THE British Speedway Promoters Association can confirm the two Wild Cards for the British Final at Wolverhampton on May 13 will be BEN BARKER and SIMON STEAD.

Management Committee members discussed the issue immediately after Thursdays second semi-final at Sheffield and have plumped for two riders whose hopes of qualifying as of right were ended by injury.Stead missed the semi-final after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a crash at Workington last weekend, with the Owlerton event coming just too soon despite intensive physio.Barker, meanwhile, suffered a recurrence of a scaphoid injury and withdrew after three rides at Sheffield having scored three points, and it is hoped that he will be fit for the Final.Management Committee member David Hoggart said: Ben and Simon are two riders who, prior to the semi-finals, we would have expected to go safety through.Circumstances prevented that, and therefore its only right that they should take their places in the British Final.As far as Ben is concerned, he took a nasty knock when he collided with the fence in Heat 1 and tried to continue in the meeting despite being in a lot of pain. He was very brave and we wanted to reward his determination in trying to succeed with a spot in the British Final which he thoroughly deserves.With Simon, obviously due to my own Sheffield connection I have respected the opinions of other members of the Management Committee, and they have voted for Simon to take his place.