The victorious Australian team following their Test Match victory against Great Britain on Saturday afternoon at Glasgow.
Picture: TAYLOR LANNING
soundbytes and fixtures from around the tracks up and down the country.
PREMIERSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE
“We have more than enough incentive. Every team is strong but we know we have the capabilities and the firepower to push for the play-offs. We’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Aces youngster Dan Bewley says the fight for the top four is far from over even though a second home defeat to King’s Lynn on Monday piles the pressure on their future away matches.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Mon Aug 20 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: King’s Lynn, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
KING’S LYNN
“All the boys found something special when we needed it. Robert (Lambert) and Niels (Iversen) were outstanding but everyone played their part. Thomas (Jorgensen) found a brilliant ride in Heat 14 to come off 15 metres to get third place that kept us in the meeting. That race was delivered from pure aggression.”
The Stars further enhanced their play-off chances with a stunning win at Belle Vue on Monday, snatching victory in a last-heat decider, much to the pleasure of boss Dale Allitt.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Leicester, Mon Aug 27 (6pm)
LEICESTER
“Things just went against us tonight and we just had a little bit of bad luck. We’re on a disappointing run right now but we’ll keep our chins up and we’re desperate to turn it around pretty soon.”
Lions boss Simon Stead saw his side go down to a sixth successive defeat when they lost 34-56 at Wolverhampton on Monday at the start of a busy week of away matches.
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 13 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Swindon, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
POOLE
“We started the season poorly – everybody knows that – and Brady probably got his fair share of criticism alongside many of the other riders. But I think Brady showed that he is a genuine number one in this victory. He was sensational and looked incredibly quick – long may it continue.”
Promoter Matt Ford hailed the current form of No.1 Brady Kurtz after the Pirates’ big home win over King’s Lynn last week maintained their strong mid-summer run.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Thur Aug 9 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Mon Aug 20 (7.30)
SOMERSET
“Without taking anything away from Max (Fricke) and Rory (Schlein) it is always a better feeling when you are working with your own riders. Neither guest let us down but to have JD back will be an extra boost for the team as we look to cement ourselves in top position ahead of the play-offs.”
Rebels boss Garry May is understandably delighted to have World Champion Jason Doyle back in business as the Oaktree Arena side look to remain at the top of the table.
NEXT HOME: Wolverhampton, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Poole, Mon Aug 13 (7.30)
SWINDON
“I can’t fault the effort of my boys, but now is the time for us to come together as a unit. We really need all of our top five firing at the same time because so often we’ve had one rider off, then next time it will be a different rider, and we’ve got to find that consistency quickly to make sure we finish in the play-offs.”
Robins boss Alun Rossiter rallies his troops after another away defeat at Somerset last week, as they prepare for a vital run-in to their regular Premiership campaign.
NEXT HOME: Leicester, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Wolverhampton, Mon Aug 20 (7.30)
WOLVERHAMPTON
“He showed that he wasn’t fazed after coming last in his first ride and after that he knew where he’d made mistakes and he learnt really quickly. He was that solid performer that we’ve been missing and hopefully he can keep that going and stabilise things a bit more.”
Skipper Rory Schlein praised debutant Jonas B Andersen, who scored 8+1 on his debut in the win over Leicester on Monday.
NEXT HOME: Swindon, Mon Aug 20 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Somerset, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
CHAMPIONSHIP SOUNDBYTES…
BERWICK
The Bandits face three crucial matches in three nights this week, as they visit Ipswich and Edinburgh before hosting the Monarchs at Shielfield Park on Saturday, with results elsewhere having dropped them outside the play-off places.
NEXT HOME: Edinburgh, Sat Aug 11 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Aug 9 (7.30)
EDINBURGH
“It was an easy win again and three maximums. The track is much grippier than it was at the start of the season and I think that suits us. Ricky (Wells) and I have always asked for it to be like that, and now Josh (Pickering) and Richie (Worrall) like it as well. I believe we are now almost unbeatable at home.”
Monarchs star Erik Riss reacts to the 65-25 hammering of depleted Scunthorpe on Friday, following on from a 69-point show against Redcar one week earlier to emphasise their form at Armadale.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri Aug 10 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Berwick, Sat Aug 11 (7pm)
GLASGOW
“After the first couple of heats we really did knuckle down, our gating was first-class, our riding was positive, and the team spirit was absolutely fantastic. I just want to point out that Chris Harris was a magnificent captain tonight - he was round everybody advising for every heat and he was just fantastic.”
Stand-in Tigers boss Michael Max saw his side give their play-off hopes a massive boost with a thumping away win at Newcastle on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Ipswich, Fri Aug 17 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Aug 16 (7.30)
IPSWICH
“When you are getting good results, that breeds confidence. We have been a good side all season but we didn’t perform on occasions. That is in the past now and we are looking good at the moment but we need to carry it on for every league match until the end of the season.”
Witches boss Ritchie Hawkins wants his side to maintain their momentum, with a recent win at Redcar and a draw at Peterborough firing them right back into the play-off battle.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Thur Aug 9 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Workington, Sat Aug 18 (7pm)
LAKESIDE
“We’re all really grateful for everyone’s support and while we can’t control what’s going on off track at the minute, we’re determined to make it a season to remember for success on the track.”
Hammers boss Will Pottinger says all he and the team can do is keep on winning and chase all silverware available in the face of question marks over the club’s future at Purfleet beyond the 2018 season.
NEXT HOME: Peterborough, Fri Aug 10 (8pm)
NEXT AWAY: Newcastle, Sun Aug 26 (6.30)
NEWCASTLE
“At the end of the night it’s an overwhelming feeling of frustration and extreme disappointment which accompanied us back home.”
A night were everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Diamonds, summed up by boss George English after their 35-54 home defeat to rampant Glasgow.
NEXT HOME: Workington, Sun Aug 12 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Aug 16 (7.30)
PETERBOROUGH
“It’s the biggest crowd we’ve ever had for a normal team meeting in my time here, obviously with the exception of the MCN Festival when many people are already on the site. W just want to say a massive thanks to everyone for their support, it is greatly appreciated by the promotion and the riders, and I have to say our crowds have been fantastic all season so we must be doing something right.”
The Panthers played host to a bumper crowd in Sunday’s local derby thriller with Ipswich, much to the delight of promoter Ged Rathbone.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Sun Sept 9 (5pm)
NEXT AWAY: Lakeside, Fri Aug 10 (8pm)
REDCAR
“When Tobias's head was right he scored well, particularly at home but his attitude to away fixtures wasn't right so we've moved for Nike. Tobias has been particularly unlucky with injuries in his time with the Bears, when everything is right for him he's a class act and we wish him well for the future.”
Bears promoter Kevin Keay explains the decision to release Tobias Busch and replace him with a fit-again Nike Lunna, who started the season at Peterborough.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Fri Aug 10 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Sheffield, Thur Aug 9 (7.30)
SCUNTHORPE
“At first, we thought Josh’s ankle was definitely broken. We now think maybe it isn’t broken, and Josh has tendon damage. He’s gone to hospital for a check-up. We should know more later in the week.”
Scorpions boss Dave Peet explains how the club are sweating on the fitness of Josh Auty after a crash at Workington last weekend threatens to give them yet further injury problems.
NEXT HOME: Berwick, Fri Aug 17 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Ipswich, Thur Aug 30 (7.30)
SHEFFIELD
“These past two home meetings have been very hard to swallow. But as I’ve said, we’ve made it abundantly clear that we’re not happy, now it’s down to them (the riders) to turn things around because the Sheffield supporters deserve so much better and I can only apologise on their behalf once again right now.”
Tough times at Owlerton with boss Simon Stead speaking after a second successive home defeat, this time to local rivals Scunthorpe.
NEXT HOME: Redcar, Thur Aug 9 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Redcar, Fri Aug 10 (7.30)
WORKINGTON
“It was quite a night with plenty of incident and some tremendous racing throughout, particularly from top-scorer Dan Bewley, who produced some stunning moves from the back in his final two outings.”
Comets boss Tony Jackson enjoyed the action produced by his side in their 52-38 win over Scunthorpe at Derwent Park on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Sheffield, Sat Aug 11 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Newcastle, Sun Aug 12 (6.30)
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUNDBYTES…
BELLE VUE COLTS
“I don’t think we can be disappointed because everybody tried their hardest and that’s all you can ask. If nothing else, the experience alone has been valuable to the team’s wider development.”
Colts youngster Kyle Bickley looks at the bigger picture after a heavy 28-50 defeat at top-of-the-table Mildenhall on Saturday.
NEXT HOME: Kent, Wed Aug 15 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Kent, Mon Aug 13 (6.30)
BIRMINGHAM
“Josh is a rider who has made steady progress, particularly in the last 12 months, and if he can settle somewhere then I think he has got the potential to go quite far. Hopefully that will be with Birmingham and we’re hopeful that he can make a bit of a difference down at reserve.”
Brummies boss Laurence Rogers hopes the signing of Josh Embleton will strengthen the Perry Barr side at reserve as they look to secure a National League play-off place.
NEXT HOME: Kent, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Coventry, Sun Aug 12 (3pm)
BUXTON
“Everyone put in a shift today but Mildenhall showed why they are top of the table and were most pundits’ favourites for the title at the beginning of the season. I couldn’t really have asked any more from the lads, they rode hard and there was some good racing but you could see the confidence in the Mildenhall team.”
Hitmen boss Joshua Moss admits they were on a hiding to nothing against powerhouse Mildenhall, who romped to a 58-32 win at West Row on Sunday.
NEXT HOME: Coventry, Sun Aug 19 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed Aug 15 (7.30)
COVENTRY
“Stoke is a meeting we are looking forward to, and obviously they’ve been struggling a bit. We need to beat teams like that, to be totally blunt about it, and get up the league again.”
Bees boss Martyn Macdonald knows his side face an important trip to Loomer Road on Saturday as they look to climb the table following a recent spell of inactivity.
NEXT HOME: Birmingham, Sun Aug 12 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Stoke, Sat Aug 11 (7pm)
EASTBOURNE
The Eagles are mourning the passing of former rider, manager and promoter Bob Dugard. Bob died over the weekend at the age of 76 after a battle against health issues.
NEXT HOME: Plymouth, Sat Aug 11 (7.30)
NEXT AWAY: Plymouth, Fri Aug 10 (7.15)
ISLE OF WIGHT
The Warriors hit the 60-point mark against Stoke in their last home outing to move up into the top six of the National League, with guests Danny Ayres and Tom Brennan both unbeaten by an opponent.
NEXT HOME: VMA Handicap Round 2, Tues Aug 7 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, Sat Sept 1 (7.30)
KENT
“Steve's refusal came as a shock to me personally because, in all the years I have been closely associated with him, I have never ever known him to be involved in Cannabis or the like.”
Kings promoter Len Silver reacts to No.1 Steve Boxall’s failure to take a drug test at Central Park on Monday, resulting in his disqualification from the KO Cup tie with Plymouth… which the short-handed home side still went on to win 51-39!
NEXT HOME: Belle Vue, Mon Aug 13 (6.30)
NEXT AWAY: Birmingham, Wed Aug 8 (7.30)
MILDENHALL
“Danny (Ayres) was really on fire today, after showing plenty of speed last night, and fully deserved his return and with our top five contributing fifty points between them the result was never in doubt. The last five days has seen us really strengthen our position at the top of the table, but we must not ease off.”
Promoter Kevin Jolly says the hard work continues for the Fen Tigers, who have won all ten of their National League matches so far including last Sunday’s emphatic victory at Buxton.
NEXT HOME: Stoke, Sun Aug 12 (3pm)
NEXT AWAY: Isle of Wight, Thur Aug 16 (7pm)
PLYMOUTH
“An hour had passed and the county ambulance had still not arrived. The Chief Medical Officer had to make he decision to take Tim Webster to hospital in the private ambulance on site meaning the club had no Leading Medical Officer on continue the meeting.”
Devils co-promoter Stuart Kellie explains how delays with the arrival of a county ambulance resulted in the abandonment of the home clash with Stoke after Tim Webster crashed in his first ride.
NEXT HOME: Eastbourne, Fri Aug 10 (7.15)
NEXT AWAY: Eastbourne, Sat Aug 11 (7.30)
STOKE
“It was the right decision to abandon the meeting in the end with a rider injured and needing to go to hospital, riders’ safety is important at the end of the day and no one likes to see a rider from any team getting hurt. All of us at Stoke Speedway would like to wish Tim (Webster) a speedy recovery.”
Potters boss Malcolm Vasey reacts to the abandonment of the Potters’ match at Plymouth on Friday after Devils newcomer Tim Webster required hospital treatment.
NEXT HOME: Coventry, Sat Aug 11 (7pm)
NEXT AWAY: Mildenhall, Sun Aug 12 (3pm)
MAJOR EVENTS LATEST…
ALL roads lead to Sheffield for the biggest individual event on the Championship calendar next month.
The Championship Riders' individual takes place on Sunday September 2 (5pm) - and British Speedway vice chairman Rob Godfrey says it will be as competitive as ever.
Every club will be represented by at least one rider - some will have two - with the line-up expected to be confirmed in the next few days.
And Godfrey said: "When you look at the standard of the riders in contention for this meeting it really is a mouth-watering prospect.
"I cannot pick a winner. I'm expecting every heat to be keenly contested and a big crowd I'm sure will be at Owlerton.
"There have been many memorable meetings of this nature at Sheffield down the years and this will be no different.
"When you look down the list of top riders from every club you could argue a case for any one of them to go out there and win it.
"And of course it's all about what happens over 60 seconds in the Grand Final. It's a question of nerve because we are guaranteed a last heat decider in this meeting.
"I know fans will travel from all over the country to support their riders and it should be a great atmosphere like it always is for this meeting."
Tickets for the event can be purchased in advance from http://www.sheffieldspeedway.co/ticketoffice . Prices are: Adults £20; Concessions £15 ; Children (5-15) £5; under-5s free.
BRITISH SPEEDWAY MAJOR EVENTS 2018
PREMIERSHIP RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: JASON DOYLE
BRITISH FINAL: ROBERT LAMBERT
CHAMPIONSHIP FOURS: PETERBOROUGH
CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRS: SHEFFIELD
CHAMPIONSHIP RIDERS’ INDIVIDUAL: Sheffield, September 2
PREMIERSHIP PAIRS: TBC
OTHER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DATES
BRITISH UNDER-21 SEMI-FINALS: ZACH WAJTKNECHT; JACK THOMAS
BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT LAMBERT
BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: DAN BEWLEY
BRITISH SEMI-FINALS: JASON GARRITY; RICHARD LAWSON
NATIONAL LEAGUE EVENTS
NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: TBC
NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Leicester, September 23
FIXTURE PICTURE…
TUESDAY AUGUST 7:
VMA HANDICAP ROUND 2: Isle of Wight 7pm
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Somerset v Wolverhampton 7.30, Swindon v Leicester 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Birmingham v Kent 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 9:
PREMIERSHIP: Poole v Leicester 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Berwick 7.30, Sheffield v Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 10:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, Lakeside v Peterborough 8pm, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Eastbourne 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 11:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Sheffield 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Plymouth 7.30, Stoke v Coventry 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 12:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Workington 6.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Birmingham 3pm, Mildenhall v Stoke 3pm
MONDAY AUGUST 13:
PREMIERSHIP: King’s Lynn v Wolverhampton 7.30, Leicester v Belle Vue 7.30, Poole v Somerset 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Belle Vue 6.30
FAST GOLDEN HAMMER: Cradley 7.30
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15:
PREMIERSHIP: Somerset v Belle Vue 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Kent 7.30, Birmingham v Buxton 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 16:
PREMIERSHIP: Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30
CHAMPIONSHIP: Ipswich v Glasgow 7.30, Sheffield v Newcastle 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7pm
FRIDAY AUGUST 17:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Edinburgh v Sheffield 7.30, Glasgow v Ipswich 7.30, Scunthorpe v Berwick 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Mildenhall 7.15
SATURDAY AUGUST 18:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Berwick v Peterborough 7pm, Workington v Ipswich 7pm
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Kent 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 19:
CHAMPIONSHIP: Newcastle v Peterborough 6.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Coventry 3pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: Mildenhall v Belle Vue 3pm
MONDAY AUGUST 20:
PREMIERSHIP: Belle Vue v Leicester 7.30, Somerset v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30
TRAVEL PLUS NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Plymouth 6.30
TUESDAY AUGUST 21:
CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Young Lions Select 7pm
