(SPEEDWAY 1)
LAKESIDE boss Jon Cook is calling on his team to up their game away from home when the Hammers visit Belle Vue on Monday.The Purfleet side suffered defeats at both new Elite League clubs, King's Lynn and Birmingham, last week and Cook says he is backing his riders to show their true form.Cook said: "There are no excuses to offer for the performances and our problems are most acute within the top five where each rider has yet to find any real consistency, and that is not what we expected when we built the team in this manner."The boys are fully aware that this has to be turned around quickly but we have confidence in them to do it as all of them have shown their true capabilities in at least one meeting so far this season. The key is for them all to hit form together."
(SPEEDWAY 2)
BERWICK star Josef Franc went through the card with a 15-point maximum as the Bandits collected a 54-36 win over Scunthorpe.The home side did, though, pick up two injury concerns with Hynek Stichauer somehow racing on in Heat 8 despite dislocating his shoulder before the race - whilst Tamas Sike crashed heavily in his third ride and suffered facial lacerations.Bandits boss Ian Rae said: "It was a night for heroic performances, and I still cannot believe that Hynek took two very good points when his left shoulder was flapping about loose like that and in so much pain - amazing stuff."But with his injury and Tamas out of action for this week, it has left us with a headache in chocking up the side for Sunday afternoon's blast at Glasgow."
(SPEEDWAY 3)
JOSH Auty and Jerran Hart are both through to the World Under-21 semi-finals after coming through Sunday's qualifier in Germany.Auty won the Herxheim event, defeating Dennis Andersson in a run-off for overall meeting victory, whilst Hart made it through with ten points. Kyle Newman picked up the reserve position, and Joe Haines missed out by just one point.GB coach Phil Morris said: "All four British riders did their country proud, Josh had a fantastic meeting to come out first, and Jerran put a disappointing British Under-21 Final behind him to qualify with a solid performance."We are very pleased to already have two riders in the semi plus a first reserve, with Steve Worrall yet to race his qualifying round in the Ukraine."
(SPEEDWAY 4)
SWINDON will have two new riders in their team for a busy run of three Elite League meetings in three days this week.The Robins have signed Danish duo Nicolai Klindt and Jesper B Monberg as replacements for the injured Grzegorz Zengota and fellow Pole Tomasz Chrzanowski, who has been released.Co-promoter Gary Patchett said: "We are delighted to finally be in a position to track a seven-man team, we are just sorry it has taken so long but this had been beyond our control."It's never nice releasing a rider so early in the season but Tomasz has struggled and so reluctantly we have let him go. We wish him well for the future and hopefully now we can all move on and our season starts here."
(SPEEDWAY 5)
NEWCASTLE have announced the signing of experienced Slovenian star Matej Ferjan as a replacement for the injured Rene Bach.Ferjan will join the Diamonds in time for their trip to Glasgow on Easter Sunday, before making his home debut in the televised return fixture the following evening.Newcastle boss George English said: "Getting a class act like Matej on board is a major coup for the Diamonds and it really only brings a very long wait to an end as had it not been for an error or average some seven years ago Matej would have already ridden for us."It's a very special appointment for us and the rider himself, and I can tell you Matej is as keen as any rider I've met to get racing this season."
(SPEEDWAY 6)
MILDENHALL'S new era opened up with a dramatic last-race win over Dudley in front of a big crowd at West Row.The Fen Tigers' first National League fixture turned out to be a thriller, with James Brundle delighting the home fans with a crucial last heat win over Adam Roynon and Barrie Evans to give Mildenhall a 45-44 victory.Manager Rob Henry said: "I'm thrilled for the team, the fans and of course the promotion who have worked so hard to bring Mildenhall back to life. All the boys played their part and came up with the heat wins when we needed them."Beating the title favourites shows everyone we are back and we mean business! That final ride from James was simply brilliant and shows why we made him captain. He did exactly what I needed him to do and I can ask for no more than that."
(FIXTURES)
MONDAY APRIL 18:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 7.30, Wolverhampton v Eastbourne 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
WEDNESDAY APRIL 20:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Swindon 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: King's Lynn v Mildenhall 7.30
THURSDAY APRIL 21:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Birmingham 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Newport 7.30, Sheffield v Ipswich 7.45
FRIDAY APRIL 22:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Wolverhampton 1pm, Birmingham v Swindon 7.30, Coventry v Peterborough 8pm, Eastbourne v Lakeside 7.45, King's Lynn v Poole 7pm, Lakeside v Eastbourne 1pm, Peterborough v Coventry 11am PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Leicester 7.30, Ipswich v Sheffield 2.30, Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Hackney v Stoke (at Lakeside) (follows EL fixture)
