(SPEEDWAY 1)
GREAT Britain’s Kyle Howarth has been awarded a Wild Card berth for the second round of the World Under-21 Final in Poland next month.The British Under-21 Champion will race at Lublin on August 15 having narrowly missed out on a permanent position in the three-round series.British Youth boss Neil Vatcher said: “This is fantastic news for both Kyle and British Speedway, that now in Round 2 GB will have two representatives, and we must thank the members of the FIM Committee for giving Kyle the vote for one of the Wild Cards for this event.“As Under-21 Team Manager it is my job to get the best young British riders as much experience and exposure as we can, and along with full time World Under-21 finalist Stefan Nielsen no one deserves a place in the Final more than Kyle.“At his semi-final he was one of the highest scoring riders who missed out on a permanent place, and he also only missed out after losing a run-off for the last qualifying place to Australian Brady Kurtz.“When it was confirmed that Kyle got the vote he was delighted, and he feels he now goes into the meeting with no pressure and with everything to gain from the experience, and also to put himself in the shop window for a place in a European League, as the British Champion is looking at avenues of riding in Europe at some point in the not too distant future.“This already is building up to be an exciting summer of Under-21 Speedway, as along with Round 2 of the individual World Final, the following weekend is the semi-final of the World Under-21 Team Cup in Germany, followed seven days later in Denmark by Adam Ellis riding in the European Under-21 Final.”
(SPEEDWAY 2 - WEDNESDAY REVIEW)
KING’S Lynn consolidated third position in the Elite League table with a comfortable 56-37 win over Wolverhampton at the Adrian Flux Arena on Wednesday.Niels-Kristian Iversen scored a 15-point maximum for the Stars with Kenneth Bjerre returning to form with 15+1, whilst Jacob Thorssell offered Wolves some consolation for a ninth defeat out of ten meetings with a ten-point score.Wolves star Freddie Lindgren said: “It’s really tough for the whole team at the moment, we just aren’t firing at all. We were never really in contention tonight, everyone seemed to struggle for speed and we just weren’t good enough.“Jacob was probably our best rider, and I tried my best but we are really struggling and tonight wasn’t any different unfortunately.”In the City Gearboxes National League, Birmingham were taken down to the wire by Kent but emerged with a tenth win out of ten thanks to a last-heat 5-1.The Brummies trailed by four points at the halfway stage of the meeting but levelled the scores in Heat 13 before Zach Wajtknecht and Adam Ellis took a crucial maximum over James Shanes and Danny Ayres in the decider for a 47-43 triumph.Manager Graham Drury said: “In the opening half of the meeting I genuinely felt it wasn't going to be our night but during the interval we re-grouped and got things right when it mattered most.“I always felt this was a potential banana skin, but you have to give Kent great credit for playing their part in another superb advert for the National League and they fully deserved to be the first team to leave Perry Barr with a consolation league point.”
(SPEEDWAY 3 - THURSDAY PREVIEW)
NEW Sheffield signing Paco Castagna will have to wait for his Sheffield debut.The Italian’s equipment has not arrived in time for him to face Glasgow in the second leg of the League Cup semi-final on Thursday, with the Scottish side taking a 14-point lead into the meeting.Sheffield bring in Brady Kurtz and Thomas Jorgensen as guest for Simon Stead and Andre Compton, with rider-replacement operating for Ashley Birks.Glasgow also have guest riders due to their own injury problems, with Ricky Wells, Nike Lunna and Richard Hall all coming into the side.Sheffield co-promoter Damien Bates said: “It’s a shame for Paco, he will now make his debut in the Challenge match with Cradley here next Thursday.“But with an issue over his equipment and all our injury problems, we feel it’s too much of a risk to give him his debut until he is totally ready. We’re still in with a chance of turning around this 14-point deficit and I’m really looking forward to the meeting.”In the Premier League, leaders Edinburgh visit sixth-placed Ipswich with Sam Masters currently on the sidelines for the Monarchs.Former Witches rider Richie Worrall stands in for the Australian, who is out with a broken hand, at Foxhall, with Dan Greenwood in for the injured Rob Branford at reserve, whilst the home side are at full strength.There is a North-East derby at the South Tees Motorsports Park as Redcar host Newcastle with the sides currently level on 12 points in the league table.Bears boss Jitendra Duffill says confidence is on the up after recent home wins, whilst his Diamonds counterpart George English says his side are going into a vital phase of their season, although key reserve Lewis Rose is ruled out after his crash at Swindon on Monday.Duffill said: “All of us here in the Bears camp now believe that we can beat anybody at home and we aim to continue our run of form by beating our closest rivals Newcastle on Thursday.“We are determined to take another 3 points and leap frog Newcastle and also Workington in the Premier League table. If we can do that we will have climbed 4 places in the table in 4 weeks and I really can't ask any more of our boys than that.”English said: “If we are to get back in contention for a play-off place this year then we need to go to Redcar on Thursday and Workington on Saturday and win.“We need nine points from our next three matches, which I believe we are capable of doing because we have the quality in the side to get those results, we just didn't perform against Sheffield.”
(SPEEDWAY 4)
BERWICK have announced the signing of Swedish rider Mathias Thornblom to fill the gap left by long-term injury to No.1 rider Ben Barker.The Bandits expect the 23-year-old, who made one Elite League appearance for Coventry in 2012, to make his debut at home to Edinburgh this Saturday subject to approval.Team boss John Anderson said: “Since Ben was so badly injured during the British Final, we have been investigating a replacement. I have already explained how difficult it has been to locate a rider who could agree to our fixture list, who wouldn’t demand silly money and most importantly, be of a standard to go at least part of the way towards replacing Ben.“Now we have agreed our deal with Mathias, who will become a club asset and who we feel will hit the track quickly enough to score plenty of points for Berwick. He starts on a seven-point average, which means Claus Vissing – ironically still on the injured list, will now be our No 1.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
COVENTRY Storm captain Luke Crang has elected to take time out of the sport after a confidence-sapping run of injuries.Crang has been on the sidelines with a shoulder problem but has now relinquished his position with his National League team, with Dan Greenwood now appointed as skipper.Crang said: “In the past whilst racing I have never once had the thought of so many ‘what if’ questions in my head, but now all of a sudden I can't seem to get rid of the negativity of the ‘what if’ questions.“Being in a sport like speedway is dangerous enough, but adding low confidence and negative thoughts into the mix, really isn't going to end well. I believe it's getting older that has played its part in me taking a step away from the racing scene, which is going to be one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make.”
(SPEEDWAY 6)
BUXTON have named the highly experienced Steven Jones as their replacement for Adam Extance who is out with a season-ending knee injury.Jones, who rode for Scunthorpe last season, is unavailable for the next two Hitmen fixtures but is set to make his debut at King’s Lynn on July 24.Manager Jason Pipe said: “I've worked with Steven in the past and he is a true professional, always gives 100 per cent in every race he goes in and is great for team spirit. Steve rode for me in the nomad Boro Bears days before Redcar opened and then rode for me at CL/NL level at Redcar. “With Steve, I know he will contribute between 4-7 points a meeting at least from the No.4 berth in 99 per cent of his meetings for us. Steve is really looking forward to this new challenge and linking up with me again.”
(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY JULY 16:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Newcastle 7.30LEAGUE CUP SEMI-FINAL 2nd leg: Sheffield v Glasgow 7.30
FRIDAY JULY 17:PREMIER LEAGUE: Peterborough v Sheffield 7.30, Plymouth v Workington 7.15, Scunthorpe v Ipswich 7.30, Somerset v Glasgow 7.30TRAVEL PLUS TOURS KO CUP Q/F 1st leg: Edinburgh v Redcar 7.30, CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Birmingham 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 18:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Rye House v Glasgow 7pm, Workington v Newcastle 7pmCITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Eastbourne 7pm
SUNDAY JULY 19:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Berwick 3pm, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30CITY GEARBOXES NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Coventry 3.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Buxton v King’s Lynn 3pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Mildenhall v Rye House 3.30
