BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN MAY 31, 2022

THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN

PIC OF THE WEEK… Redcar Bears run riot when storming to their biggest-ever away win in Sunday’s 62-28 Championship thrashing of Newcastle at Brough Park.
Photo: STEVE BROCK

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

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“I don’t think the score reflects how hard we were fighting, and this is a marathon not a sprint. It is very disappointing and frustrating but you need to be firing all at once to make an impact at Owlerton, and unfortunately tonight we weren’t.”
Aces star Charles Wright with a thoughtful reflection on a disappointing night at Sheffield, where the Manchester side went down to a 54-36 defeat.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Mon June 6
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon June 20
 
IPSWICH
“Danyon was superb again, on his scoresheet he didn’t finish the night well, but they were two extremely hard races for him. I thought he was brilliant. He has come in and taken his opportunity and is doing a great job. He hasn’t done anything to not warrant being in the side at the moment.”
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins heaped praise on Rising Star Danyon Hume, who made another vital contribution in last Thursday’s narrow 46-44 home win over Wolverhampton.
NEXT HOME: King’s Lynn, Thur June 2
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Mon June 6
 
KING’S LYNN
“A couple of the boys tried something different in the latter part of the meeting, things they would not normally do with their set-ups. Having the opportunity to do that, to test what works and what doesn’t, was nice. I never felt it was in doubt at all, even from when I woke up this morning. These boys have been wonderful and got the job done again.”
Stars boss Alex Brady insists he has 100 per cent confidence in his riders, who completed back-to-back home wins in the Premiership by defeating local rivals Peterborough on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Thur June 9
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur June 2

PETERBOROUGH
“We were hanging on to their shirt tails and at one point I thought we could grab a point, but we just fell short, and it wasn’t to be. Hans (Andersen) was fantastic tonight, which was good to see, but we just need a few more points, and it is just a few more points, to turn it around. It’s bit of a mystery as to why we’re so inconsistent.”
More frustration for Panthers boss Rob Lyon, whose side remain without a point from four Premiership matches after going down 51-39 at King’s Lynn on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur June 2
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon June 6
 
SHEFFIELD
“In general we all struggled a bit; Tobi (Tobiasz Musielak) still isn’t happy but scored a few points and Connor (Mountain) sort of did his bit at reserve, but we just struggled as a team. I can’t put my finger on it but will we come back better? We have to and that’s what we’ll try to do.”
Mixed emotions for the Tigers this week with a thumping home win over Belle Vue on Thursday but then a first league defeat at Wolverhampton on Monday as boss Simon Stead plots an immediate recovery.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur June 9
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Mon June 13
 
WOLVERHAMPTON
“It looked like it was going to be close at the finish. But the boys suddenly found the right set-ups, the right racing lines and some of the overtaking moves were absolutely top drawer. The track staff produced a terrific race strip as we saw and we’ve seen some of the best racing here this season tonight that’s for sure.”
A night when it all came right for Wolves, with boss Peter Adams delighted with the all-round display in a 54-36 win over Sheffield to inflict the Tigers’ first league defeat of the season.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Mon June 6
NEXT AWAY: Peterborough, Thur June 2
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BERWICK
“We spoke over the weekend and felt it was best for him to sit out this weekend’s fixtures and Lee (Complin) is an ideal fit both average-wise and his racing mentality. We will need everybody at the top of their game against a Leicester side which has, along with Poole and Glasgow, made the early running in the Championship.”
Bandits boss Gary Flint confirms Ty Proctor is ruled out of this week’s meetings due to problems with his arm after a further crash last weekend against Glasgow.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Sat June 4
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sun June 5

BIRMINGHAM
“Of course it’s a big blow being without Shanesie again because he’d just got his season going not so long back. He’d started scoring some important points both home and away and it was nice to have him as an option to call on down at reserve if we needed him.”
Brummies boss Laurence Rogers is a busy man with guest bookings required after James Shanes joined the injury list with a broken thumb following last Friday’s defeat at Edinburgh.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed June 1
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues June 7

EDINBURGH
“This week was a tough meeting, it was unfortunate that we lost Lasse (Fredriksen) when James (Sarjeant) is already injured. I don’t know what will happen now with the team. But I think the team is getting in the groove now. I felt I should have had double figures but my second heat was stopped after I had made the gate.”
Paco Castagna continues to produce solid returns for the Monarchs, finishing strongly in last Friday’s 52-36 win over Birmingham which was marred by injury to Lasse Fredriksen amongst several crashes.
NEXT HOME: Glasgow (KOC), Fri June 3
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues May 31
 
GLASGOW
The Tigers picked up three league points from a win at Berwick last weekend to go level on points with Leicester and Poole at the top, as they turn their attention to KO Cup action against local rivals Edinburgh this weekend.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh (KOC), Sat June 4
NEXT AWAY: Edinburgh (KOC), Fri June 3
 
LEICESTER
“I could be greedy and say we maybe should have scored a few more, but all in all we’re very satisfied with the result and we have one foot in the semi-finals. You never say never because it can come back and bite you, but I think if we went there and only scored 31 points, questions would be asked.”
Boss Stewart Dickson accepts the Lions are in charge of their KO Cup quarter-final with Scunthorpe after all three heat-leaders scored maximums in last weekend’s 58-32 win in their home leg.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sun June 5
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed June 1
 
NEWCASTLE
“This was the most disappointing night for us since I got involved with the promotion by a long, long way. There’s so much time and effort goes into prepping and running a meeting, and then its gutting for a result like this. We will be looking to make team changes as soon as possible as tonight, quite frankly, was not good enough.”
Co-promoter Dave Tinning fires a warning to the Diamonds, as speculation mounts as to the club’s intentions for team changes in the month of June.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Sun June 12
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed June 8
 
OXFORD
The Cheetahs will be back in action next Wednesday (June 8) after a mid-season break when they host Newcastle at Cowley, looking to get back to winning ways at home after being beaten by Birmingham in their last outing before turning the tables at Perry Barr 24 hours later.
NEXT HOME: Newcastle, Wed June 8
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri June 10

PLYMOUTH
“Everyone is being affected by the Cost of Living crisis and we’ve received some very constructive feedback from supporters, many of whom are struggling financially, about how we can help them to enjoy a night at the speedway, and the Kids Under 16 GO FREE scheme is the first of a number on initiatives that we are considering, and there will be more news soon of community based schemes that we will be launching.”
Gladiators promoter Mark Phillips is looking to reach out to the community to increase attendances further at the Coliseum, with a range of initiatives starting from this week’s match against Edinburgh.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Tues May 31
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat June 11
 
POOLE
“We banked thirteen league points during May, losing just the once, and that was a good return. In June we have a total of twenty points to go for with four home meetings and two away, and so we need to make the home meetings count.”
Promoter Danny Ford was pleased with the Pirates’ results last month, and is now looking to a run of fixtures at Wimborne Road over the coming weeks as they look to cement a play-off place.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Wed June 1
NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Fri June 17
 
REDCAR
“It was a good meeting for us and personally it was my second meeting at Newcastle and I got paid 11 so that was good. Newcastle have done a lot of work on that track and to be fair to them it has worked as the track got better as the meeting went on.”
A good night for Bears reserve Jordan Jenkins, scoring double figures in the emphatic 62-28 win at local rivals Newcastle on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Scunthorpe, Sun June 5
NEXT AWAY: Scunthorpe, Fri June 3

SCUNTHORPE
“With the 5pm start-time, we want to make it a great early evening out for families for our Bank Holiday meeting on Friday. We’ve decided to make it free admission for all children aged 17 and under. We will have hook-a-duck and a bouncy castle there as well, so they will be plenty of entertain the kids.”
Promoter Rob Godfrey plans extra entertainment and a kids go free policy for the Scorpions’ big Bank Holiday clash with Redcar on Friday.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Fri June 3
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Sun June 5
 
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

ARMADALE
“Problems started in the build-up to the event with Covid rearing its head in the cases of William Lawson (suspected) and Gregor Millar (confirmed). George Rothery wasn’t fit either so Connor Coles, Kyran Lyden and rider replacement plugged the gaps.”
A night to forget for the Devils at Belle Vue with several rider absences and a heavy 69-21 defeat as they remain to get off the mark in this season’s NDL.
NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Fri June 17
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 16
 
BELLE VUE
“It couldn’t have gone any better for me really. You don’t come into a meeting expecting to get a 15-point maximum so I’m buzzing with that. It’s been a fantastic night for us all individually and as a team. We needed this result to give us the boost we’ve been after these last few weeks.”
A perfect home debut for Nathan Ablitt with a full house from five rides in the Colts’ emphatic victory over Armadale which saw them score 69 out of a possible 75 points.
NEXT HOME: Oxford, Fri June 3
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun July 24

BERWICK
“Six different race winners on the night says it all about the secret to their success this season – along with preparation, hard work and dedication of course – and all seven riders believe that they still have more to bring to the party as the season continues.”
Bullets director Jamie Courtney was impressed with the Bullets in their recent victory over Kent – but believes they will get even better as they challenge for NDL honours.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Sat June 4
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sun June 5
 
KENT
Royals star Joe Alcock, who had made a superb start the season, is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after crashing heavily when making a Championship guest appearance for Scunthorpe last Friday, where he broke a femur and a vertebrae in his mid-back.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sun July 10
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat June 18

LEICESTER
“Early on we could have been even further in front because we had a couple of offs – I think when we were two up, we could have been ten up by that point, but the way everybody kept their heads up and pushed on to grab the four league points was terrific, because away wins are so valuable.”
Dave Howard’s Lion Cubs kept up their strong start to the season with a 50-40 win at Plymouth last Tuesday to establish themselves in second position in the early league table.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sun June 5
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Sat June 4
 
MILDENHALL
“It’s certainly been a steep learning curve. Everything that can happen in the two league matches so far has happened – down to five riders after one heat (in the opener) and down to just four midway through this match (at Leicester). At the end of the day there were many ‘ifs and buts’ but we also need to remember that actually last season we lost our first three matches but ended up as league Champions!”
Co-boss Jason Gardner reflects on an injury-hit start to the campaign for the Fen Tigers, who will hope their fitness issues have eased in time for their resumption in just over a fortnight.
NEXT HOME: Danny’s Day, Sun June 19
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri June 17


OXFORD
The Chargers have named Jody Scott in their 1-7, although Scott is currently on the sidelines so Jacob Fellows steps in against Plymouth on Wednesday.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Wed June 1
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Fri June 3

PLYMOUTH
The Centurions continue to seek a replacement for Henry Atkins and will continue with unattached riders this week, with Eli Meadows also missing Wednesday’s trip to Oxford.
NEXT HOME: Oxford, Tues June 14
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed June 1

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY MAY 31:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Edinburgh 7pm

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Leicester 7.30, Poole v Edinburgh 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Plymouth 7.30

THURSDAY JUNE 2:
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v King’s Lynn 7.30, Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 3:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Scunthorpe v Redcar 5pm
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Oxford 1pm
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP (500cc/250cc): Belle Vue (follows NDL fixture)

SATURDAY JUNE 4:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Leicester 6.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Berwick v Leicester (follows Champ fixture)

SUNDAY JUNE 5:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester v Berwick 4pm, Redcar v Scunthorpe 5pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester v Berwick (follows Champ fixture)

MONDAY JUNE 6:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30

TUESDAY JUNE 7:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Birmingham 7pm

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Birmingham v Edinburgh 7.30, Oxford v Newcastle 7.30, Poole v Leicester 7.30

THURSDAY JUNE 9:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Ipswich 7.30, Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 10:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Redcar v Oxford 7.30, Scunthorpe v Glasgow 7.30

SATURDAY JUNE 11:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester v Plymouth 6.30
CHAMPIONSHP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Berwick v Redcar 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester v Plymouth (follows Champ fixture)

SUNDAY JUNE 12:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 3pm, Newcastle v Leicester 4pm

MONDAY JUNE 13:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 7.30, Peterborough v Sheffield 7.30

TUESDAY JUNE 14:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Plymouth v Oxford 7pm