BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 6, 2022

Feature photo: Rohan Tungate

(SPEEDWAY 1)

IPSWICH SIGNINGS

IPSWICH have made a double transfer move with the signings of Rohan Tungate and Aaron Summers.
Tungate rejoins the Witches as an injury replacement for Erik Riss, with Summers taking the place of the suspended Ben Barker.
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins’s said: “Erik is going to be out for a month at least and that takes us to the end of the league season and that is quite a while.

“We don’t want to be running R/R for an extended period of time, so the opportunity was there, and Rohan was available.
“It keeps the team very strong bringing him in and he knows the club very well being our asset.
“With bringing Rohan in we didn’t quite have enough points, so we had to make another change. We have brought Aaron in, and he is another rider who has come back in and is flying.
“Ben is suspended so we needed to replace him as well. It is a shame as we didn’t want to lose Ben, but the circumstances are what they are.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

KING’S Lynn have announced the signing of Danish star Frederik Jakobsen as they look to launch a winning run in their last eight matches.
Jakobsen, who rode for Poole in 2018, replaces Lewis Kerr, who has been released by the Stars ahead of Monday’s Premiership trip to Sheffield.

Manager Alex Brady said: “Frederik was keen to join us, and we’re delighted to get the deal over the line with still a decent number of meetings remaining.
“It means we have an Ekstraliga rider coming in at reserve with the potential for me to give him seven rides, and that gives us a good opportunity.
“We’ve come to a mutual agreement with Lewi, and we’d like to wish him all the very best and thank him for his commitment to the club over many years.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

GLASGOW moved back into second place in the Championship with a 56-34 win over Birmingham at Ashfield.
Spectacular Danish star Benjamin Basso scored a full 18-point maximum for the Tigers, who edged back ahead of Poole in the race for automatic play-off semi-final qualification.
Tom Brennan and Connor Bailey both added ten points for the hosts, whilst Justin Sedgmen top-scored for the Brummies with 11.
 
(SPEEDWAY 4)

EDINBURGH gave their play-off hopes a boost with a 48-42 home win over Plymouth – who also collected a point from the meeting.
Both sides are now on 29 points, seven clear of seventh-placed Scunthorpe who still have three matches remaining. Plymouth also have three to go, whilst Edinburgh have just one, with Redcar also currently in the top six.

Guest Richard Lawson (12) and Kye Thomson (11+1) led the way for the Monarchs and combined for a crucial Heat 15 5-1, whilst Leon Flint impressed with 13+2 as he stood in for the Gladiators, and both Hans Andersen (11) and Michael Palm Toft (9) made positive returns from injury.

Thomson said: “It was a bit tight, but we had choice of gates in the last one. Heat 15s hadn’t gone too well for me previously so it was great to get a 5-1.
“My riding tonight, I did things that I have been trying to work on but hadn’t quite mastered, cutbacks and passing.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 5)

REDCAR edged out Scunthorpe 47-43 at the Ecco Arena as the Scorpions earned a point to go top of their Championship Jubilee League group.

The visitors led by four points in the first half of the meeting before the Bears turned things around and clinched victory in Heat 14, before the outstanding Ryan Douglas headed up a Scorpions 4-2 in Heat 15 for a valuable group point.

Douglas conceded a 5-1 in Heat 1 but then reeled off five wins to finish on 16 points whilst Anders Rowe notched 10 on his debut. Reserve Jordan Jenkins top-scored for the Bears with 10+1.

Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “We couldn’t have tried any harder to get the win or draw, but Redcar are a good team and are a very strong team around here.

“We were doing well, but the turning point was when Redcar got the two 5-1s in the middle of the meeting.
“But Ryan and Tero (Aarnio) got the 4-2 from Heat 15 and that meant we got the league point, which means there’s everything to race for at Leicester tomorrow.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

BELLE Vue demolished a weakened Kent side 64-26 to enhance their position in the National Development League play-off places.

Reserve Archie Freeman scored a first maximum for the Colts with 11+1 whilst heat-leaders Jack Smith and Nathan Ablitt added 13 and 11 respectively as the home side topped the 60-point mark for the fourth time this season.

Guest Dan Thompson won three races and scored 11 points for the Royals, who tracked just three of their regular riders.
Freeman said: “I started on a win and ended on a win. It was a tough call for Heat 15 but I didn’t want to risk my first maximum in Belle Vue colours! 

“This is a big result for us. We’ve obviously done this many times before this year, but Kent are one of the teams chasing us down for a spot in the top four.

“It’s unfortunate that they drew the short straw with injuries, but these are opportunities you have to make the most of and we had a job to do, which we did.”
Meanwhile Cooper Rushen won the British 125cc Youth round which preceded the meeting, whilst Harry Fletcher won the support class.

(SPEEDWAY 7)

BERWICK host Plymouth in a double header of Championship and NDL action at Shielfield Park tonight (Saturday).

The Bandits have Jordan Jenkins standing by to replace Jonas Knudsen if the Dane’s visa issues are not resolved, whilst the Gladiators bring in Lewis Kerr to guest at No.1.

Berwick boss Gary Flint said: “We have four meetings left to race, three against teams currently battling to reach the play-offs – including Plymouth.
“That’s up to 14 league points available to us which would take us to 28 points. Currently the team in the sixth and final qualifying place is on 23 points.

“There really is still a lot to race for – but we have to start winning, home and away.” The NDL encounter which follows will see the home side seeking to boost their play-off prospects, and they name a full-strength side with Kieran Douglas back from injury.

The Centurions, who race at Armadale in the afternoon, bring in Harry McGurk from their senior side to guest for Dan Gilkes, and Sam McGurk stands in for Adam Roynon.

(SPEEDWAY 8)

LEICESTER and Scunthorpe will resolve the Northern group of the Championship Jubilee League at the Paul Chapman & Sons Arena tonight (Saturday).

The Scorpions top the standings, but the Lions will overhaul them if they win the meeting and prevent the visitors from taking a group point.
Leicester are at full strength but make various switches in riding order, whilst the Scorpions have Richard Lawson guesting for Ryan Douglas (Polish play-offs) and new signing Anders Rowe makes a return to the club he left earlier in the season.

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “The main reason for changing it around is it’s the last chance I’ll have to do anything like that before the really serious stuff starts.

“That’s with absolutely no disrespect at all to Scunthorpe and the need for us to win the meeting, because if there’s the chance for us to make the Final then we want to take it.

“There’s nothing sinister behind it, I just want to see how it goes, and we’re certainly strong enough to get the result as long as we do our jobs.”
Scorpions promoter Rob Godfrey said: “Ryan has been a brilliant No.1 for us this season, and it would normally be a massive blow to be without him, but we feel we’ve got the ideal guest in Richard, who loves riding around Leicester. I’m sure Richard can pile up the points in the same way that Ryan would.
“We need the rest of the lads to have a good night as well, give him enough backing, and make sure we’ve got 42 points by the end of the night and pick up the point that we require to get to the Jubilee League Final.”

(SPEEDWAY 9)

ARMADALE go in search of their first NDL win of the season when they host Plymouth this afternoon (Saturday, 2.30pm).
The Devils track their full side with Kyran Lyden making his home debut and Elliot Kelly returning after missing the midweek defeat at Oxford.

The Centurions track Kyle Bickley as a guest for the injured Dan Gilkes, and Sam McGurk replaces Adam Roynon due to a Championship commitment.
Devils promoter John Campbell said: “Lee Complin has been picking up a number of guest bookings in the Championship and will be much sharper than the last time we were here.
“Let’s hope that he can lead us to victory for the first time this year.”

(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY AUGUST 6:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Plymouth 6.30
CHAMPIONSHIP JUBILEE LEAGUE: Leicester v Scunthorpe 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Armadale v Plymouth 2.30, Berwick v Plymouth (follows Champ fixture)

MONDAY AUGUST 8:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30, Sheffield v King’s Lynn 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 9:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Plymouth v Berwick 7pm