(SPEEDWAY 1)

NEW Leicester signing Danny King will represent the club in next Friday’s SGB Premiership Pairs at Somerset.
The British Champion has been immediately called up for the event, where he will partner Kim Nilsson – and he admits the team place with the Lions came as a big relief after his previous club Coventry were withdrawn from competition this year.
King said: “As soon as I was told Coventry wouldn't be competing this season I contacted every club to make them aware of my situation and that I was ready to go - but understandably promoters were reluctant to make changes before the season started, so I thought I would have to wait until May before I even got a look in.
“But I am over the moon to be joining Leicester. It is a great home track and is not too far from my home. I am very excited about the season now and am looking forward to meeting the fans next week.
“I would also like to thank Damien Bates for the opportunity, he is a very professional man with big ambitions and I am pleased to be a part of his team.”

(SPEEDWAY 2)

PETERBOROUGH were 51-42 winners over Scunthorpe in the first-ever SGB Championship fixture.
The Panthers held off a determined Scorpions challenge with home skipper Ulrich Ostergaard impressing as he dropped just one point on his way to 12+2 – whilst three race wins for Paul Starke saw him net 10+1.
Former Peterborough rider Michael Palm Toft racked up 15 points for the Scorpions, including a winning tactical ride, and Fritz Wallner took victory in his first two outings, but Lewis Kerr was forced out with a wrist injury after a second-ride spill.
Peterborough team boss Carl Johnson said: ““It’s pleasing to get off to a good start for so many different reasons.
“Of course it’s nice to create that little piece of history by being the first team to win an SGB Championship meeting, but the most important thing was getting a result in front of our fans.
“We sent them home disappointed far too many times last season, so it was nice to be able to pick up a win in front of what looked to be a really good crowd.
“Scunthorpe are similar to ourselves in that they don’t have the so-called big-hitters in their side. We knew they would provide a tough test and they kept themselves close throughout, but I always felt we would have enough to see them off.
“It’s great to win our first meeting when having so many new guys in the team. Everyone did their job and that’s what we need to happen on a regular basis with the way the side has been built.”
Scunthorpe Team manager Dave Peet said: “At first, we were concerned that Lewis Kerr had broken his wrist. But it just seems to be swelling up. He’s going to go home and take it easy and he’s got a full week to recover. We don’t think it was broken, but he jarred it pretty bad.
“It was our first meeting of the season, while it was Peterborough’s second meeting and I think that showed. Ryan Douglas is on new bikes this year, and he had a few teething problems and it took him a couple of rides to set it up.
“But when you look down the race-card, every rider chipped in. They all had their moments, with skipper Michael Palm Toft leading by example. But we did have quite a few falls and lost a few points.
“This meeting was what Fritz (Wallner) is all about – he’s entertainment. He had the one fantastic ride where he showed exactly what he could do.
“Last time he rode for us, he broke his ankle, so he’s not been doing too much over the winter. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have given him seven rides, but Lewis’ injury forced us into that.
“The team were trying their hearts out, but it was one of those things. We weren’t making the starts and we need to work on that.”
Meanwhile there was disappointment at Poole where the Darcy Ward Invitational was abandoned after eight races.
Pirates man Kyle Newman aggravated a shoulder injury when he fell in his first ride and the decision to call a halt was made due to track conditions following bad weather during the week.
Australian star Chris Holder said: “as riders we want to be here again to help
support Darcy but quite honestly the track was unrideable and dangerous
to us.
“We regret to have to make this call but as this meeting is all about an injured rider it would be foolish to continue.”

(SPEEDWAY 3)

IPSWICH boss Ritchie Hawkins is expecting a tough SGB Championship opener against Sheffield in a clash of two heavily fancied clubs at Foxhall.
Hawkins is keen to see the Witches make a better start than in 2016 when they had to play catch-up for much of the campaign – but he knows the Tigers will carry a serious threat.
Hawkins said: “It's not ideal going straight into competitive action without a challenge match but we were a victim of circumstance with that. It's an opportunity to get three points on the board and a win on Saturday gives everyone a boost and gets the momentum going early on.
“Sheffield look a strong side like we do, but the same applies to them as it does to us - it doesn't matter how you look on paper, it’s how you do on the track that matters. It's a really tough test early doors, and hopefully we will have a big crowd backing us.”
Sheffield skipper Kyle Howarth said: “Ipswich is never an easy place to go to – and that will be the same this time around because they’ve got a great looking line-up too.
“But if we can go there, make some good starts, then we all believe in each other and who knows we could even come away with the win.
“We’d love to come away with something; it would be the perfect way to get the momentum going early on.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

BERWICK co-promoter Scott Courtney has fired the opening salvoes at rivals Newcastle ahead of this weekend’s Tyne/Tweed Trophy clashes.
The Bandits host the first leg at Shielfield Park on Saturday before the return at Brough Park 24 hours later, and Courtney wants his side to take revenge for a 96-84 aggregate defeat last season.
He said: “The history between the Bandits and the Diamonds goes back as long as the history of this club, so any meeting between us means a lot to the club, riders and fans.
“Of course it means everything to win early bragging rights, which our guys know full well, and they will be going all-out to take a serious lead to Brough Park on Sunday for the deciding leg.
“The aim of the game on Saturday is to get the good win, for Sunday at Brough Park will be a harder prospect, but I think the Bandits are ready to take back the trophy.”

(SPEEDWAY 5)

WORKINGTON stage a welcome return for the long-running Cumberland Open Championship as their opening meeting of 2017 on Saturday.
The event was first run in 1970 and is now back at Derwent Park for the first time since 2013, with no previous winners in the line-up.
The Comets’ regular seven riders are joined by nine visiting riders, five of them having ridden for Workington in the past, and the likes of Ricky Wells, Nicolai Klindt and Nick Morris are expected to challenge strongly.
Workington owner Laura Morgan said: “I’m really looking forward to the new season, this has all the makings of a fantastic evening to get the new campaign off to an exciting start, and I’m sure that the supporters will enjoy the racing that these 16 riders will provide.
“Trying to pick the winner of an event like this is never easy and it only takes one mistake and there will be another rider ready to capitalise on it immediately, so anything can happen.
“It should be a great night for speedway supporters from anywhere to come along and see some great racing and support their particular favourite!”

(SPEEDWAY 6)

BELLE Vue Colts have completed their squad for 2017 with the signings of Kyle Bickley and Woodhull twins Luke and Ben.
British Youth 500cc Champion Bickley will slot into the team at reserve, where he will be joined by Luke Woodhull, with brother Ben as No.8.
Colts co-boss Steve Williams said: “Looking at the team we have assembled, we couldn’t be more delighted with how it has come together. Having Kyle Bickley is certainly very pleasing. We know how much he loves Belle Vue.
“Quite a few teams had been taking an interest in the Woodhull brothers for this season and we’re very happy to have secured their services with Belle Vue for the year.
“It’s each of these riders’ first season in the National League and myself and Graham [Goodwin] are confident that they will rise to the challenges ahead. They are three great British prospects.”

(FIXTURES)

SATURDAY MARCH 25:
SGB CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30
TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 1st leg: Berwick v Newcastle 7pm
CUMBERLAND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP: Workington 7pm

SUNDAY MARCH 26:
TYNE/TWEED TROPHY 2nd leg: Newcastle v Berwick 6.30
SIMON LAMBERT TESTIMONIAL: King’s Lynn 2pm

MONDAY MARCH 27:
ELITE SHIELD 1st leg: Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30

WEDNESDAY MARCH 29:
ELITE SHIELD 2nd leg: Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cradley v King’s Lynn 7.30 (at Birmingham)

Result Friday March 24, 2017;

SGB CHAMPIONSHIP

Peterborough 51 (Ulrich Ostergaard 12+2)
Scunthorpe 42 (Michael Palm Toft 15)
SGB Championship points: Peterborough 3 Scunthorpe 0

Darcy Ward Invitational, Poole
Abandoned after 8 heats due to unfit track