.
Lemon said: “When you have a lead like this you feel like you have one hand on the trophy. But this game can throw curveballs.
“We’re not going to Leicester under any illusions. They are a strong team and they’ve been on form, probably the most in-form side of all over the second half of the season. They are deserved Grand Finalists.”

RESERVE SWITCH FOR LIONS
LEICESTER will make a change at reserve for the re-arrangement of the ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final on Thursday.
With the meeting now taking place in October, the Lions’ original guest Lewis Kerr, who has been standing in for the injured Craig Cook during the play-offs, is no longer eligible on the new averages.
The Lions have therefore called upon Drew Kemp, who started the season in their colours, to race in the second leg against Belle Vue, with the visitors holding an 18-point lead from a big win in Manchester last week.

NEWS IN BRIEF
BIRMINGHAM are set to round off their 2024 season with the Alan Grahame Memorial four team tournament at Perry Barr next Monday (October 7).

CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP…

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK
Poole’s ZACH COOK stood in for his injured brother Ben as skipper for the Pirates in the first leg of the BSN Series Final at Scunthorpe on Sunday – and promptly raced to a 15-point maximum to help the visitors take full control of the tie.

CHEETAHS’ SATURDAY SPECIAL
OXFORD will host their first Saturday home fixture for 56 years this weekend when they face Poole in the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final.
Speedway has not taken place at Oxford on a Saturday since July 13, 1968 when the Cheetahs defeated Newport 54-24 in a meeting scheduled to avoid the British Final at Wimbledon.

This year’s Grand Final takes place on new dates after bad weather last week, with the second leg at Wimborne Road now set for October 9.
Cheetahs manager Peter Schroeck said: “This is a celebration of the incredible work everybody is putting in behind the scenes, and it is a really exciting time for sport in Oxford.”

HAVVY PROUD OF PIRATES
POOLE coach Gary Havelock says the team are in top form as they chase a trophy treble over the coming weeks.
Havelock and promoter Dan Ford oversaw a 53-37 triumph at Scunthorpe on Sunday which makes the Pirates strong favourites to clinch the BSN Series for a second season running.

Havelock said: “The boys are just fabulous at the moment. We’re on the crest of a wave, and when it’s like that every little decision seems to work for you, and when things aren’t so good it’s the opposite!
“We’re just making the most of it at the moment. We’ve got a great team and it’s how much the boys want to win, simple as that.”

HARRISON HAPPY WITH FORM
SCUNTHORPE youngster Luke Harrison says he takes no notice of reputations having picked up his best two scores at Championship level with double figures in recent home matches against Edinburgh and Poole.
Harrison said: “I’m fully of confidence and there’s no better way I could have ended my season with Scunthorpe.
“I’ve not trying to take much notice of the reputation of the riders when I’ve gone out in Heat 13 or 15. I try to treat them as just another helmet colour.

“I’ve been having flat-out races against the likes of Scott Nicholls, Josh Pickering, Richard Lawson and Tom Brennan – all top riders in this league. After the race with Tom, even though he got the better of me, he came up afterwards and congratulated me and said I put in a really good ride.”               NEWS IN BRIEF
OXFORD are building up to a busy weekend at Cowley as in addition to the first leg of the Cab Direct Championship Grand Final on Saturday, the club also host the re-staging of the British Under-19 Final on Sunday afternoon (3pm).

WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE…

NEWS IN BRIEF
THE final fixture of the WSRA NDL season takes place at Belle Vue next Monday (October 7) where the Colts host Sheffield… A win for the home side by a six-point margin will see them take the runners-up position currently occupied by Oxford Chargers.

FIXTURE PICTURE…

 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2:
BSN SERIES FINAL 2nd leg: Poole (53) v Scunthorpe (37) 7.30

THURSDAY OCTOBER 3:
ROWE MOTOR OIL PREMIERSHIP GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Leicester (36) v Belle Vue (54) 7.30

SATURDAY OCTOBER 5:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 1st leg: Oxford v Poole 7.30

SUNDAY OCTOBER 6:
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Oxford 3pm

MONDAY OCTOBER 7:
WSRA NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue (50) v Sheffield (39) 7.30
ALAN GRAHAME MEMORIAL 4TT: Birmingham 7.30

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 9:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Poole v Oxford 7.30