BIG EVENT LATEST...
INVITATIONS have gone out to riders for the Elite Open Riders’ Championship to be staged at Peterborough on October 16.The event is the last in the 2010 Super 7even series which has been a massive success both on and off the track.And series-co-ordinator David Hoggart has revealed how invitations have been sent to riders not currently racing regularly in the UK.He said: “The final event in the series will feature the top rider from each team together with invited riders from the Grand Prix series who are not currently racing in the UK.“Invitations have been despatched and the line up reveal will commence very shortly.“We are expecting an absolute cracker and of course another bumper crowd.“Peterborough is a fantastic venue for big meetings and you can purchase tickets on line at peterboroughspeedway.co.uk/onlinetickets or follow the links from the Peterborough home page.“Admission prices are the usual for Elite shared events and in line with the series policy have not been increased since the outset way back in 2007.”
THE line-up is now known for the NATIONAL LEAGUE Riders’ Championship at Rye House on Sunday, October 3.The full line-up is:James Brundle (Bournemouth), Craig Cook (Buxton), Adam Allott (Buxton), Lee Smart (Dudley), Barrie Evans (Dudley), Paul Starke (Isle of Wight), Nick Simmons (Isle of Wight), Simon Lambert (King’s Lynn), Darren Mallett (King’s Lynn), Todd Kurtz (Newport), Kyle Newman (Newport), Nicki Glanz (Plymouth), Mark Simmonds (Plymouth), Kyle Hughes (Rye House), Gary Irving (Scunthorpe), James Cockle (Weymouth).The meeting will be sponsored once again by hireacanalboat.co.uk.The NLRC will complete a special weekend at Rye House that opens the night before, Saturday, October 2 (7pm) with the staging of the National League Fours Championship. This 16 heat final will pit the Cobras against Dudley, Buxton and Bournemouth. Given the number of supporters expected in from around the country to make a full weekend of the two meetings, a special Two Day Event ticket will be on sale at the Saturday meeting, priced at £20 (no concessions) and £8 (children). Individual meeting prices will be: Adults £15, Seniors £13 and Children £5, highlighting the savings available. A combined programme will cover both meetings, priced at £2.
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST...
COVENTRY star Lewis Bridger collected double-figures in Monday's Elite League Grand Final win over Poole - and feels the Bees have the ability to defend their 12-point lead in next week's return fixture.Bridger said: "We've got to forget about the 12 points, and go there and try to win. We've got to make starts, run no last places, and look for heat advantages. "I like Poole, I had a bad one at the beginning of the year but I was terrible everywhere at that time, so I've put that one behind me. I had some really good ones there last year, so I know how to ride the place."EASTBOURNE are awaiting news of their opposition in the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup after putting rivals and holders Lakeside out of the competition.The Eagles built up a 12-point lead in their home leg and then held the Hammers to a draw at Purfleet, and they now wait for the winners of the tie between Coventry and Wolverhampton.PETERBOROUGH skipper Niels-Kristian Iversen believes the Panthers can gain some consolation for their Elite League disappointment in the Knockout Cup.Panthers face Poole in the semi-finals, and Iversen said: "We have two big meetings now in the Knockout Cup, and I think that we can win them.Obviously Poole are the best team in the league, and will probably win the league, but if we get our heads together we can cause them trouble. "We’ve got a bit of time until our next meeting so we have to regroup and hope that we can end the season on a high."POOLE boss Neil Middleditch is hopeful of reserve Jason Doyle being fit for the second leg of the Elite League Grand Final after he suffered further shoulder damage at Coventry on Monday.Middleditch said: "Jason says he’s all right and that he has a week to rest his shoulder. He did knock it again in his second fall and we’ll have to see how it is."Although a 12-point deficit is a lot, it’s not insurmountable. But the boys are going to have to show that same fighting spirit again next week from the off."SWINDON owner Terry Russell has clarified that he intended Lee Richardson to be in the Robins' plans for 2011 - until the rider submitted a transfer request.Richardson cited family and sponsor reasons for making a permanent move to Lakeside.Russell told the Swindon Advertiser: "Gary Patchett made it clear that there was no way Lee Richardson wouldn’t have a team place in 2011. He knew the day Leigh Adams retired we were bringing him back."WOLVERHAMPTON have confirmed that their next meeting at Monmore Green will be on October 11 - and depending on the outcome of their cup-tie at Coventry this week, it could be a double-header.Promoter Chris Van Straaten said: "We have Swindon in our final league meeting that night but I’m also hoping we will be running a double-header with a cup semi-final against Eastbourne on the same night.“Because of the rain-off in our cup tie at Coventry last week we haven’t got enough time to sell and promote a meeting this Monday should we get through this Thursday in the re-arranged Coventry meeting."
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST...
BERWICK star Adrian Rymel continues to make encouraging progress from serious multiple injuries, and is now walking well with a stick despite suffering spinal damage.A club spokesman said: "Obviously, he has a long, long way to go to regain full mobility. We have to remember Adrian has a broken neck, a splintered shoulder-blade and a broken wrist in addition to his severely-damaged spinal cord – but to learn of all this progress is quite superb!”BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury believes the return of Chris Kerr from long-term injury will give the Brummies a major boost ahead of two big semi-finals against Newcastle.Drury said: "Everyone knows how much we've missed Chris, and it's great tohave him back. I think we're in for two cracking speedway matches thisweek, and obviously I'm convinced that we can get through to the KO Cup Final."EDINBURGH star Andrew Tully rode in George Stancl's Farewell meeting at Newcastle on Monday - and it helped him to iron out a major machinery issue!Stand-in team manger David McAllan explained: "Andrew discovered that when he hit the fence last Friday night he had actually bent the frame. He also had a spark plug problem but was able to sort it all out during the night.Better to discover these things in a Testimonial than in a Play-off!"KING'S LYNN promoter Buster Chapman is calling on his team to finish the season on a high with success in the Young Shield - starting in their quarter-final tie with Rye House.Chapman said: "This season has felt flat after five massive years of success, but not all is lost and we should take this opportunity with both hands and finish the season off with a bang!".NEWCASTLE boss George English is bracing himself for a series of clashes with Birmingham as the Diamonds to make two more major Finals this season.English said: "We are concentrating on the Knockout Cup semi-final matches against Birmingham and, with Edinburgh choosing to race against Sheffield in the play-off semi-finals, it means we will be tackling the Brummies in that competition as well. We will be sick of the sight of each other by the end of the season, that is for sure!"REDCAR bring down the curtain on the 2010 season with an evenly-matched field doing battle for the South Tees Silver Helmet on Thursday.Promoter Brian Havelock said: "Predicting a winner of this year's Silver Helmet is a difficult task as there are so many riders who perform well at our track in the field. That makes it a great event for our fans to climax their season."RYE HOUSE had named youngster Ben Morley to make his senior debut for Wednesday's Young Shield trip to King's Lynn in place of the injured Paul Starke - but that meeting has now been postponed and re-arranged for next Wednesday.SCUNTHORPE star David Howe paid tribute to ex-Sheffield man Sean Wilson after finishing second in the weekend Premier League Riders' Championship at Owlerton.Howe said: "I've got to thank Sean a lot for the last two years as he's really saved my career from looking like an absolute novice in the middle of2008 to getting second place in the PLRC. I called him up for some help and he helped me at the time and we've just gone from strength to strength in our relationship. I've been with him two years now and I just can't thank him enough. I think he's one of the reasons I was standing on that podium today." SHEFFIELD promoter Neil Machin wants to see more major events at Owlerton next year after the roaring success of the Premier League Riders'Championship on Sunday.Machin said: "I just feel we have the facilities and the location which make Owlerton perfect for the big meetings and I would welcome the opportunity to stage the British Final here. That would pull in a massive crowd."SOMERSET are confident of overcoming Scunthorpe in their Young Shield quarter-final clash -despite Scorpions having had the better of things when the sides met earlier in the season.Promoter Debbie Hancock said: "Since then, I feel that we have become a much different proposition as our draw here against Edinburgh, the runaway League Champions, proved and I think that the fans of both teams are in for two great matches this weekend."
STOKE promoter Dave Tattum feels his side have the ability to cause an upset in their Young Shield clash with Workington this weekend.Tattum said: "On our current form I do feel we have a real good chance of beating the Comets over the two legs. They will be a difficult couple of matches but we have some confidence in the side now and hopefully we can take a lead from our home meeting up to Derwent Park for the second leg."WORKINGTON star Craig Cook escaped serious injury in a crash at Ipswich last Thursday and will be fit for the Comets' Young Shield campaign - although he will miss the home leg of the quarter-final against Stoke as he defends the National League Riders' Championship.He said: "I think the shoulder popped out of joint but it appears to have gone back in. I can’t remember much of what happened but I do recall someone saying it looked as if I’d broken something. I know I panicked when I heard that but that doesn’t appear to have been the case and I’ve got away with it."
NATIONAL LEAGUE action continues and you can find all relevant news, reports and other information in the NL section on speedwaygb.com
FIXTURE PICTURE...
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 29:PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Birmingham v Newcastle 7.30 YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Rye House OFF
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Coventry v Wolverhampton 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Sheffield v Edinburgh 7.45 TEESSIDE SILVER HELMET: Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY OCTOBER 1:YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 1st leg: Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F: Newport v King’s Lynn 7.30 SCOTTISH CUP 1st leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30CHALLENGE: Weymouth v Team Viking 7.15BRITISH SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP: Plymouth 7.15
SATURDAY OCTOBER 2:YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 1st leg: Berwick v Newport 7pm, 2nd leg: Scunthorpe v Somerset 7pm, Stoke v Workington 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Rye House 7pm
SUNDAY OCTOBER 3:PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Newcastle v Birmingham 6.30 YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 2nd leg: Workington v Stoke 7pm SCOTTISH CUP 2nd leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4pm NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House 2pm
MONDAY OCTOBER 4:ELITE LEAGUE GRAND FINAL 2nd leg: Poole v Coventry 7.30
TUESDAY OCTOBER 5:NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Dudley v Buxton (at Wolverhampton) 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 6:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 1st leg: Birmingham v Newcastle 7.30 YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 1st leg: King’s Lynn v Rye House 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 7:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Peterborough v Poole 7.30 16-LAP CLASSIC: Ipswich 7.30 KELLY MORAN TRIBUTE: Sheffield v Kelly’s Heroes 7.45
FRIDAY OCTOBER 8:YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 2nd leg: Newport v Berwick 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F: King’s Lynn v Newport 7.30 ROB WOFFINDEN MEMORIAL TROPHY: Scunthorpe 7.30CHALLENGE: Plymouth v USA Touring Team 7.30
SUNDAY OCTOBER 10:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFF S/F 2nd leg: Newcastle v Birmingham 6pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Sheffield 4pm YOUNG SHIELD Q/F 2nd leg: Rye House v King’s Lynn 2pm NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Buxton v Dudley 3pm
MONDAY OCTOBER 11:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Wolverhampton v Swindon 7.30CHALLENGE: Belle Vue v USA Touring Team 7.30
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 13:ELITE LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Poole v Peterborough 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Newcastle 7.30
THURSDAY OCTOBER 14:CHALLENGE: Ipswich v USA Touring Team 7.30
