(SPEEDWAY 1)
GREAT Britain will lock horns with Australia in a three-match Test series inJune - the first full team events between the rivals since 2005.The first test will take place at Poole on Wednesday, June 1, followed bySwindon the next night and the third and final test at Lakeside on Friday,June 3.Advance ticket prices for all three meetings are as follows: £35 adults, £30concessions and £10 children. They will be available online atlakesidehammers.co from next Monday.British Speedway chairman Alex Harkess said: "I am delighted to see thereturn of a Test series and I am sure both nations will be desperate to winit. The advance ticket prices are a bargain and all three tracks are withincommutable distance for people to perhaps make a short break of it bystaying overnight."
(SPEEDWAY 2)
ELITE League clubs are finalising their revised fixture lists with thesport's top flight now consisting of ten teams following the returns ofCoventry and Peterborough.Each team will still race 28 matches ahead of the top four qualifying forthe play-offs, which means clubs have submitted a ranked order of preferencefor the rivals they wish to meet home and away once rather than twice.The final list will see each team racing home and away twice against five oftheir rivals, and home and away once against the other four.Management Committee member Jon Cook said: "The picks couldn't be totallyrandom because it would be totally unfair for a club to miss out on theplay-offs because they have randomly come up against harder teams."Each of the promoters and team managers had a proper input into which clubsthey went for, and that was fairer. It means there isn't a huge amount ofchange to the dates we've given our riders."
(SPEEDWAY 3)
BELLE Vue have moved to sign Polish rider Dawid Stachyra as a replacementfor his fellow countryman Tomasz Piszcz.25-year-old Stachyra, who rode for Ipswich in the last two seasons, willmake his Aces debut in the home clash with Lakeside on Monday.Manager Jim Lynch said: "Dawid was highly recommended by Ipswich promoterJohn Louis and team manager Pete Simmons so we moved very quickly to bringhim in. I have looked at his averages since he first came to England and heis a rider who has kept making progress."We need two solid reserves at the bottom end of the team. Craig Cook hasbeen doing well for us but Piszcz wasn't giving him the level of support weneeded."
(SPEEDWAY 4)
SOMERSET'S remarkable start to the season continued as the Rebels maintainedtheir unbeaten Premier League record with a dramatic win at Sheffield The47-43 victory at Owlerton followed on a week after their success at Ipswich,and was secured in the last race when Christian Hefenbrock and TravisMcGowan secured a vital 3-3, despite the efforts of home pair Shane Parkerand Josh Auty.Promoter Debbie Hancock said: "Obviously it is still early days yet andthere is a lot of the season still to go, but we couldn't have asked for abetter start than this. "Once again everyone in the team played their part in making this victorypossible and I am extremely proud of each and every one one of them, andthat includes our team managers, Steve Bishop and Garry May, who made someastute decisions tonight with the rider replacement rides and reservechanges."
(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY APRIL 16:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Poole 7.30
PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick vScunthorpe 7pm, Leicester v Newcastle 7.30, Rye House v Newport 7pm,Workington v Redcar 7pmCHALLENGE: Stoke v Scunthorpe 7.30, Northern Select v USA Touring Team (at Workington) (follows PL fixture)
SUNDAY APRIL 17:
PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Berwick 4pm, Newcastle v Leicester 6.30
NATIONALLEAGUE: Mildenhall v Dudley 4.30, Newport v Stoke 2.30
CHALLENGE: Buxton v USA Touring Team 3pm
MONDAY APRIL 18:
SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 7.30, Wolverhampton vEastbourne 7.30
TUESDAY APRIL 19:
NATIONAL SHIELD 1st leg: Dudley v Buxton 7.30
PETE REDFERN MEMORIAL TROPHY:Isle of Wight v Sittingbourne Select 7.30
