(SPEEDWAY 1)
BELLE Vue boss Jim Lynch has given his backing to skipper Chris Harris to regain top form in the second half of the season.Harris has been lacking speed so far this year and faces a fight to secure a top-eight Grand Prix place – but Lynch feels he will turn things around, and is hopeful he will do just that in a busy period for the Aces over the next week.Lynch said: “A lot of riders have had to make changes because of the new silencers and Chris isn’t the only one to have had problems. It’s just that he is taking longer than some to sort them out.“He has shown in the past that he is a better rider in the second half of the season and that’s where we are now. He proved that last year and I’m backing him to prove it again.”
(SPEEDWAY 2)
SOMERSET have signed former Newport man Anders Mellgren as an injury replacement for Dakota North.The 20-year-old Swede will make his first appearances for the Rebels in this weekend’s matches against Plymouth, with North still on the sidelines with finger and thumb injuries.Somerset promoter Debbie Hancock, who is looking to make another signing, said: “Anders has showed his determination to come and do a job for us as he is bringing over machinery to use just for when he is riding for Somerset.“With the club about to embark on a very busy spell of matches, we could not continue to use rider replacement for Dak as this becomes more of a drain on the rest of the team, and so we are very pleased to have secured Anders' services.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
STOKE are through to the National League Knockout Cup Final after a successful defence of their first-leg lead over Dudley.The Potters took a 30-point advantage to Monmore Green on Tuesday and opened the meeting with a 5-1 to ease any nerves, Dudley eventually running out 47-43 winners on the night.Stoke boss Malcolm Vasey said: “I’m ecstatic for the sponsors, riders and of course the supporters on getting through to the Knockout Cup Final. All the lads chipped in with points and fought hard all the way through and kept going.“Dudley are a very good team, and we had to come here looking for the win and forget about what we had done on Sunday in the first leg, and the lads went about their job professionally and completed the victory.”
(FIXTURES)
WEDNESDAY JUNE 29:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Belle Vue 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Dudley 7.30
THURSDAY JUNE 30:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Belle Vue 7.30, Swindon v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Redcar v Berwick 7.30, Sheffield v Workington 7.45
FRIDAY JULY 1:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 8pm, Lakeside v Belle Vue 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Newcastle 7.30, Somerset v Plymouth 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP REPLAY 2nd leg: Scunthorpe v Ipswich 7.30
SATURDAY JULY 2:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Rye House 7pm, Leicester v Edinburgh 7.30, Newport v Scunthorpe 7pm, Plymouth v Somerset 7.30, Workington v Newcastle 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Hackney v Newport (at Rye House) 7pm, Stoke v Buxton 7.30
SUNDAY JULY 3:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Leicester 4pm, Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Mildenhall 3pm
