(SPEEDWAY 1)
LUBOS Tomicek has been handed a route back into British Speedway after agreeing a deal with Berwick for the rest of the season.Tomicek joins the club after the departure of Michael Hertrich, who was himself a replacement for the injured Brenton Barnfield.Manager Ian Rae said: “Right back at the start of our search we actually spoke to Lubos first of all, but circumstances were not right and we had to search elsewhere. But never say never and we’ve got our man and welcome Lubos with open arms.“We have a great deal of faith in Czech riders up here as in a dozen years, no Czech has ever let us down and we are hoping for good things from Lubos too.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
WORKINGTON are waiting for news on Kenny Ingalls after the American suffered a shoulder injury in the Comets’ narrow defeat at Newcastle.Ingalls was involved in a first-bend spill in his third outing having scored five points from his first two rides, and was unable to complete the meeting.Manager Tony Jackson said: “Kenny has suffered some damage to his left shoulder, but although it doesn’t appear to be broken or dislocated he was in considerable pain and struggled to move his left arm. It is just a matter of seeing how it responds over the next few days before we know if he will be fit for our home clash with Edinburgh on Saturday.“It’s a case of déjà vu for him as last year Kenny injured his right shoulder in a spill at Brough Park that ruled him out of action for several weeks - hopefully this time his injury will prove to be less serious.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
NEWCASTLE boss George English was a relieved man after the Diamonds salvaged a last-heat win over Workington having made a dramatic late comeback.The Comets appeared in control as they led 40-32 with three heats to go, but the home side hit back and won 46-44 with a last-heat 5-1 from Mark Lemon and Stuart Robson after ex-Diamond Rene Bach had crashed.English said: “There were still a few weak points for us tonight but their determination and feverish work in the pits to get the best from the bikes paid off and we nicked a thriller of a win in the last heat.“Stuart had a nightmare of a night mechanically and had to change his bike after every ride, finally getting the right set up for him, just when we needed it.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
SCUNTHORPE continued their impressive start to the season with a 47-43 away win at reigning Premier League champions Glasgow.The victory puts the Scorpions in a strong early position in the League Cup having also drawn at Redcar on Thursday, with Josh Auty and David Howe securing a 3-3 from a last-heat decider at Ashfield to clinch the win.Manager Richard Hollingsworth said: “The result just reinforces my belief that we can travel anywhere with everyone believing we have a chance of winning. In previous seasons we have known that some trips were a case of damage limitation but not now.“We’ve now put ourselves in an excellent position in the northern section of the League Cup, with three wins and one draw from our opening four meetings. It’s been a challenging weekend, with three very closely-fought meetings, but a hugely rewarding one.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
MILDENHALL’S Joe Jacobs is hoping a strong season with the Fen Tigers will enable him to gain a chance at Premier Level.The 18-year-old is back for another year at West Row having fully recovered from a crash in Australia over the winter that left him with a broken ankle.Jacobs said: “We’ve got a young team at Mildenhall and although I’m only 18 I’m one of the more experienced riders and need to make that count.“This is a really important season for me and I really need to kick on and prove that I can consistently deliver in the National League and get some opportunities to prove myself at Premier League level too.”
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY APRIL 2:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v King’s Lynn 7.30MIDLAND LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Coventry 7.30
TUESDAY APRIL 3:STAFFS CUP 1st leg: Dudley v Stoke 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 5:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Birmingham 7.30LEAGUE CUP: Sheffield v Redcar 7.45
FRIDAY APRIL 6:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 1pm, Birmingham v Swindon 7.30, Coventry v Poole 11am, Eastbourne v Lakeside 7.30, King’s Lynn v Peterborough 7pm, Lakeside v Eastbourne 1pm, Peterborough v King’s Lynn 2pm, Poole v Coventry 8pmLEAGUE CUP: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Ipswich v Leicester 2.30, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30, Somerset v Rye House 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Rye House v Isle of Wight 7pm
