BIG EVENT LATEST... CHRIS Harris is chasing a hat-trick of British titles, and a fourth in total, when he defends his crown at Wolverhampton on Monday June 6. Having won two of his three championships at Monmore Green, in 2007 and 2010, Harris will head to the Black Country venue in positive mood, but he is aware that there are several potential threats to his title. Perennial rival Scott Nicholls will be desperate to add a sixth victory to his catalogue of success in the event, and several of the younger brigade have serious aspirations of top honours. Harris said: “There are a lot of other riders who can win the title so it’s going to be tough, the line-up is pretty impressive I feel. “Riders like Scotty (Nicholls), Lee (Richardson), Eddie (Kennett) and of course Tai (Woffinden) on his home track will all go into the meeting thinking they have a chance of winning it. “I think with Tai a lot will depend on how fit he is after his shoulder injury but he’s a great rider around Wolverhampton so he could be in contention for the title. He wasn’t in the meeting last season so he’s another threat to the rest of us. “But I’ll go into the meeting concentrating on my own racing and we will see how it goes for me. It’s all down to one race and that makes it an exciting finish. My first priority is to make the final to give me a chance of retaining the title.” Woffinden was a high-profile absentee from the 2010 event, having been on the podium in the previous two seasons, but he secured a Wild Card for this year’s showpiece after spending the last month on the sidelines with a broken shoulder. He said: “It’s awesome news for me because, believe it or not, I never actually expected it, I just hoped. Even though I’m a Wolves rider, I never took it for granted that I would get a wildcard. “Now I have the opportunity to show what I can do once again and after winning the British Under-21 Final I would love to win the British Final and make it a double. The chance to ride at Cardiff again would be awesome as well. “But it’s a hard meeting, a really tough line-up with all the top guys and they will take some stopping, but I know the track really well and hopefully I can take advantage of that.” The other Wild Card entry went to Sheffield and Coventry youngster Josh Auty, whose heartbreak at missing out on a British Final debut due to chain problems in the semi-final quickly turned to delight over his nomination. He said: “I know the decision to hand me a Wild Card will raise a few eyebrows but I’m just delighted with the news. I didn't expect to get this chance so I was quite shocked. “I couldn’t stop smiling when I had the call to tell me about it and I’m determined to put on a good show, score a few points and surprise a few people.”

 BRITISH FINAL LINE-UP: Tai Woffinden, Lewis Bridger, Daniel King, David Howe, Scott Nicholls, Ben Wilson, Jordan Frampton, Stuart Robson, Richard Hall, Edward Kennett, Ben Barker, Josh Auty, Leigh Lanham, Chris Harris, Lee Richardson, Ricky Ashworth.

 SUPER7EVEN SERIES SPEEDWAY GB EVENTS

 BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: TAI WOFFINDEN ELITE LEAGUE PAIRS: POOLE BRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton, June 6 PREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, June 24 PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Leicester, August 7 PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, September 25 ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, October 15 ELITE LEAGUE LATEST… BELLE VUE gave their season a major boost with a 49-41 win at Swindon to secure only the third maximum-points away victory by any Elite League side so far this year. Aces boss Jim Lynch said: “It was fantastic to take the full four points against a good team like Swindon and I was very proud of them. Our heads went down a bit when Swindon got a 5-1 advantage in Heat 10 but (Chris) Harris and (Rory) Schlein really lifted the boys in the run-in. “I was pleased with them all but Patrick Hougaard deserves special mention. He injured an eye in a fall and thought he might have to pull out but he responded when I asked him to take his last two rides and he scored crucial points.” BIRMINGHAM boss Graham Drury felt the Heat 14 crash which saw Ales Dryml ruled out cost the Brummies the chance of taking points from Peterborough last Thursday. Drury said: “It was a frustrating night all-round really because up until Heat 10 we were in the driving seat, and even in the Heat 14 when Ales got injured we had gated on a 5-1 which would have put us in a great position to get at least a point out of the meeting, and maybe more than that. “The accident was no fault whatsoever of Ales, but the injuries have been confirmed as a broken rib and a punctured lung, and he has also done damage to his shoulder.” COVENTRY manager Alun Rossiter was pleased with the debut of Russian star Emil Sayfutdinov, who scored twelve points at King’s Lynn last Wednesday, but less than happy with the result as the Bees went down 40-50. Rossiter said: “I really felt we should have got something out of that meeting, and a couple of the riders really need to start picking up their games. ”When (Niels-Kristian) Iversen crashed out, that should have given us an even better chance but in fairness to them, they raised their game like we should have done, but we didn’t.” EASTBOURNE skipper Cameron Woodward will be hoping for better fortune when the Eagles entertain King’s Lynn on Saturday, having gone down to their only home defeat of the season with a weakened side against the Stars in early May. Woodward said: “We lost and I was terrible. I shouldn’t have ridden but my dream was to help Eastbourne, prove I was fit and ride in the longtrack GP qualifier the next day. I pulled out of the longtrack in the end. “It was a real shame what happened to us against King’s Lynn but I can’t bear all the fault for that. We had three riders missing.” KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon was in bullish mood after the Stars overcame injury to Niels-Kristian Iversen to get the better of Coventry 50-40 at the Norfolk Arena last Wednesday. Lyon said: “It’s getting there, the boys are working well and they are enjoying their speedway. That’s the main part. If they can do that and keep riding well, then there is no reason we should fear anybody at home. “Kenneth (Bjerre) was fantastic obviously, but the team spirit was awesome. Everybody was helping out and I feel we’re nearly there with it now.” LAKESIDE owner Stuart Douglas says the selection of Hammers youngster Robert Mear for Great Britain will provide one of the big highlights of Friday’s Test match against Australia at Purfleet. Douglas said: “I am sure this selection will give everyone at the club great pride. To see a young Hammers rider having made such a mark in such a short space of time is amazing, and I can’t wait to see him in full flow around our Raceway with the Union Jack on his chest.” PETERBOROUGH have heaped praise on Polish youngster Kacper Gomolski for turning out in their win over Birmingham on Thursday – arriving at Stansted at 5pm after a compulsory practice session in his own country earlier in the day. Panthers boss Trevor Swales said: “It was an amazing effort by Kacper – as soon as we explained we couldn’t have a facility if he was missing he went out of his way to make sure he got to England in time for our meeting. “People sometimes claim that foreign riders don’t put their British clubs first but ‘Ginger’ is certainly not one of those.” POOLE promoter Matt Ford says Swedish GP star Antonio Lindback, still an asset of the Pirates, could come into contention if they were to suffer a short-term injury to one of their top riders this season. Ford said: “It’s always good to see Anton doing well, although unfortunately he has decided not to come back to race in the UK. “I’ve tried on more than one occasion to get him back to Poole. And I still feel if we need someone on a three or four-week basis, Anton would be happy to come and help out the Pirates.” SWINDON skipper Simon Stead is looking to put the frustration of an injury-hit season behind him and lead the Robins to improved fortunes over the coming weeks. Stead said: “It’s been a nightmare for me so far this season, and the best thing I can do now is go out there and pile up the points for Swindon. “We’re a good team and I really hope we can go on a good run. There is still time for us to stage a big push for a play-off place, and that has to be the aim of everyone at the club.” WOLVERHAMPTON owner Chris Van Straaten is delighted to once again be hosting the British Final at Monmore Green on Monday after two successful stagings in recent years. Van Straaten said: “We are proud and honoured to be staging the British Final and we feel sure it will be a fine night of racing. “It’s a good line-up and the riders will be very passionate about trying to win the title as well as that much sought after place at Cardiff.” PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST… BERWICK boss Ian Rae is excited by the prospect of Sebastian Alden joining the club, with the Swedish star set to make his debut in place of the released Charlie Gjedde on Saturday. Rae said: “He’s a true racer, of the sort the border fans love to cheer on and whilst he will be thrust into the heavy action against Sheffield next week we have every confidence in him to handle things, and once he’s become used to the track he should be a versatile scorer capable of battling with the best.” EDINBURGH star Andrew Tully expects the reigning champions to gain in strength as the season goes on, with their recent changes having made a positive impact. Tully said: “The team is better now because we are now getting points at reserve, and that wasn’t the case to begin with, and I think that’s where the inconsistency stemmed from.” GLASGOW manager Stewart Dickson was full of praise for his depleted team as they came away with a 46-44 away win at Berwick – their second such result on the road, and their third away win in all this season. Dickson said: “This was a very special performance from the team. The way we overcame the absence of Nick (Morris) and the lesser abilities of Joe (Screen) due to his injury was quite amazing. I felt we could win this meeting but have to do it with only four fit riders was something else.” IPSWICH star Morten Risager admits he may well miss most of June and July as he continues his recovery from a serious finger injury. Risager said: “I am due to have the wire removed from my finger in a week, but recovery may take up to eight weeks. But I hope to be back earlier.” LEICESTER promoter David Hemsley has confirmed that Russian rider Ilya Bondarenko will require at least a further fortnight before he is fit enough to resume Premier League racing. Hemsley said: “The challenge match (against Birmingham) gave us an opportunity to put him in for a few rides to see how he went, and when it was a bit grippier early on he found it difficult. The bike was pulling around underneath him quite a bit, and he needed the track to slicken off until he could really give us four laps.” NEWCASTLE boss George English said the continued improvement of Claes Nedermark gave the Diamonds some consolation after suffering a local derby defeat at the hands of Redcar. English said: “Claes was exceptional taking three brilliant wins, proving he could be a big star over here and we’re looking forward to more in the future. As for the result, well we’ll forget that one now and move onwards and upwards and remind the Bears revenge is sweet – beware!” NEWPORT promoter Steve Mallett admits he wishes he had completed a move for recent signing Justin Sedgmen in time for the start of the season. Mallett said: “Sedgy has been a revelation so far for us, and after seeing this form we do regret not going with him during the winter. Both home and away he has been superb and I know the move has done his confidence the world of good.” PLYMOUTH promoter Mike Bowden says the Devils have received a huge lift by taking their first Premier League win of the season against Scunthorpe last Friday. Bowden said: “Ben Barker and Jesper Kristiansen were outstanding for us, but all the boys contributed points and it was a tremendous boost for us to get our first league win under our belts. That will now give us confidence for our next home match on Friday when we will be looking to beat Glasgow on our own track and reverse the defeat we suffered at their place.” REDCAR are looking to build on their impressive win at Newcastle last weekend when they face home and away clashes with Sheffield this week, with the home meeting on Friday. Bears boss Brian Havelock said: “It was a good all-round performance at Brough Park with Matej Kus top of the pile having only arrived at the last moment following his flight from Prague. Also Lubos Tomicek made a sound debut and we look to have a strong opening pairing in Jason Lyons and Lubos. The Tigers will be formidable opposition, however.”  RYE HOUSE skipper Chris Neath has hailed the team spirit in the Rockets’ camp and says the seven riders are united in their desire to succeed for the club. Neath said: “I just want everyone to know this team, no matter what’s gone on this year, is a team. There’s not one individual in the team that doesn’t want us to do well, and that hasn’t always been the case in previous years.” SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey said a lack of track knowledge was costly for the Scorpions in their 51-38 defeat at Plymouth last Friday. Godfrey said: “It was no surprise that the two riders who were here last year, Thomas Jorgensen and Steve Worrall, did well and some of the others struggled. Thomas and Steve are the least experienced riders in the side so I’d expect some of the others to do better next time.”  SHEFFIELD promoter Neil Machin says the Tigers are entering a crucial phase of their season, with three matches in three days this week starting at home to Redcar on Thursday. Machin said: “We had to change a fixture at Berwick to help them out, and that has left us with three in three days, with home and away meetings against Redcar and then the trip to Shielfield Park. But that’s the way the fixtures are these days. They can come thick and fast, and we just need to be at the top of our game.” NEW Somerset signing Alex Davies says his move to the Oak Tree Arena should be beneficial, although he bears no ill feeling to former club Newport after their own recent team changes. Davies said: “I don’t have a problem with what happened at Newport. Speedway is a numbers game and I didn’t have the right numbers for what Newport wanted to achieve. Now all I want to do is concentrate on riding for Somerset, and the track should suit my style.” WORKINGTON promoter Keith Denham says away wins will be crucial in the race for the Premier League title with the Comets currently in strong contention having already won three times on the road. Denham said: “We have every chance of winning silverware this year. There is no reason why we can’t be the champions. Somerset are winning away so we must do the same. I was delighted with the Plymouth win and we must keep that going.” FIXTURE PICTURE… WEDNESDAY JUNE 1: TEST MATCH: Great Britain v Australia (at Poole) 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Belle Vue v Dudley 8pm ASHLEY JONES MEMORIAL: King’s Lynn 7.30 THURSDAY JUNE 2: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Coventry 7.30  PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Redcar 7.45 STAR OF ANGLIA: Ipswich 7.30 FRIDAY JUNE 3: TEST MATCH: Great Britain v Australia (at Lakeside) 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30, Plymouth v Glasgow 7.30, Redcar v Sheffield 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Scunthorpe v Ipswich 7.30 SATURDAY JUNE 4: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v King’s Lynn 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Sheffield 7pm, Leicester v Plymouth 7.30, Newport v Glasgow 7pm, Rye House v Edinburgh 7pm, Workington v Somerset 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Stoke v Buxton 7.30 SUNDAY JUNE 5: PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Redcar 4pm, Newcastle v Somerset 6.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Dudley 3pm NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Mildenhall v Hackney 4.30 MONDAY JUNE 6: BRITISH FINAL: Wolverhampton 7.30 WEDNESDAY JUNE 8: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Belle Vue 7.30, Poole v Wolverhampton 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Stoke 7.30 THURSDAY JUNE 9: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Coventry 7.30 ELITE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP 1st leg: Birmingham v Lakeside 7.30 PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Edinburgh 7.30, Redcar v Leicester 7.30, Sheffield v Plymouth 7.45 FRIDAY JUNE 10: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Swindon 8pm ELITE LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP 2nd leg: Lakeside v Birmingham 8pm PREMIER LEAGUE: Newport v Berwick 7.30, Plymouth v Rye House 7.30, Scunthorpe v Sheffield 7.30 SUPER CUP 1st leg: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30 SATURDAY JUNE 11: PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Newport 7pm, Workington v Leicester 7pm NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Hackney v Mildenhall (at Rye House) 7pm SUNDAY JUNE 12: PREMIER LEAGUE: Leicester v Workington 7pm, Newcastle v Newport 6.30 SUPER CUP 2nd leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 4pm BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2: Buxton 3pm MONDAY JUNE 13: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Peterborough v Birmingham 7.30 TUESDAY JUNE 14: NATIONAL LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Hackney 7.30 WEDNESDAY JUNE 15: SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Eastbourne 7.30 NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Scunthorpe 7.30