(SPEEDWAY 1 – SUNDAY REVIEW)
SOMERSET held on for a thrilling 47-43 win at Peterborough in their opening League Cup fixture of the season on Sunday.The Panthers hauled back an eight point deficit and looked set to snatch a draw when they held a 5-1 for two laps in Heat 15 – but Rebels No.1 Josh Grajczonek had other ideas and overtook both Robert Lambert and Ulrich Ostergaard to see his side to victory.The visitors had earlier lost reserve Benji Compton, who was taken to hospital with neck and shoulder pain after a Heat 4 crash, although he was later released.Ostergaard (10+1) and Lambert (10) were both in double figures for the hosts, whilst Grajczonek’s score of 13+1 was well supported by 11 from Brady Kurtz.Rebels boss Garry May said: “This was a great team performance. The boys were superb and even though Peterborough came back at us after our excellent start, they were determined not to let this match slip.“We fully deserved the victory, the team spirit being typified by some great riding, none more so than Josh Grajczonek’s third to first ride in heat 15 which confirmed our victory.”Peterborough manager Carl Johnson said: “It is definitely not the start we were planning on making. We had a few problems and the track conditions probably didn’t help our guys. It tends to dry out quickly on a Sunday afternoon, but in all fairness it did provide some great racing.“We have to make sure we pick ourselves up from this. Everyone is hugely disappointed and so they should be, but I’m certain we will bounce back.”Meanwhile, a bumper crowd from all corners of the speedway community turned out in support of Ricky Ashworth on an emotional evening at Owlerton.Some of speedway’s biggest names turned out for Ricky’s Big Day, yet the biggest cheer was reserved for Ashworth himself who was greeted by rapturous applause as he took a lap of honour prior to the meeting.When the action did commence, it was hometown hero Simon Stead who proved he is still the man to beat around Owlerton as he stormed to a spectacular victory ahead of Niels-Kristian Iversen, Freddie Lindgren and Ben Barker in the Final.Stead said: “Obviously I rode with Ricky at Sheffield, so it has been an emotional day and it was a meeting I was desperate to win.“It was a fantastic field that was put together, some great riders turned out for Ricky which was a testament to the man himself. Regardless of who won, the most important thing was that Ricky had a good day and we managed to raise a lot of money for him.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 - MONDAY PREVIEW)
WOLVERHAMPTON legend Peter Karlsson defends the Banks’s Olymique Classic title as the 2015 season gets underway at Monmore Green on Monday.All of the Wolves team for the campaign ahead will be on show, including Polish racer Tobiasz Musielak who is one of the club’s new signings. Karlsson said: “It's early in the season and to a certain extent as a home rider you use the meeting as a practice to test set-ups and get yourself fully ready for the new season.“All of this year's team are taking part as well so it's good for the boys who are used to the track to blow away any cobwebs and good for the new boys to get some important laps in ahead of the first league meeting.“It's another great line-up with some riders who go well at Monmore so it will be a good test for all the riders. It was a great way to get my season started last year and it would be nice if I could repeat that as a Wolves rider on Monday.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
NEWCASTLE’S Brough Park Stadium hosts the North of England Launch press day ahead of the 2015 campaign on Monday.Representatives from the Diamonds, Berwick, Redcar and Workington, with two riders from each of the visiting clubs, will be in attendance to welcome in the new season.The press day begins at 11am with riders taking to the track from midday. (FIXTURES)
MONDAY MARCH 23:BANKS’S OLYMPIQUE CLASSIC: Wolverhampton 7.30
WEDNESDAY MARCH 25: ELITE SHIELD 1st leg: Poole v King’s Lynn 7.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS CHALLENGE 2nd leg: Cradley v Birmingham 7.30
THURSDAY MARCH 26:LEAGUE CUP: Ipswich v Rye House 7.30, Sheffield v Scunthorpe 7.30ELITE SHIELD 2nd leg: King’s Lynn v Poole 7.30A66 CHALLENGE 1st leg: Redcar v Workington 7.30BOB KILBY MEMORIAL: Swindon 7.30
FRIDAY MARCH 27:ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Wolverhampton 7.30, Lakeside v Leicester 8pmLEAGUE CUP: Peterborough v Rye House 7.30CHALLENGE: Somerset v Poole 7.30
