BRITISH SPEEDWAY AUGUST 20, 2022

(SPEEDWAY 1)

GP CHALLENGE SET FOR GLASGOW TONIGHT

GLASGOW host a massive night of racing as the FIM Grand Prix Challenge comes to Ashfield tonight (Saturday- UK time).
The meeting, will decide the first three places for the 2023 GP series, is being staged in the UK for the first time in nine years, with Great Britain duo Dan Bewley and Robert Lambert both amongst the favourites.

Bewley is a former Tigers rider and fellow ex-Glasgow men Rasmus Jensen, Anders Thomsen and David Bellego are in the line-up along with former World Champion Chris Holder.

Club owner Gerry Facenna said: “There’s a sense of great pride that a quarter of the field are former Glasgow riders.
“Dan Bewley’s win at the British GP in Cardiff at the weekend is just the icing on the cake and I’m sure there will be a huge turnout from the British fans keen to see him and Robert Lambert on the rostrum.”
*LIVE STREAMING: https://tapesup.tv

(SPEEDWAY 2)

LEICESTER stage the National Development League Pairs tonight (Saturday) as the meeting makes a return to the calendar for the first time since the pandemic.

Dan and Joe Thompson represent the Lion Cubs and start as favourites with all eight NDL clubs competing in the event.
The hosts are in Group A along with Belle Vue, Berwick and Armadale, whilst Kent, Mildenhall, Oxford and Plymouth compete in Group B.

Scoring is 4-3-2-0 with the top two pairings in each group progressing to the semi-finals, and the highest scorers in those races meeting in the Final.

Cubs boss Dave Howard said: “With their ‘forever’ knowledge of the circuit and the great team riding they have produced in many Heats 13 and 15 for the Lion Cubs, this puts Dan and Joe potentially in a strong position to challenge for the Pairs crown.

“However, as we all know, with strong ‘Top 2’s’ in many teams, together with the Pairs format and scoring system, when it comes to the crunch end of the meeting absolutely anything can happen.
“I’m sure it will be an entertaining night for everyone to enjoy, and we hope the fans come out in force to back the twins, and hopefully we can win some silverware.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 3)

SCUNTHORPE slammed Berwick 60-30 to move back into the Championship play-off places – and in the process ended the Bandits’ slim top six hopes.

The Scorpions have now put the pressure on Redcar with the sides due to meet at the Ecco Arena later this month.
Ryan Douglas scored another home maximum with 13+2, and Tero Aarnio added 13 with James Wright on 10. Chris Harris scored 12 for the Bandits.

Stand-in Berwick boss Jamie Courtney said: “That was a tough night against a Scunthorpe side which was fully focussed on the job in hand.

“It’s a unique track and a number of our riders struggled to find the right set-up. Even though Bomber and Jye (Etheridge) were mixing it up front – and to a lesser degree Leon (Flint) and Jonas (Knudsen) – we never really recovered from our poor start.
“Having two bikes give out on the start line doesn’t help but to be honest we were well beaten.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 4)

EDINBURGH were held to a narrow 47-43 home win over Redcar in the first leg of their Championship KO Cup semi-final.

The Monarchs led by eight points after Heat 7 but the Bears hit back strongly despite the loss of Kasper Andersen in a first-ride fall, with reserves Kyle Newman and Jordan Jenkins outscoring their home counterparts 14-7.

Josh Pickering scored 13 for Edinburgh with Paco Castagna adding 10+1, and Sam Masters returned from injury with 9+1, whilst guest Richard Lawson scored 12 for the visitors and Lewis Kerr weighed in with key wins in Heats 13 and 15.

Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “We would obviously have liked more of a lead. We let too many points slip away, and the heavy rain pre-meeting was probably a leveller.
“Redcar were very tenacious though, well done to them and we will be heading south in a fortnight to finish the job.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

BELLE Vue consolidated their place in the NDL play-offs with a 50-40 win over Leicester at the National Speedway Stadium.
The Lion Cubs fared better than several visitors to Manchester this year but missed out on a league point as the home reserves took centre stage.

Freddy Hodder impressed with 11+1 and colleague Archie Freeman added 8+1, whilst Leicester No.1 Dan Thompson was top scorer on the night with 13+1 and brother Joe added 10.

Belle Vue’s Nathan Ablitt said: “It was fantastic to see the likes of Freddy and Archie in the points tonight.
“Me and Harry [McGurk] struggled a little bit but I think this result has really highlighted the measure of our strength in depth.

“It was, overall, a great win for us against a team who, on paper, are one of the toughest in the league and a win was really what we needed tonight.”
Cubs boss Dave Howard said: “It’s disappointing not to get a point, but that was still the joint-highest score that any team has got there in the National League this season.

“Everyone gave their all, but a lot of it was related to set-up, and Freddy Hodder had his best meeting of the season for them, so we just missed out.
“It was a great start for his first meeting in the top five for Max (Perry), winning Heat 1 and getting seven paid eight, and Dan as well had a great meeting, backed up by Joe.”
 
(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY AUGUST 20:
FIM GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: Glasgow 7pm
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE PAIRS: Leicester 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 21:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Redcar v Glasgow 7.30

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Kent v Mildenhall 12pm

MONDAY AUGUST 22:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Wolverhampton v Sheffield 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 23:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth v Glasgow 7pm