BRITISH SPEEDWAY JUNE 8, 2023

(SPEEDWAY 1)

PIRATES’ SUCCESSFUL RECORD

POOLE moved top of the Cab Direct Championship with a 100 per cent record after demolishing Plymouth 64-26 at Wimborne Road.

The Pirates enjoyed their biggest victory in nearly seven years, with Kyle Newman (8+4) scoring a four-ride paid maximum as he continued his fine form at reserve.
Meanwhile Ben Cook racked up 14 points from five outings and Richard Lawson picked up 13+1, whilst Richie Worrall with 12 contributed nearly half of the Gladiators’ total.

Poole skipper Steve Worrall said: “We started the season with those scores and we finished last season with those scores, but the last few weeks we’ve been getting run pretty close at home which does ring alarm bells, especially when I’m starting off on the back foot straight away in the first heat.

“But tonight showed what we can do. We had the right track, we had it how we wanted it, which we’ve been working hard the last few weeks with the track men, and we finally got it back to what we know and what we like, and it made that world of difference.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

OXFORD romped to an emphatic 54-36 away win at Birmingham to go second in the Cab Direct Championship and increase the pressure on the Brummies.
The Cheetahs raced to three 5-1s in the first seven races at Perry Barr with an early tactical substitute ride for home skipper Justin Sedgmen proving unsuccessful.

Scott Nicholls (14) and Sam Masters (12+2) led the way for the visitors and dropped their only points to Nick Morris (10+1) in the final race of the meeting – whilst Jordan Jenkins and Henry Atkins were both paid for double figures for Oxford too.

Cheetahs boss Peter Schroeck said: “It all clicked tonight and as the meeting developed, I felt we just got stronger. Performances like this – and keeping fit until October – can help to define our season. I have every faith in this team and right now the boys are riding the crest of the wave.

“The Championship is our big motivator now. We’re two from two but the next fortnight is very important, and we can’t let a couple of good results go to our heads.“But the positive early signs are there, and the boys should be proud of their efforts tonight – they thoroughly deserve it.”

Birmingham boss Laurence Rogers said: “It was another disappointing performance. We’re trying to prepare a track that suits the majority of the team, but week-on-week it’s the away team who are settling into it very quickly.

“Things have to change very quickly; we’ve been working on things behind the scenes for a few days now and hopefully we can get some things over the line in the next day or two and have something in place by the time we go to Oxford next week.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

SPORTS Insure Premiership leaders Belle Vue head to King’s Lynn tonight (Thursday) with the opportunity to extend their advantage at the top.
The Aces face a Stars side desperate to bounce back from last week’s heavy home defeat against Sheffield, and visiting boss Mark Lemon says his team will expect a response.

Nicolai Klindt is back for the hosts after missing last time out due to Polish commitments, with Artem Laguta making his second appearance for the Starts. The visitors are at full strength and are unchanged from their impressive win over Ipswich on Monday.
Lemon said: “I’m definitely excited to see Artem Laguta racing around King’s Lynn. We had Emil (Sayfutdinov) at Belle Vue on Monday and it’s great to see big names like these in British Speedway.

“As a club, we’ve had some mixed results at the Adrian Flux Arena, but generally we do like to ride there, and the Stars haven’t had the start to their season that they would’ve wanted.
“Sheffield did a real number on them last week which is something we will be looking to repeat. But I think we will find they are more prepared this time – but if we can continue our current form, we can get the job done.”

King’s Lynn boss Alex Brady said: “We’ve had some good battles with Belle Vue over the years, and I’m sure this meeting will be no different.
“They’re on a roll at the moment and I’m sure their confidence will be high, but it’s down to us to make sure we deliver.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

LEICESTER host Ipswich tonight (Thursday) in a vital clash of two teams either side of the Sports Insure Premiership play-off zone.
Three wins in four have taken the Lions in the top four whilst the Witches currently find themselves outside after losing at home to Wolverhampton last week, and then Monday’s defeat at Belle Vue.

However, the visitors did win at the Pidcock Motorcycles Arena, Beaumont Park in the KO Cup earlier this season in a meeting which saw Emil Sayfutdinov break the track record in his first ride at the venue.
Leicester bring in Drew Kemp to guest for Dan Thompson who is currently ruled out with concussion. The aggregate point is also available after Ipswich’s narrow 47-43 win at Foxhall a fortnight ago.

Lions boss Stewart Dickson said: “I’m not saying it’s a must-win, but it’s a very important one for us. They beat us at the start of the season so we take nothing for granted, but I do think as a team we are more dialled into the track now.
“We can expect a tough meeting, but I’m confident with the way we’re riding that we can get the two league points, and then if there’s a chance to grab that all-important aggregate point we’ll go for that as well.”

Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins said: “For me, it’s the biggest meeting of the season so far. On the back of two disappointing results, it’s important we get points there.
“Leicester are a team who are going to fight to be in the play-offs, that’s obvious, and we need a win to keep in the mix.
“We’ve already been to Leicester this season and won, and it will be nice not to have R/R this time. Leicester are in better form than they were back then. But we know we’ve won there, so we go there confident.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

SHEFFIELD and Wolverhampton go into Premiership KO Cup action tonight (Thursday) with the first leg of their semi-final at Owlerton.
A place in the Final against Ipswich or Peterborough – with the Witches strong favourites – awaits the aggregate winners, with the tie to be concluded at Monmore Green on June 19.

David Bellego returns from concussion for the Tigers so both sides are at full strength, and both have been in fine form in recent weeks.
Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “I’ve always said that Wolverhampton over two legs is always a tricky prospect no matter how good you are or what sort of run you are on. 

“They’re another side who appear to be growing in confidence week-by-week, but you all know where I stand with things like that now when we’ve got a side like we’ve got here at Sheffield – if we stick to our task, focus on ourselves and do what we know we can do, then we have every chance of getting past them and making it into the Final.”

Wolves manager Peter Adams said: “Looking at their results against King’s Lynn, they’re obviously in tremendous form so it will be a very difficult match for us.

“But we’re on something of a hot streak ourselves right now so I’m hopeful that we can keep it close enough for there to be everything to ride for in the second leg.”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

EDINBURGH have moved for track specialist Max Clegg as the new No.1 for their National Development League team.
Clegg, who rode for the Monarchs in 2015-18, joins the Academy on an 11.83 average from his spell with Kent last year, and replaces Kyle Bickley who has retired from the sport.

Said Clegg: “I hadn’t been looking to return to National League really, but the main thing is that I can get back to enjoying my racing. I’m happy to be at Armadale again as I have spent quite a bit of my career there. I know the club and the track very well.

“I hope I will be able to pass some of my knowledge of the place on to the younger team members. I know most of them pretty well, they seem a great bunch of lads.”
In order to accommodate Clegg’s average within the points limit, Edinburgh have made a second change with Cumbrian newcomer Mark Parker coming in at the expense of Mickie Simpson, who the club state “makes way for the time being.”

(SPEEDWAY 7)

POOLE skipper Steve Worrall has completed the line-up for his re-arranged Testimonial meeting at Wimborne Road next Wednesday (June 14).
The meeting was originally postponed due to the weather earlier in the year but Worrall has again attracted a strong line-up for a team event involving the Pirates and Belle Vue – the two clubs who won senior league titles last year.

The headline addition to the event is recent King’s Lynn signing Artem Laguta, who will make his first appearance in Dorset, and former Poole riders Danny King and Kyle Howarth will also line-up with Worrall in the home side.
Worrall said: “I can’t tell you how excited I am for this, and super grateful to Artem and his team for making this happen and for accepting my invitation to race.”

Meanwhile Belle Vue favourite Matej Zagar, who won the Premiership title with the Aces last year, will take the No.1 position for the visitors, who also include Chris Harris and Rory Schlein who rode for the club earlier in their careers, along with current team members Tom Brennan and Norick Blodorn.
Worrall added: “I’m really pleased to have so many of the guys from the original date returning. Things are coming together quickly and it’s certain to be an epic night.”

(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY JUNE 8:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R1: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Leicester (43) v Ipswich (47) 7.30,
PREMIERSHIP KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Sheffield v Wolverhampton 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 9:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Redcar v Berwick 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Scunthorpe (46) v Birmingham (44) 7.30
BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP (250cc/125cc): Scunthorpe (follows KOC fixture)

SATURDAY JUNE 10:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Berwick (41) v Mildenhall (49) 7pm, Workington v Leicester 3pm

MONDAY JUNE 12:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R1: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30, Wolverhampton v Peterborough 7.30