(SPEEDWAY 1 – TUESDAY REVIEW)
LEWIS Blackbird was Peterborough’s last-heat hero in a dramatic 45-45 Premier League draw against Redcar at the Showground.The Bears clawed back an early ten-point deficit following a lengthy delay due to the setting sun, and briefly took the advantage before the teams went into the final race level.Home man Lasse Bjerre was disqualified after a third-bend clash with Hugh Skidmore, but Blackbird defeated Skidmore and Richard Lawson in the re-run to maintain parity.Blackbird said: “I’m so happy with my performance in Heat 15. It seemed a really long four laps, but I was just glad to come home in front and do the job for the team.“I did have a few nerves, but you can’t turn back. I just focused on making a good start and then put my head down!”(SPEEDWAY 2)
POOLE promoter Matt Ford is expecting a tough clash of two play-off hopefuls when Wolverhampton visit Wimborne Road on Wednesday.Both sides enjoyed impressive Elite League results on Monday with the Pirates drawing at South coast rivals Eastbourne, whilst Wolves overcame Swindon by ten-points at Monmore.Ford said: “The lads worked hard at Eastbourne and on another night could well have come away with the win, but when you look at the scores the Eagles have been firing in on their home patch this season, to match them was no small deal. “Now we need to build on those two points, we have been picking up good points on the road so must now maintain Wimborne Road as a fortress, after having seen it breached twice in our last four meetings.“That said, the team has grown in stature since those back to back defeats, just as I believed they would but I do feel that Wolves will make us work hard. It promises to be an intriguing meeting.”Wolves boss Peter Adams is looking for skipper Tai Woffinden to maintain his blistering recent run of form when they make the trip to Dorset.Adams said: “Certainly in the first half of the season Tai hasn’t performed as well as we expected him to, but he appears to be coming into form now.“If he can continue to perform as we know he is capable of now and the rest of the riders carry on as they have been then we should be in with a good chance of making the top four.”League leaders King’s Lynn are hot favourites to extend their advantage at the top of the table as Coventry visit the Norfolk Arena on Wednesday.The Stars return to full strength as Lewis Kerr and Nicklas Porsing are back from recent injuries, whilst the Bees go into the meeting without Danish duo Hans Andersen and Michael Jepsen Jensen who are racing in their home country.Lynn boss Rob Lyon said: “The boys are on fire at the moment and that is the way we want to keep it all the way to the end of the season.”Coventry promoter Mick Horton said: “The Danish League fixtures for Hans and Michael were both logged with the DMU, and they simply cannot get out of them.“I have phoned around every other Elite League promoter in an effort to get the fixture switched, but unfortunately nobody was able to help on this occasion, and we have to accept that King’s Lynn do need to fulfil the fixture.”(SPEEDWAY 3)
KENT have announced the recall of Benji Compton to their National League team following a recent injury absence.Compton takes the place of Luke Chessell in the Kings’ side, with the club having received approval to retain Aaron Baseby who was Compton’s initial replacement.Co-promoter Len Silver said: “I am devastated that in fitting Benji back into our side after his protracted spell on the sidelines we have had to decide between Aaron and Luke, as both have given the Kings excellent service.“It was a very hard decision, as each of them gives his all for the club. We finally selected Aaron as he is a locally born Kent rider. Luke will be made available to other clubs and he leaves with our full respect and thanks for all his efforts on our behalf.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
LUKE Harris holds an eight-point lead at the halfway stage of the 500cc British Youth Championship.Harris, who had a spell with Kent earlier this season, holds the advantage over Reece Downes, whilst at 250cc level Lewis Whitmore leads Luke Woodhull by 13 points.There are six rounds in total, of which three have been ridden, but each rider can drop one round before final scores are calculated.500cc: Luke Harris 48 (3 rounds), Reece Downes 40 (3), Macauley Leek 33 (3), Liam Sanderson 26 (2), Kelsey Dugard 24 (2), Lewis Griggs 24 (3), Layne Cupitt 23 (3), Nathan Greaves 18 (1), Luke Ruddick 18 (1), Harry Jones 16 (2), Alex Wilson 16 (2), Connor Fletcher 16 (3), Zach Wajknecht 11 (1), Luke Whitehead 11 (2), Jack P Blackburn 9 (1), Daniel Miles 8 (1).250cc: Lewis Whitmore 50 (3 rounds), Luke Woodhull 37 (3), Ben Woodhull 34 (2), Mitchell Beckett 33 (3), Jack P Blackburn 29 (2), Jack Thomas 22 (2), Anders Rowe 14 (1), William O’Keefe 9 (1), Henry Atkins 8 (1).
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY JULY 2:ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Leicester OFF, King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30, Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30
THURSDAY JULY 3:ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Edinburgh 7.30, Sheffield v Rye House 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 4:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Swindon 7.30, Lakeside v Wolverhampton 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Redcar 7.30, Plymouth v Ipswich 7.15, Scunthorpe v Sheffield 7.30, Somerset v Workington 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30
