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SCOTT Nicholls has underlined his determination to regain the British Championship title at Wolverhampton next month.Five-times winner Nicholls has seen great rival Chris Harris take the trophy in each of the last two seasons, and he is desperate to turn the tables at Monmore Green on June 6 – scene of two of Harris’s three titles.
Competitors also have the added incentive of a Wild Card place for the British Grand Prix at Cardiff, as the highest finisher apart from GP regular Harris will take a spot at the Millennium Stadium showpiece.
Nicholls took that berth last year having finished second to Harris, and Edward Kennett is another man who has enjoyed GP racing at Cardiff thanks to the Wild Card.But Nicholls insists his main priority is the British title itself, especially after the disappointment of missing out in 2010 when he had looked the likely winner during the qualifying races.
He said: “It’s not about getting to Cardiff for me, it’s about becoming British Champion.“The national title means so much and everyone wants to be champion of their nation. It’s not just the British Final, you can ask the Danes, the Poles and the Swedes, they all place a high priority on their national championship.
“I’m determined to go all the way but we all know the race for the title comes down to four laps in the final.”Organisers will finalise the line-up following the completion of the two semi-finals at Sheffield and Scunthorpe – the Scunthorpe event having been delayed by a week due to a rain-off at the Eddie Wright Raceway.The top seven riders in each of the two semi-finals qualify for the British Final, and there are then two Wild Card places to be determined which will complete the line-up.
*BRITISH Youth speedway organiser Phil Morris has reflected on a hugely successful start to the 2011 championship at Newport last Sunday.An impressive total of 39 riders took part across the three different categories, with Nathan Stoneman (500cc), Nathan Greaves (250cc) and Henry Atkins (125cc) taking the overall victories.Morris said: “I thought the day ran very well, the riders all listened and made it run smoothly and I was very proud to have helped get double the amount of riders we have ever had in a meeting. Hopefully this is the start of the new British Speedway conveyer belt of talent.“The 250cc was definitely the class which had most of the crowd talking, and the Final was a race that will take a lot of beating. If we are to see a better race this season in any form of speedway then I will be surprised!”
SUPER7EVEN SERIES SPEEDWAY GB EVENTSBRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: POOLEBRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton, June 6PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, June 24PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Leicester, August 7 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 25 ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, October 15
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BELLE VUE boss Jim Lynch admits crunch time is approaching for recent signing Dawid Stachyra, who has struggled to make an impact for the Aces so far.Lynch said: “I have no doubt he’s got the talent because he has shown it in the past but he must start producing it for us very quickly.“There has been a lot of problems in Poland over silencers and that could be an important element in Dawid’s problems. We are giving him time because we still think he’s a better rider than he’s showing at the moment.”BIRMINGHAM star Krzysztof Kasprzak could be back with the Perry Barr club in time for their next fixture – with his controversial ban instigated in Poland set to be lifted.Brummies boss Graham Drury said: “I need it in writing because of what has happened here. I won't allow Birmingham Speedway to be treated like this and that's why we need written confirmation from both KK and his club."That way, if the situation changes again then we have it in writing and we can prove it's wrong. I still maintain what his Polish club did was illegal and it put KK in a very awkward position.”COVENTRY skipper Edward Kennett admitted his frustration with finishing last Thursday’s match at Birmingham with two last places having previously shown good form.Kennett said: “I’m disappointed in myself because I had three good rides and then went the other way and had two disastrous ones at the end, which does seem to happen to me.“It happened last year and it’s something I need to get out of. I’ve got to work harder on the last couple of rides in the meeting because I can’t get three wins and then run two stone-lasts, it’s not good for me.”EASTBOURNE are contemplating some Saturday afternoon fixtures in order to avoid racing on weekends when several riders would be missing – as was the case in their recent home defeat against King’s Lynn.Co-promoter Trevor Geer said: “One thought we have is running on Saturday afternoons on Grand Prix days. An early start gives people time to watch the GP in the evening.“Those GPs on TV are a big draw for people. We have seen how popular they are in the past when we have run against them. But we definitely want to avoid running when we are missing two or three riders.”LAKESIDE co-promoter Jon Cook has confirmed the club’s signing of Robert Mear on a full-time basis from Rye House is very much with a view to Mear enjoying a long-term future with the Hammers.Cook said: “I am sure each and every Hammers fan will be as delighted with this news as we and Robert are. “Our season hasn't really got started yet but he has been a huge positive and it’s important that we tied this deal up now so we can add to the English quota of our retained list with an asset who we hope will go on to lead the team in years to come.”KING’S LYNN have handed an Elite League opportunity to Berwick’s Lee Complin as one of their doubling-up riders following the recent injury to Morten Risager.Stars boss Rob Lyon said: “Lee has always been a rider I have kept a close eye on and I think his all action style will suit the Elite League, and it is great to have him on board.“At the start of the season I didn’t feel that Sam (Masters) was ready to be in the main body of the team but after a few meetings in to the new season it was clear that he had pushed on and will be able to handle the number two position without a problem.”PETERBOROUGH boss Trevor Swales claims popular Polish rider Krzysztof Buczkowski will be one of the key men as the Panthers look to make use of their matches in hand.Swales said: “He was brilliant at home throughout last season but, by his own admission, he struggled at most of the away tracks. But there’s no reason why he can’t get a lot of points on the smaller tracks because he’s good enough to do it.“His personal goal this season is to improve his away performances – this is the ideal time for him to start doing that.”POOLE skipper Davey Watt says club No.1 Chris Holder, who won the weekend Swedish Grand Prix, is becoming a major player on the world stage.Watt said: “He has gone from hoping to score a handful of points in the GPs to now expecting semi-finals and finals.“He is a far different rider to what he was last year and without a doubt he has cemented himself as one of the top riders in the world. Guys are going to have to look at him now and think ‘this is going to be a hard race because I am against Chris Holder.’”SWINDON boss Ronnie Russell says the Robins’ recent run of results have allowed the belief to come back into the Blunsdon team.Russell said: “Every single match is hard, but it’s better for us now in that we’re confident.“We’ve been lucky because everyone is firing, but you only need one rider to have an off-night and it makes it very difficult to cover, so it’s very important they maintain their form.” WOLVERHAMPTON boss Peter Adams believes the injury absence of Tai Woffinden has cost his side several points on the road, the Monmore men having battled hard to keep things close in several recent away meetings.Adams said: “It’s hurting us without Tai. We have run Coventry, Swindon and now Lakeside close on their own track since we have been without Tai and I believe we could have won all three meetings if we had a fully fit Tai.“We could have got so much more from them, but we have to be pleased to pinch a point at Swindon and a point at Lakeside.”
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BERWICK’S clash with Leicester on Saturday will see the club offering free admission to any supporters named Smith – to coincide with the worldwide ‘International Day of the Smiths’ which falls on the same day, and with the Bandits having Australian star Kozza Smith in their ranks.Smith said: “I will be intrigued to find out how many of my namesakes will be here to watch us skidding – and with Leicester Lions in town, featuring two pretty amazing Russian riders, I think there’ll be plenty going on to keep the family entertained!”EDINBURGH promoter Alex Harkess said the Monarchs were rueing errors as they lost out in a tense Cup struggle with Sheffield – despite a big comeback effort after losing by 28-points at Owlerton.Harkess said: “We gave it our best shot but we could not afford to make any mistakes, and on the night both sides made a few. Ours cost us.”GLASGOW co-promoter Stewart Dickson says the Tigers’ Cup win over Leicester last weekend keeps them very much on course to enjoy a strong season.Dickson said: “Hopefully we will be back to full strength for Redcar on Thursday, and if that is the case then I am hopeful that we can put up a good show there and take some points. I am confident that we are still heading very much in the right direction and this team is capable of doing things this season.”IPSWICH boss Pete Simmons is looking to bring in a temporary replacement for Morten Risager, who looks set to be out for six weeks with a badly damaged little finger.Simmons said: “We’ll be seeing if we can bring someone in until Morten recovers. He has had a wire put into his finger, and has to have it there for a month. It then depends on how much movement he has as to when he will be able to return.”LEICESTER promoter David Hemsley is delighted to be running a full seven-man team once again having signed Mathieu Tresarrieu to replace the injured Ilya Bondarenko, the Frenchman making his debut against Glasgow last weekend.Hemsley said: “Mathieu made an immediate impact, and I think we can see that he is going to be a very exciting rider for the Lions. He has a proven pedigree at this level, and the last time he raced in the Premier League for Redcar he returned an average of 7.50.”NEWCASTLE boss George English admitted the Diamonds’ KO Cup defeat of Rye House had been a little too close for comfort – despite their draw at Hoddesdon it the first leg.English said: “The lads gave us an unnecessary bout of nerves mid-match with too many points going to Rye House, but thankfully their class shone through again and we got the undoubted result we deserved by progressing to meet Somerset in the next round. Maybe next time they will eliminate the tense heart-in-your-mouth moments.”NEWPORT have completed a hectic week of team changes with the signing of Jason Doyle as their new No.1, whilst Mark Jones gets a recall at reserve as Kim Nilsson and Alex Davies make way.Owner Steve Mallett said: “Kim had indicated that he would be missing for several fixtures and I felt that I had to act because we need to be firing on all cylinders in order to pull our season around. Jason became available after recently covering for Steve Boxall at Rye House and he is clearly a class act at Premier League level.”PLYMOUTH promoter Mike Bowden insists his side will be unfazed by the prospect of facing two of the Premier League’s top three teams – Ipswich away and Workington at home – on successive nights this week.Bowden said: “We are up against two of the best teams in the Premier League, but we can take heart from our 47-43 home win over top of the table Somerset in the second leg of the Knockout Cup last Saturday evening.”REDCAR promoter Brian Havelock believes Glasgow’s Michal Rajkowski will be the man to watch out for when the Tigers visit Teesside this week.Havelock said: “They have a secret weapon in Rajkowski, whose performances at our circuit have been awesome. He won his first four races on his debut here in 2006 and then last season he logged a paid nineteen score for Berwick! Certainly one rider we have to contain.”RYE HOUSE boss John Sampford was in upbeat mood following the Rockets’ 50-38 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday, having given the Diamonds a real scare in the Knockout Cup.Sampford said: “You could argue that we lost the tie by not gaining an advantage from our home leg, but to come here, trail by ten points and then fight back to lead with just three races remaining says a lot about the character of the team. Despite the result, it’s been a strong confidence booster for our clash with top of the League Somerset on Saturday.” SCUNTHORPE manager Richard Hollingsworth says his side are still in with a chance of Cup progression after a 55-35 defeat at Ipswich – a major improvement on their last trip to Foxhall.Hollingsworth said: “Of course we are second favourites but we do know that on our day we can beat any side well at home. At least we gave ourselves a chance. Anything can happen in this game and we’ll be giving it everything.”SHEFFIELD skipper Ricky Ashworth says his move back to No.1 in the Sheffield riding order was not necessarily something he was expecting given the good form elsewhere in the Tigers’ line-up.Ashworth said: “I’m pretty pleased with the way things have been going but I admit I’m surprised to be top of the Sheffield averages. Josh (Auty) and Shane (Parker) have been going good as well so I thought one of them might be top but it’s a fair indication that I’ve made a good start to the season.”SOMERSET boss Steve Bishop admitted he couldn’t quite explain the Rebels’ sluggish start to their Cup-tie against Plymouth, before the league leaders extended their advantage in the second half of the first leg and then confirmed progression the following day.Bishop said: “For some reason it just didn’t happen for us in those opening heats, but then the boys suddenly clicked into another gear and there was just no stopping us.”WORKINGTON star Kenny Ingalls secured his first-ever paid maximum in British speedway in the Comets’ win over Redcar – an achievement made more special as he has just returned from long-term injury.Ingalls said: “I am over the moon with my performance and I felt great out there. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me as it has given me a real confidence boost and cheered the crowd up as well.”
FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY MAY 18:NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Newport 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 19:BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Sheffield 7.45SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Plymouth 7.30, Redcar v Glasgow 7.30
FRIDAY MAY 20:BRITISH SEMI-FINAL: Scunthorpe 7.30SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Lakeside 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Newport 7.30, Plymouth v Workington 7.30
SATURDAY MAY 21:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v King’s Lynn 7.45 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Leicester 7pm, Newport v Sheffield 7pm, Rye House v Somerset 7pm, Workington v Ipswich 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Mildenhall 7.30
SUNDAY MAY 22:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Scunthorpe 4pm, Leicester v Berwick 7pm
MONDAY MAY 23:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v King’s Lynn 7.30, Eastbourne v Peterborough 7.30 ELITE SHIELD 2nd leg: Wolverhampton v Poole 7.30
TUESDAY MAY 24:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Belle Vue 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 25:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Coventry 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 26:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Birmingham 7.30, Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Newport 7.30, Redcar v Newcastle 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Sheffield v Buxton 7pm, Sheffield v Stoke (follows previous fixture)
FRIDAY MAY 27: PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Rye House 7.30, Plymouth v Scunthorpe 7.30, Somerset v Leicester 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Hackney v Dudley (at Lakeside) 8pm
SATURDAY MAY 28:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Glasgow 7pm, Newport v Plymouth 7pm, Workington v Rye House 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Sheffield 7.30CHALLENGE: Leicester v Birmingham 7.30
SUNDAY MAY 29:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Sheffield 4pm, Newcastle v Redcar 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4.30CHALLENGE: Birmingham v Leicester 6.30
MONDAY MAY 30:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Poole 7.30, Peterborough v King’s Lynn 4.30, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Workington 2pm, Scunthorpe v Plymouth 5pm NATIONAL LEAGUE: Newport v Mildenhall 2.30, Scunthorpe v Dudley (follows PL fixture)
TUESDAY MAY 31:PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Sheffield 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Hackney 7.30
WEDNESDAY JUNE 1:TEST MATCH: Great Britain v Australia (at Poole) 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Dudley 7.30 ASHLEY JONES MEMORIAL: King’s Lynn 7.30
