SPEEDWAY News and Fixtures

(SPEEDWAY 1 – WEDNESDAY REVIEW)

POOLE consolidated second place in the Elite League table with a 53-37 home win over Lakeside – in a meeting which was much closer than the final scoreline suggests.The Hammers held an early lead at Wimborne Road and produced seven of the first 11 heat winners, at which point they only trailed 32-34.However, the Pirates finished strongly with three successive 5-1s and a 4-2 to pull clear, with Maciej Janowski top-scoring on 12+1 and Vaclav Milik and Kyle Newman both collecting paid-11.Poole promoter Matt Ford said: “We knew that it was not going to be easy and the outcome of the meeting was in the balance for so long. Lakeside made us really work and I am pleased with the manner in which we responded. “What was pleasing was the standard of racing but it takes two teams to make that happen and so fair play to the Hammers. They certainly weren't 16 points worse than us but we had some real potency in those final four heats.”Somerset have taken over at the top of the Premier League with a 57-35 win over previous leaders Edinburgh, with home skipper Olly Allen scoring a 12-point maximum.A close contest at the halfway stage saw the Rebels only four points up, but they then outscored the Monarchs 31-13 over the finals seven races to hand the visitors their biggest defeat of the season.Somerset boss Garry May said: “This was an absolutely stunning all-round team performance by the boys. They really wanted to move into that top spot in the League table, and they certainly did that in style.“Edinburgh are a top-notch side, as their results so far this season prove, but we were on top form and fully deserved our victory, our final winning margin being a measure of how well all the boys rode.”Meanwhile Edward Kennett scored his first maximum since returning to Rye House this season, his 15-point score headlining a 49-41 win over Newcastle at Hoddesdon which moves the Rockets off the foot of the table.Kennett said: “It was great to finally get there. I’ve been scoring 13s and 14s but couldn’t quite finish it off until now. Everything was working really well and I was making good starts.”Newcastle boss George English said: “It was another match we could have won, but yet again with lost points it was a match we couldn't manage to take even one League point which is exceedingly disappointing.”

(SPEEDWAY 2 – THURSDAY PREVIEW)

KING’S Lynn and Poole hold the top two places in the Elite League ahead of their meeting at the Norfolk Arena on Thursday.The Stars go into the clash at full strength whilst the Pirates bring in Chris Harris to guest for Przemyslaw Pawlicki, who is involved in the Polish Final.Swindon are going for their fifth consecutive home win as they host Eastbourne at the Abbey Stadium looking to turn the tables after a 40-53 defeat at Arlington on Monday.That result puts the Eagles back into the play-off places, and the Robins will look to respond with Hans Andersen and Jason Garrity guesting for the injured Peter Kildemand and the unavailable Steve Worrall.Swindon captain Troy Batchelor said: “Our win against Lakeside last week was a great result. It was a really good performance by the boys and a big three points.“Hopefully we can start to perform like that more consistently, because if we can I think we can finish the season really strongly.” Eastbourne are now entering a run of three matches in three days, and boss Trevor Geer believes their home win over the Robins was the perfect springboard.Geer said: “The lads rose to the challenge against and really fought for every point. The way they rode showed you how much they want to get into the play offs. I thought there was some real steel and determination in the way they went about their business.”In the Premier League, Sheffield hand a debut to Nico Covatti and bring in David Bellego and James Sarjeant as guests with Andre Compton, Leigh Lanham and Josh Bates still ruled out due to injury.The Tigers host second-placed Edinburgh, and co-promoter Peter Mole said: “It was a fantastic atmosphere last week, it was very noisy and the fans were very supportive. I hope they bring back their air horns and flags for this meeting, we really appreciate their support.“With all our team injury problems, the support of the crowd has been a boost in the early stages of our management.”Meanwhile Redcar have reduced admission prices to £10 as the youngsters take centre stage in the Julie Lewis Memorial meeting, an event won last year by Brady Kurtz who is now starring at Premier League level for Somerset.

(SPEEDWAY 3)

PETERBOROUGH have signed Richard Hall, Adam Roynon and Max Dilger in a major team revamp at the East of England Showground.The Panthers had been hit by long-term injuries for Ryan Fisher and Lewis Blackbird, whilst reserve Joe Jacobs also makes way in the changes.Manager Carl Johnson said: “Richard, Adam and Max all arrive with something to prove and I’m sure we will reap the benefit of that. I believe they will help us to become a solid team which can hopefully score plenty of points home and away.“We have a fair bit of ground to make up on the teams in the play-off places, but we have several meetings in hand and need to make the most of them. All three of the new guys need to hit the ground running and they are well aware of that fact. It is a hugely important and exciting time in the season.”

(SPEEDWAY 4)

BERWICK star Matthew Wethers has been allowed home after his horrific crash in Heat 14 of the Bandits’ Premier League clash with Edinburgh on Tuesday.Wethers is awaiting the results of x-rays amidst fears of a possible pelvic fracture, for which there would be no treatment apart from total rest.The home rider crashed with the Monarchs’ Aaron Fox, who escaped with no broken bones but requires a period of rest due to concussion.

(FIXTURES)

THURSDAY AUGUST 14:ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Poole 7.30, Swindon v Eastbourne 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Edinburgh 7.30JULIE LEWIS TROPHY: Redcar 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 15:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Eastbourne 7.30, Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Somerset 7.30, Plymouth v Rye House 7.15, Scunthorpe v Sheffield 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 16:ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 7.30, Leicester v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Somerset 7pm, Rye House v Ipswich 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Devon 7pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 17:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Somerset 3pm, Newcastle v Edinburgh 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Kent 3pm, Mildenhall v Cradley 3.30, Mildenhall v Scunthorpe (follows previous fixture)


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