BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY BULLETIN 2022 / 14

A Rest of the World team beat Great Britain 48-42 at Glasgow on Sunday in the latest of the Global Challenge series. Jason Doyle top-scored with 14 for the World side with Robert Lambert leading the way with 16 for the Brits.
Photo by: IAN ADAM

THE BITE-SIZED BULLETIN

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

PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BELLE VUE
“We maybe thought we would get a bit more fight out of King’s Lynn but I don’t think the score reflected how exciting it was or how hard we had to work for this result.”
Aces youngster Norick Blodorn continued to show good development with a 6+2 score in the huge 61-29 home win over King’s Lynn on Monday which took the Manchester club back to the top of the Premiership table.

NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Mon July 25
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur July 14
 
IPSWICH
“Danny (King) really stepped it up in his last heat ride and his ride in the Final was superb after missing the start. To win at King’s Lynn is brilliant and it is the second time we have done that this season, so it is great to win there back-to-back.”

Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins admitted there was some extra pleasure in taking Pairs victory at the Adrian Flux Arena last Thursday, a result which takes the Witches to the top of that competition at the halfway stage.

NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Thur July 14
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur Aug 4
 
KING’S LYNN
“It was a tough night, but when you only have one race winner (Josh Pickering), 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.”

No excuses from Stars boss Alex Brady after a 61-29 thumping at Belle Vue on Monday to underline their current difficulties after an encouraging start to the season.

NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Thur July 14
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon July 25

PETERBOROUGH
“We did it last week and we managed to get over the line, but it was a similar pattern this week and it’s tough to win a meeting with really only three riders two weeks on the bounce.”

Panthers boss Rob Lyon was left to rue a mid-meeting collapse from his side, who were eight points up after six races but went down to a damaging home defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton on Monday.

NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Mon Aug 15
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur July 14
 
SHEFFIELD
“Would I have taken second three-quarters of the way through the meeting? Probably, as it was looking a little bit ominous at that point. But we worked hard and finished strong and while the lads are feeling the frustration and disappointment too, let’s focus on the positives.”

The Tigers have finished as runners-up in all three rounds of the Premiership Pairs so far, so boss Simon Stead is keen to concentrate on the overall picture as they remain strong overall contenders.

NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Thur July 14
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur July 21
 
WOLVERHAMPTON
“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 – it’s just a shame we didn’t manage to get the extra point at the end but you can’t always have everything.”

Wolves boss Peter Adams saw his side deliver an impressive display at Peterborough on Monday, coming from 22-14 down to record four 5-1s in the next five races and pick up a crucial away win.

NEXT HOME: Premiership Pairs Round 4, Mon July 18
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Thur July 14
 
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…

BERWICK
“I don’t know whether to see it as points won against a very good side or points lost. What I do know is that it was a cracking speedway meeting and that every one of our seven made a major contribution to the score.”

Bandits boss Gary Flint admitted to mixed emotions after a 45-45 draw with Poole on Saturday – with the Bandits one lap away from victory before skipper Chris Harris suffered a disintegrated clutch in Heat 15 to hand the Pirates a 5-1.

NEXT HOME: Redcar (KOC), Sat July 16
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed July 13

BIRMINGHAM
“With the facility given to us by the BSP, I will try and get guests as regularly as I can who can not only come in and score some important points for the team, but who we know will provide 100 per cent commitment to the cause, who will put on a show for our supporters and who the Birmingham supporters can relate to and take a liking to where possible.”

Brummies boss Laurence Rogers insists he will still do his best to put together credible line-ups for upcoming meetings, after Danish racer Claus Vissing made himself unavailable and was handed a 28-day ban.

NEXT HOME: Plymouth (CJL), Wed July 13
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth (CJL), Tues July 12

 
EDINBURGH
“Poole are a very strong team, the strongest in the league I think so to beat them here is awesome, I’m so stoked for the boys. I knew they’d push us all the way but everyone did their bit. Heat 14 was massive, I was expecting a last heat decider and they had choice of gates too.”

Monarchs skipper Sam Masters was delighted with last week’s win over Poole, which more than maintains their play-off bid – and especially with the fact that he and Josh Pickering were not under pressure in Heat 15!

NEXT HOME: Berwick (CJL), Fri July 22
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 16
 
GLASGOW
The Tigers boosted their hopes of a top-two finish with a huge 57-33 win at Birmingham last Wednesday, and they now face a critical trip to Poole on Wednesday.

NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri July 15
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Wed July 13
 
LEICESTER
“Coming into a winning team should hopefully benefit Max, and he will also have a couple of practice sessions before his home debut. I’m looking forward to working with him, and after speaking to him on several occasions I know he’s really up for it.”

Lions boss Stewart Dickson is pleased to have completed the signing of Max Clegg, who brings them back to a full one-to-seven line-up after the recent departure of Anders Rowe.

NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Sat July 16
NEXT AWAY: Redcar (CJL), Fri July 15
 
OXFORD
“I’m pleased with my score, but in some ways, it was a frustrating night. I seized my first engine after my second ride and had to jump on the other bike and then had some problems with the chains on that.

It was a struggle mechanically, but I scored the points and the team got the win, so that’s the main thing.”Skipper Scott Nicholls returned to the Cheetahs side after injury with a 13+1 haul in last week’s impressive home win over Plymouth.

NEXT HOME: Berwick, Wed July 13
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham (CJL), Wed July 20

PLYMOUTH
“It is a competition that should very much play to our strengths and consistency and we remain the only club in the Championship to score 40 points or more in every league fixture.

Make no mistake, this is a competition that we have targeted and want to win and we hope that our fans will turn out in large numbers to back us.”
Promoter Mark Phillips tells plymouthspeedway.com that the new Championship Jubilee League is very much a target for his side this season.

NEXT HOME: Birmingham (CJL), Tues July 12
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham (CJL), Wed July 13
 
POOLE
“There may be many miles that separate the two clubs but in one way they are probably our fiercest rivals.

Like us, they always put together good sides and they will be heading south hoping that the two lads who were with us last season – Ben Basso and Danyon Hume, both of whom are in good form of late, will want to remind us what they are capable of.”

Pirates co-promoter Danny Ford is in no doubt over the size of the task ahead in a crucial home clash with Glasgow on Wednesday with the race for the top two at a critical stage.

NEXT HOME: Glasgow, Wed July 13
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth (CJL), Tues July 19
 
REDCAR
“Six of the riders were on form tonight and apart from matches against Newcastle, that hasn’t happened this season. Kasper (Andersen) rode really well despite his points not reflecting his performance. Hopefully we have now turned the corner and we can kick on.”

Bears co-promoter Jamie Swales was a happy man after Friday’s home win over Berwick as he gave his thoughts to redcar-speedway.com following the meeting.

NEXT HOME: Leicester (CJL), Fri July 15
NEXT AWAY: Berwick (KOC), Sat July 16
 
SCUNTHORPE
“Once Adam became available, we realised we needed to sign him. He wasn’t having a great time at Redcar, but he was riding for them up at No 2. Redcar released him just as he’d gained a new average and was due to drop to reserve.

I’m convinced he can do the job that we need him to, which is to pick up a few points per meeting.”
Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey explains the signing of Adam Roynon, recently released by rivals Redcar, who comes in to the side replacing Connor Coles.

NEXT HOME: Leicester (CJL), Fri July 22
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Wed July 20

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…

ARMADALE
The Devils hand debuts to new signings Lee Complin and Elliot Kelly when they host Kent on Friday, in the first of three matches in three days as they look to get off the mark in this season’s NDL.

NEXT HOME: Kent, Fri July 15
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Sat July 16
 
BELLE VUE
The Colts face huge clashes with defending champions Mildenhall this month, starting at the NSS on Friday, as they bid to secure a play-off place in what looks set to be a closely fought battle between up to six clubs.

NEXT HOME: Mildenhall, Fri July 15
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun July 24

BERWICK
“In reality I could have permed any two from Kyle, Luke, Ace and Jody but they had again put a lot of water on the track and Jody had ridden those difficult conditions well all afternoon.

Luke was confident he could gate on Bowtell and clamp him down, which worked well until he got dumped on his backside in the first running of heat 15.” Co-owner Jamie Courtney explains his selection for Heat 15 at Kent on Sunday, where impressive reserve Jody Scott was paired with Luke Crang – but the home top two raced to a 5-1 to snatch victory.

NEXT HOME: Leicester (KOC), Sat July 23
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Tues Aug 9
 
KENT
The Royals returned home with a win as they turned things around to defeat Berwick 46-44 at Iwade thanks to a last-heat 5-1 from Alfie Bowtell and Ben Morley.

NEXT HOME: Oxford, Sun July 24
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Fri July 15 

LEICESTER
“Everybody dug in and I’m just so proud tonight. It’s the biggest win of the season, and to send them away with no points as well was fantastic, and I can’t say enough about all the guys tonight.”

The Lion Cubs overcame the loss of No.1 Dan Thompson after just one ride and still defeated Oxford at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena on Saturday, to the delight of team boss Dave Howard.

NEXT HOME: Armadale, Sat July 16
NEXT AWAY: Oxford, Wed July 20

MILDENHALL
“In 2021 I won the State Championships at Speedway and also Flat Track and backed that up with the Rob Woffinden Classic.  I made  the rostrum again at the beginning of this year in the Western Australian Championships – so all in all it’s been a successful spell back Down Under.”

Returning Fen Tigers favourite Matt Marson says he comes back with decent form behind him as he prepares to step back in for the West Row side in place of the injured Alex Spooner.

NEXT HOME: Armadale, Sun July 17
NEXT AWAY: Belle Vue, Fri July 15
 
OXFORD
“It’s frustrating that we’ve lost Luke Killeen, just as he was starting to get going. We’re not fully sure of the full extent of his injury as yet, but we wish him a speedy recovery.”

Chargers boss Jason Crump is rueing an injury blow for the club’s promising recent recruit, who missed Saturday’s 51-39 defeat at Leicester after a crash at Redcar the previous evening.

NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed July 20
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Sun July 24

PLYMOUTH
The Centurions lost 55-35 at home to Mildenhall last Thursday and are now inactive until early August when they face two meetings in one day at Armadale and Berwick on the 6th.

NEXT HOME: Berwick, Tues Aug 9
NEXT AWAY: Armadale, Sat Aug 6

FIXTURE PICTURE…

TUESDAY JULY 12:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Plymouth v Birmingham 7pm

WEDNESDAY JULY 13:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Oxford v Berwick 7.30, Poole v Glasgow 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: 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

FRIDAY JULY 15:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Glasgow v Berwick 7.30, Redcar v Leicester 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Armadale v Kent 7.30, Belle Vue v Mildenhall 7.30

SATURDAY JULY 16:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester v Edinburgh 6.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Berwick v Redcar 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester v Armadale (follows Champ fixture)

SUNDAY JULY 17:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Armadale 3pm

MONDAY JULY 18:
PREMIERSHIP PAIRS Round 4: Wolverhampton 8pm

TUESDAY JULY 19:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Oxford v Birmingham 7.30, Plymouth v Poole 7pm

WEDNESDAY JULY 20:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Poole v Scunthorpe 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Oxford 7.30
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Oxford v Leicester 7.30

THURSDAY JULY 21:
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Redcar 7.30
PREMIERSHIP: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30

FRIDAY JULY 22:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, Scunthorpe v Leicester 7.30

SATURDAY JULY 23:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Berwick v Edinburgh 6.30
NDL KO CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Berwick v Leicester (follows CJL fixture)

SUNDAY JULY 24:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester v Berwick 6pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent v Oxford 12pm, Mildenhall v Belle Vue 3pm

MONDAY JULY 25:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Peterborough 7.30, Wolverhampton v King’s Lynn 7.30

TUESDAY JULY 26:
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Plymouth v Oxford 7pm