BRITISH SPEEDWAY JUNE 22, 2023

(SPEEDWAY 1)

CHEETAHS OUTRUN PIRATES

OXFORD got the better of fierce rivals Poole in the battle of the top two in the Cab Direct Championship with a 52-38 win at Cowley. The Cheetahs delivered their best performance of the season in front of a packed crowd to go four points clear in the league standings with their sixth win out of six in the league.

Scott Nicholls (14), Lewis Kerr (14), Sam Masters (10+1) and in-form reserve Henry Atkins (9+1) all returned with paid double-figure points hauls as the defending champions were limited to four race wins. Richard Lawson top-scored for the visitors with 12+1. Cheetahs boss Peter Schroeck said: “We’re really pleased with the result, and it concludes a busy period where we’ve earned maximum points.

“The racing was spectacular too, and while we give no inch on track off it we’re building a healthy rivalry with the Pirates whose fans always turn out in force – credit to them too. “To earn a 14-point win is great. There were moments which went for us, and moments against. But overall we’re delighted and we’ll travel to Wimborne Road knowing we have a lead we’re capable of defending.”

Poole promoter Dan Ford said: “We certainly didn’t go there believing we would only have four race wins and converting just two of those into heat advantages, but fair play to Oxford, they were on song.
“All too often we were too static at the starts and when sides are in the sort of form that they (Oxford) currently are, then it becomes an uphill struggle. “I guess that there aren’t too many positives to take from our performance this evening, but there are still plenty of points to ride for and the league can’t be won in June.”
 
(SPEEDWAY 2)

BIRMINGHAM moved off the bottom of the Cab Direct Championship with a 48-42 win over Berwick in new manager Stewart Dickson’s first home meeting in charge. The Brummies recovered from an early six-point deficit and sealed victory with a 5-1 in Heat 15 from Justin Sedgmen and Nick Morris to notch their first victory at Perry Barr this season.

Sedgmen scored 15+1 from six rides with Morris collecting 10+2 and new signing Troy Batchelor (10) won three races on his debut. Thomas Jorgensen scored 10 and Rory Schlein added 9+3 for the Bandits.
Dickson said: “I knew with this new-look team we had a chance of beating Berwick with all due respect to them.
“They put up a good fight but for us to come back from six points down shows the character that we’ve now got in this team.
“The boys responded, and they deserve all the credit. It was great to hear the noise from the terraces; these supporters have waited a long time to see a winning team at Birmingham.”

Bandits boss Scott Courtney said: “It’s a frustrating defeat, but by the same token we battled hard and forced Birmingham to use a tactical substitution early on their home track.
“We were perhaps unfortunate to be the first side visiting after Birmingham’s team changes and obviously the conditions suited Troy Batchelor down to the ground.
“There’s no excuses, we now have to focus on the bonus point when they come to Shielfield.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

SHEFFIELD hand a 2023 debut to new signing Josh Pickering when they host Leicester in the Sports Insure Premiership at Owlerton tonight (Thursday). Pickering, who is on the comeback trail after injury, is back for a second spell with the Tigers as a replacement for David Bellego.

The home side face a Lions outfit in good form, with six wins in their last seven matches, and the visitors carry a 53-37 advantage for the aggregate point. Sheffield boss Simon Stead said: “We know we’re in for a real battle. They’re another team who have riders who go well at Sheffield, they’re also solid all the way through and they’ve had some good results of late.
“But we just need to keep doing what we have been doing at home – our home form has been pleasing, our riders have been riding very, very well at Owlerton and yet I still feel like there’s more to come from us.”

Lions manager Stewart Dickson said: “It’s a tough match for sure, especially with them bringing Josh Pickering in just in time to face us, but we need to focus on our own team and we go there in confident mood.
“Winning there will be difficult, I’m not going to dress it up because they’re pretty good around their own place.
“But we have a 16-point lead, so at worst I expect to come away with the aggregate point, and if we could add that to the win at King’s Lynn then it would be a decent week.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

IPSWICH welcome Erik Riss back into their team for tonight’s (Thursday) Sports Insure Premiership clash with Peterborough at Foxhall. Riss has been out of the Witches’ team since Easter due to illness, but he makes his return against the Panthers with recent Rising Star switch Dan Thompson making his home debut.

Manager Ritchie Hawkins said: “We’ve already won at Peterborough, and they are having a tough season again, but we can’t afford to relax as we have not been good enough to be in a position to relax.
“We need to put in a thoroughly professional performance and get our first bonus point of the year to get three points. That will set us up for a run in the second half of the season and we need a big push if we want to make the play-offs.
“We are delighted to welcome Erik back; he has done a couple of meetings and is feeling better. We have had a long wait and he has had a tough time but I’m sure everyone will get behind him.”

The Panthers bring in Sam Hagon to guest for Jordan Jenkins, who is out with a wrist injury, whilst new signing Vadim Tarasenko will look to build on his impressive 12-point haul from his debut at Belle Vue on Monday.
Manager Rob Lyon said: “Jordan’s injury on Monday was a blow and that really seems to be following us around at the moment, but that’s the way it is – it’s been a bit of a headache all season really.
“But it was good to see the way Vadim rode at Belle Vue, he certainly looks a good prospect, so we move on to Ipswich and see what happens there.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

BELLE Vue legend Chris Morton will set out on a mammoth bike ride dubbed ‘Mort’s Mighty Mission’ from the National Speedway Stadium on August 28 bound for Cardiff.
He will complete a four-day cycle to the Principality Stadium and, all being well, will arrive just ahead of the 2023 British Grand Prix on September 2, raising funds for the Benevolent Fund.

The ride will be a gruelling 200+ mile journey, and will involve tackling and overcoming the challenges of the UK landscape.
SRBF Chairman Paul Ackroyd said: “We are very excited to hear about Mort’s incredible mission aimed at raising both funds and awareness for us with his four-day cycle from Manchester to Cardiff.
“We hope to have representatives from the SRBF present to send him on his way from the National Speedway Stadium and to greet him at the Principality Stadium when he arrives.

“Every year we are always blown away by the public’s generosity towards the Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund and we urge anyone who can to get behind Mighty Mort.”
To contribute to Mort’s Mighty Mission, visit his JustGiving page here:
Justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mortsmightymission .
 
(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY JUNE 22:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R1: Ipswich (48) v Peterborough (42), Sheffield (37) v Leicester (53) 7.30

FRIDAY JUNE 23:
CAB DIRECT CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh (54) v Birmingham (36) 7.30, Glasgow v Scunthorpe 7.30, Redcar v Plymouth 7.30

SATURDAY JUNE 24:
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Leicester (47) v Edinburgh (43) 7pm, Workington v Oxford 3pm

MONDAY JUNE 26:
SPORTS INSURE PREMIERSHIP R2: Peterborough (35) v Belle Vue (55) 7.30, Wolverhampton (45) v King’s Lynn (45) 7.30