(SPEEDWAY 1)
MARK Lemon romped to a stunning 18-point maximum as Newcastle ended Rye House's long unbeaten Premier League run with a 56-34 win on Tyneside.Lemon had good support from Rene Bach with 13+2 in a solid all-round team performance.Boss George English said: "This was Rye House's first defeat in nine league outings so our win is something to be proud of. As for Mark's maximum, absolutely excellent."
(SPEEDWAY 2)
STOKE star Jason Bunyan is a fortnight away from returning from injury after a fitness test at Loomer Road over the weekend.Bunyan, along with fellow injury victim Taylor Poole, were put through their paces with a trip to Birmingham coming up on Wednesday - and Poole will make it.Bunyan said: "I'm feeling a lot better than I was but I'm not quite right at the moment and it will be a couple more weeks before I'm ready to ride in league action."It was good to be able to get onto the bike and ride but I'm not quite there."
(SPEEDWAY 3)COVENTRY skipper Chris Harris retained his British title in an incident-packed national final at Wolverhampton.Harris got the better of his great rival Scott Nicholls in the Final having picked himself up from two spectacular crashes earlier in the meeting.Harris's Bees' team-mate Ben Barker enjoyed one of the best nights of his career with third place, whilst Daniel King made it all the way from a pre-meeting run-off to finish fourth.Harris said: "I've been through the pain barrier tonight, but it paid off to win the Final, and it's worth every bit of pain."It was good to make it off gate three because Scott was fast all night. It was just like last year with coming through the semi, but it paid off in the end. I've got to enjoy this result and then move on to the next meeting."Nicholls' second place was enough to book the Wild Card slot for next month's British Grand Prix - but the five-time champion admitted that was some way from the forefront of his mind at this stage.He said: "I'm really disappointed, I was focused on getting the win and I felt I could have done it, but it wasn't to be."I was on the pace with Chris but you can't give him a head-start to the first corner. Once I settle down I'm sure I will look forward to Cardiff, but right now it's not a concern to me. Credit where credit's due, Chris rode well tonight."
(SPEEDWAY 3)SPEEDWAY riders are being asked to get behind Barry Briggs in his efforts to raise £120,000 for crippled colleagues, as he tours the country on his marathon charity motorcycle ride for former racers. British Champion Chris Harris was amongst the first riders to endorse the new scheme as the 75 year old, four-times World Champion, launched a new initiative at the British Final last night.Briggo explained: “We are asking every rider, across all three leagues in the UK, to donate a point of earnings into the fund. The whole speedway community is getting behind me now and we have had a great response from fans, sponsors, suppliers and friends everywhere, but this is a mechanism for the riders themselves to make a difference."I know that they will be considerate of their former colleagues who have been less fortunate than themselves and by donating a point they will be making their point to the wheelchair boys that they are not forgotten. "We will be approaching promoters at each track to ask them to gather the riders’ donations and send them into the fund on their behalf. The money will directly benefit the twelve ex-riders with a percentage also going to Sport Relief."Briggo’s ride continues southward this week as he visits as many tracks as possible before crossing the finishing line at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on the10th July.
To learn more about his incredible journey, visit his website at briggo.net where you can follow the riders' lead and donate to the fund yourself online. You can also send £5 by texting briggo to 70700 from your mobile phone.
(FIXTURES)TUESDAY JUNE 15:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Newport 7.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 16:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Birmingham v Stoke 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP: King’s Lynn v Bournemouth 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 17:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Wolverhampton 7.45, Ipswich v Swindon 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Workington 7.45
FRIDAY JUNE 18:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Redcar 7.30, Newport v Glasgow 7pm, Somerset v Berwick 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Plymouth v Weymouth 7.30
