BRITISH SPEEDWAY JULY 12, 2022
(SPEEDWAY 1)
BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD CONFIRMED
THE list of competing riders for the Sports Insure British Final Championship has been confirmed.
Sheffield star Adam Ellis defends the title he won last season, and there are five other previous winners in the line-up – Scott Nicholls, Chris Harris, Danny King, Craig Cook and Charles Wright.
Double runner-up and former Aces favourite Dan Bewley is also included.
The meeting takes place at the National Speedway Stadium on Monday August 1, and the highest-placed non-GP rider will receive a Wild Card for the British Grand Prix.
LINE-UP (Not in riding order): Dan Bewley, Adam Ellis, Chris Harris, Danny King, Richard Lawson, Steve Worrall, Craig Cook, Kyle Howarth, Charles Wright, Richie Worrall, Lewis Kerr, Scott Nicholls, Paul Starke, Ben Barker, Leon Flint, Tom Brennan. Reserves: Danyon Hume, Connor Mountain.
(SPEEDWAY 2)
BELLE Vue are back on top of the Premiership after an emphatic 61-29 win over King’s Lynn at the National Speedway Stadium.
The Aces started the meeting with four successive 5-1s to put the match out of reach for the Stars, who won only two races all evening – both coming from skipper Josh Pickering.
Matej Zagar scored a paid maximum (11+1) for the home side with Max Fricke (11+2) and Tom Brennan (10+1) also in double figures, whilst Pickering racked up 14 for the Stars to account for almost half of his team’s total.
Aces reserve Norick Blodorn (6+2) said: “It’s great for us to get another result like this. We had a brilliant night against Sheffield last week and we’ve carried the momentum forward.
“On a personal level, I’m really enjoying my speedway at the moment. Every meeting I’m getting better, and I hope I can continue to make even more progress in the coming weeks.
“To be at the top of the league table right now is a good place to be. All the boys are working really well together, there’s a great atmosphere which I think is helping with our performance.”
Stars boss Alex Brady said: “It was a tough night, but when you only have one race winner, you don’t deserve anything out of it.
“We were pretty poor tonight, so our apologies to all the King’s Lynn fans and to everyone watching.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
WOLVERHAMPTON struck a major blow in the Premiership play-off race with a 48-42 away win at Peterborough.
The victory moves the Monmore side up to third place and it means the Panthers in fifth are now ten points adrift of the top four.
Wolves trailed 22-14 at the East of England Arena but hit back with a remarkable run of four 5-1s in five races to turn the meeting in their favour.
The Panthers were heavily reliant on Chris Harris, who piled up 18+1 from seven riders, and reserve Benjamin Basso with 14, but Wolves were far more solid with Ryan Douglas (11+3) only losing a maximum in the last race, Luke Becker adding 10 and solid scoring coming throughout the order.
Manager Peter Adams said: “We haven’t got a brilliant record here over the years but certainly this year we’ve got the measure of them here which is very pleasing.
“We seem to be making a habit of being eight points behind in our away matches, we have been several times, but we’ve managed to get in front again tonight.
“It took us a race or two to get into our stride but once we did, the team was very solid and everyone was scoring heavily so it’s a very well-taken win.”
Panthers boss Rob Lyon said: “It wasn’t what we were looking for at all, especially after a great start and being eight points up, when I thought we’d end up with a relatively comfortable win.
“But as the track dried out and got a little slicker, the gates Wolves were on in mid-meeting certainly started to work well for them with four 5-1s pretty much on the bounce. They held on to that and never looked back so fair play to them, but it was tough.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
MILDENHALL have moved to bring back former favourite Matt Marson as cover for Alex Spooner who is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Marson last rode for the Fen Tigers in 2019 and has recently returned to the UK to attend the wedding of his friend Cameron Heeps, having originally planned to be back with the club two years ago.
He said: “Obviously the global pandemic changed everything, and it was frustrating that I couldn’t come back over especially after having a great season back home – including scoring a maximum to win the King of Pinjar at the turn of the year – that was a big one for me.
“All in all it’s been a successful spell back Down Under, and it’s great now that travelling restrictions have been relaxed and I’m back here in the UK.
“I’m staying with Shane Henry and his family in West Row and I already had bikes and a van at Josh Bailey’s, so I’m fully set up to ride – and with Mildenhall facing an injury crisis, I’m very happy to respond to the club management’s request for help and I’m ready to go.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
PLYMOUTH stage the first meeting of the new Championship Jubilee League competition when they face Birmingham at the Coliseum tonight (Tuesday).
The Gladiators have declared Kyle Howarth as a guest for the injured Edward Kennett, and they await fitness news on Michael Palm Toft.
Birmingham track former Brummies Ulrich Ostergaard and Paco Castagna for Josh Auty (injured) and Claus Vissing (withholding services), and Jason Edwards steps in for James Shanes who is on FIM Long Track duty.
Brummies boss Laurence Rogers said: “With everything going on at the moment we’re definitely depleted and we’re almost like a Brummies Select for the time being. “Nevertheless, it is what it is, this Jubilee mini-league is a chance to press reset for us if you like a little bit and there’s group points up for grabs.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
The FIM European 250cc Pairs Cup moves onto Round 2 of a three-round Series at Pardubice in the Czech Republic this afternoon (Tuesday).
Great Britain are currently in third position behind Poland and Denmark after last Thursday’s tremendous result in Czestochowa, Poland.
The British team make one change from Thursday’s trio with Max James replacing Ashton Vale for this round, which also includes Luke Harrison and William Cairns, as they chase an overall podium finish and are just one point behind second-placed Denmark.
Youth Boss Neil Vatcher said: “If I’m being honest, Thursday’s result in Czestochowa exceeded expectations, but now we are in a position of gaining a medal the whole team are determined to claim that prize.
“It certainly won’t be easy as we know Poland and Denmark both have really strong teams, and we expect the Czech Republic pair to step up this afternoon on their home circuit.
“However, after scoring 21 points on Thursday we have just got to try and add as many points to our tally today, and then hopefully go to Denmark next month with our destiny in our own hands.
“One thing for sure though, I know Luke, Max and William will be giving it everything this afternoon once we get underway.”
The Young Lions would like to thank their British Youth sponsors for their support and help in assisting the riders for these European events.
Thanks to: Nuneaton Speedway Supporters Club, Wessex Marine, Gordon Pairman, Foxbury Motors, Friends of Speedway, Rentruck, Northern Scaffolding Solutions, Brian Royle Racing, ATPI, Abrams Insurance.
(FIXTURES)
TUESDAY JULY 12:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Plymouth v Birmingham 7pm
WEDNESDAY JULY 13:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Berwick 7.30, Poole v Glasgow 7.30
SUMMER TROPHY: Birmingham v Plymouth 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 14:
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Belle Vue 7.30, King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30, Sheffield v Peterborough 7.30
NO PRESSURE ON ZMARZLIK AFTER LATVIAN GP WIN