BIG EVENT LATESTBRITISH Youth co-boss Phil Morris says Poole and Workington youngster Kyle Howarth is a prime candidate for a Wild Card in one of the World Under-21 Final roundsafter agonisingly missing out on a place in the full series.Howarth finished fifth in his semi-final at Lonigo last weekend, which would have been enough for a place in three-round Final had he achieved that result in either of the other two semis.Now Morris, who was also impressed by the display of late call-up Adam Ellis who scored five points, says Howarth should still get his chance, especially as one of the Final rounds takes place in the UK at Berwick on August 10.Morris said: Kyle can count himself very unlucky not to qualify for the finals. He had a bad first ride and got filled in, which probably upset his night, but he came strong towards the end.Its just unfortunate with the way the FIM decided to allocate the qualifiers over the three semi-finals. If theyd gone with five from each round then Kyle would be in the World Final.Kyles done well enough to get a Wild Card for one of the finals though. Weve travelled out to Lonigo and back together and weve spoken and hes dead keen to do it - so well be lobbying the FIM to see if he can be allocated one. Hes really keen to do all he can to further his racing career.Adam would have finished with two wins but crashed whilst well clear in his fourth ride after picking up drive and going into the fence. So if hed won that hed have also finished joint fifth with Kyle.He had a good meeting and his attitude was first-class. He has been a joy to work with on this trip and during the lead up to it - hes shown such a professional attitude. He was riding at Leicester for Ipswich on Sunday and despite losing fifth gear in his van whilst driving through Munich he still got himself to Leicester regardlessthat shows dedication.Adam only took the meeting up at the last minute after getting the call from us during last week, ands straight away he said hed do it. There was no questioning or dithering and didnt even ask about the money or anything - he just wanted to do the meeting to help further his career. So that goes a long way as well.British Under-21 Champion Robert Branford and Ashley Morris, meanwhile, contested the semi-final at Rawicz, Poland, and both were eliminated from the competition in tricky conditions which caused the meeting to be abandoned.British Youth co-boss Neil Vatcher said: The meeting was called off after each rider had four rides.After two days of rain, practice was cancelled due to the track being very heavy, and when the meeting started it was very grippy.Ashley was in Heat 1 and was running in a good second place when New Zealand rider Jack MacRae crashed, the race was stopped and in the re-run Ash crashed on the second corner. He also crashed in his third ride and finished the meting on one point.Rob had a great win in his first ride off gate four, and he also had a last and two third places in his other races to finish with five points and in ninth place.
GREAT Britains line-up for the World Under-21 Team Cup semi-final in Gdansk later this month has been named.Kyle Howarth will captain the team, which will also include Adam Ellis, Ashley Morris and Tom Perry.The meeting takes place on Saturday May 25, with GB facing hosts Poland, Sweden and Russia as they bid for a place in the Final at Pardubice in September.GB co-boss Phil Morris said: Were under no illusions that its going to be a tough event, but weve gone for a young line-up who will be determined to give it their best shot.Kyle came within a whisker of qualifying for the individual World Under-21 Final, and although Tom hasnt quite been in top form so far this season we feel the big track should suit him.Both Ashley and Adam have had some excellent scores in the Premier League lately, Ashley scored 15 for Workington a couple of weekends ago, so that was our thinking there.It will be great experience for the riders, the opposition will be tough but we will go there with a very positive attitude.
SPEEDWAYGB EVENTS SERIES 2013BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT BRANFORDBRITISH FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: Somerset, May 31PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Peterborough, July 14PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sept 22ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, Oct 12NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS:NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: Mildenhall, June 30NATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: Stoke, August 18NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House, Sept 21BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENT DATES:WORLD UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP Round 3: Berwick, August 10GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: Poole, August 24
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST
BELLE VUES long spell without an Elite League meeting continued when they suffered a rain-off at Swindon last Thursday.The Aces, who were last in action at Peterborough on April 26 when they won 47-45, return to the track on May 20 when they face Lakeside at Kirkmanshulme Lane.BIRMINGHAM skipper Danny King said his side had produced the perfect team performance in their 62-31 win over Eastbourne at Perry Barr last Wednesday.King told the Birmingham Mail: It was a fantastic performance and I feel that result has been a long time coming.I think everyone performed brilliantly and we seem to be on a good run at the minute. The team spirit was there from the start, and we hit them hard early on which was important.COVENTRY boss Gary Havelock says the Bees prospects are looking brighter with their top two riders showing improved form in their recent matches, and the team having scored six points from home clashes with Lakeside and Eastbourne.Havelock said: At Eastbourne it was the best Ive seen Krzysztof (Kasprzak) ride all season, he was sharp again and his confidence was back. Scott (Nicholls) is nearly there as well, so it was a good performance.Were in a lot better place than we were two weeks ago, and its close to coming right. Weve got a two-week break so some of the boys will be off riding in Poland and Sweden, and when we come back lets see what we can do.EASTBOURNE bosses are not ruling out the possibility of team changes despite a home win over Coventry last Saturday, following defeats on the road against the Bees and Birmingham.Manager Trevor Geer said: Our team performance at Birmingham was unacceptable and the result was poor for the club. There was more fight at Coventry on Friday and at home on Saturday but we are determined to improve the team.We have already contacted a number of riders, including Tomasz Jedrzejak, who has helped us out before. Sadly, his calendar is full and cannot come to England to ride for the Eagles. We will continue to work hard this week to explore all options available to us.KINGS LYNN will be without reserve Simon Stead for their home fixture against Poole on Wednesdaydashing their hopes of returning to Elite League action with a full-strength side.Josh Grajczonek, who impressed when he scored 10+1 as a guest for the Stars at Wolverhampton last week, has again been booked to deputise by team boss Rob Lyon.LAKESIDE co-promoter Jon Cook is hoping the Hammers stunning win at Poole last week turns out to be the turning point in their season.Cook told lovespeedway24.co.uk: Top pick up the win at Poole was great, and we are only the second side to go there in two seasons and come away with a win.That speaks volumes of the achievement. Weve got to kick on from that now, its no good winning there and losing at home.PETERBOROUGH boss Jan Staechmann was delighted to see the clubs faith in winter signing Patrick Hougaard justified as the Dane, along with fellow countryman Kenni Larsen, scored a maximum in Thursdays home win over Poole.Staechmann said: Patrick had had some good meetings in Sweden and Denmark this past week, he got 14 points in Sweden and was only beaten by Darcy Ward before his crash in Gothenburg, so theyre all coming good and it was just a question of time.I would like to thank the clubs promotion for sticking with the team the way it was, obviously we did have to make one change and Im equally sure Nicolai (Klindt) will come good for us.POOLE promoter Matt Ford admits changes are on the agenda at Wimborne Road as he looks to haul his club up from their unaccustomed position at the foot of the Elite League table.Ford said: It is looking very likely that I will have to rest riders who really don't deserve to be culled from the side, but it really isn't a good feeling to be anchored at the bottom of the league table.We are in a results-driven business and the results aren't going our way at the moment and sometimes you have to face the difficult decisions head-on.SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter was pleased with the performance of Robins star Edward Kennett in the British Final, although he just missed out on a place in the deciding race at Wolverhampton.Rossiter said: Eddie rode really well and he should be proud of his efforts. He was motivated and very focussed, it was just a shame he missed out in the semi. Hes having a great season and hopefully he can continue that form.Id like to add my congratulations to Tai (Woffinden), hes been in great form so far this season and the best rider won on the night.WOLVERHAMPTON star Tai Woffinden secured his first British title on home territory at Monmore Green on Mondayand immediately set his sights on more victories in the event!Woffinden said: It's been a long time coming and I've finally done it - I just can't explain how happy I am! I want to say thanks to the Wolves supporters.I hope this is the first of many, and I'd like to set a goal of breaking Scott's (Nicholls) record (seven wins) over my career. It's going to be tough with some of the younger guys who are coming through and shining at the moment, but I'm still quite young myself, and I think there's still more to come.
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST
BERWICK boss Ian Rae was delighted with the instant impact made by new signings Edward Kennett and Paul Starke as the Bandits collected a 52-40 home win over Leicester.Rae said: The lads have a belief in themselves again thats been missing of late, and that rubbed off onto the crowd too, who were right up for some royal entertainment and thats exactly what they got and responded with some superb support. This is where the Bandits' season really starts, and we're about to take off.EDINBURGH have brought in Mitchell Davey to replace Marcel Helfer, with the Australian to make his debut against Plymouth on Friday.Monarchs director Mike Hunter said: Mitchell has been working in the pits with Max Fricke and was already a popular part of the crew. Its true to say Mitchell doesnt have a great Armadale record from his Glasgow days but he is very keen to improve it, and has practised in our second halves earlier in the season.GLASGOW star Henning Bager made a welcome return to form with a score of seven (paid nine) in the Tigers home draw with Scunthorpe, including a race win and two paid wins.Bager said: I think its about getting back from injury and getting winning heats under my belt. The only problem is that every time one person is firing, another is going down. Today I was doing OK and we had a couple of other ones struggling, so it seems like were never firing at the same time.IPSWICHS recent signing Ritchie Hawkins has confirmed he expects his stint with the club to be a short-term one as he is continuing to study to become a full-time fire fighter.Hawkins told lovespeedway24.co.uk: Its not that I dont want to ride for Ipswich, I would love to. The team is great and there is a nice atmosphere amongst the riders. The problem is I just wont have the time to commit full-timeI simply cant be at all the meetings.LEICESTER have made a change at reserve with Alex Edbergrecently released by Premier League rivals Berwickcoming in to replace Simon Nielsen, who made his comeback this season from a broken thigh.Manager Glyn Taylor said: Simon is such a likeable guy and a team man through and through. In my opinion Simon has not yet returned to his pre-June 2012 form but if we were having a better season results wise we could afford to give him extra time needed to get back to where he was before the accident.NEWCASTLE have become the third team to be confirmed as group winners in the League Cup this season, their 55-38 win over Redcar on Sunday seeing them join Sheffield and Edinburgh in the semi-finals.Manager George English said: We had some horrendous rain in the area right up to start time and made the track a little off-standard, but we got through it and the Diamonds made the semi-finals which is all to the good.PLYMOUTH co-promoter Ashley Taylor believes the Devils have it all to ride for in their final two League Cup group fixtures at Ipswich and Rye House later in the month.Taylor said: If we win our two remaining away matches, and take four points from at least one of them, we will win the group. I know we lost at home to Ipswich and Rye House, but I still believe that we are capable of winning matches as long as all our riders perform as well as we know they can.REDCAR will come up against their former No.1 Ty Proctor when Plymouth visit the South Tees Motorsports Park in Premier League action on Thursday.Bears boss Jitendra Duffill said: We are all looking forward to seeing Ty back in action and despite being an opponent he is guaranteed a warm reception from Bears fans who remember his spectacular exploits. He will no doubt prove lively on track and the Devils as a whole look to be solid and very competitive these days. A great match is on the cards.RYE HOUSE worked hard to establish a 14-point advantage over Sheffield in the first leg of their KO Cup tie despite being reduced to five riders before the startwith Tyson Nelson suspended for the weekend after being unable to travel to his World Under-21 qualifier.Rockets boss John Sampford said: It was a truly remarkable achievement without a shadow of a doubt. The boys dug deep, they all rode their guts out, especially Jason (Garrity) and Kasper (Lykke). It was just a superb effort all-round, and now well just go for it in the second leg at Sheffield.SCUNTHORPE boss Dave Peet says recent signing Lewis Blackbird played a big part in the Scorpions securing a draw at Glasgow on Sundayremarkably their third 45-45 result in four Premier League matches so far in 2013!Peet said: The top five all scored solidly, while it was Lewis Blackbirds first away match for us. We signed him as a rider who could score points from reserve both home and away and thats exactly what hes doinghe has made a difference.SHEFFIELD have booked in-form Craig Cook to guest for the injured Simon Stead (shoulder and wrist damage) as they bid to pull back a 14-point deficit in the second leg of their KO Cup tie against Rye House at Owlerton on Thursday.Tigers co-boss David Hoggart said: We believe we have booked the very best rider available to cover for Simon. Craig was magnificent in the British Final and in front of a TV audience he really announced his arrival on the big stage.SOMERSET promoter Debbie Hancock is delighted that the Rebels will again have the opportunity to play host to Sky Sports when the clash with Edinburgh on June 11 is televised.She said: We have always been blessed with an excellent crowd whenever Sky have been here in the past, and we will be doing all we can to promote the event in order to maintain that feature of our previous appearances.WORKINGTON have been hit by the news that the foot injury suffered by Finnish rider Tero Aarnio is worse than initially feared following his Bank Holiday Monday tangle with Berwick guest Nick Morris at Derwent Park.Comets manager Tony Jackson said: Initial x-rays showed that he had suffered a broken bone in his right foot and was likely to be ruled out for around two weeks, which was not too bad as we had a break in our fixtures. However, further examinations carried out on his return to Finland have found four broken bones and he now has his right foot in plaster. This is expected to keep him out of action until the first week in June, however only when the plaster comes off will we have an accurate assessment of how long he will be out. Meanwhile reserve Chris Mills is continuing to recover from his broken left wrist and we are hopeful that he will be fit to return within the next week or so. After a busy April we now have a quiet month before things start to get busy again in June, so hopefully by then we will be over our current injury situation.
FIXTURE PICTURE
WEDNESDAY MAY 15:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Kings Lynn v Poole 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 16:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Somerset 7.30, Redcar v Plymouth 7.30, PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP Q/F 2nd leg: Sheffield v Rye House 7.45
FRIDAY MAY 17:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Birmingham 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Plymouth 7.30, Somerset v Sheffield 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Coventry v Mildenhall 8pm
SATURDAY MAY 18:PREMIER LEAGUE: Leicester v Workington 7.30, Plymouth v Edinburgh 7.15BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 2: Rye House 6pm
SUNDAY MAY 19:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Leicester 3pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4.30DAVID HOWE TESTIMONIAL: Scunthorpe 3pm
MONDAY MAY 20:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Lakeside 7.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Stoke 6.30
TUESDAY MAY 21:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Newcastle 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Kings Lynn 7.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Isle of Wight v Mildenhall 7.30
WEDNESDAY MAY 22:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Wolverhampton 7.30, Poole v Lakeside 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kings Lynn v Isle of Wight 7.30
THURSDAY MAY 23:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Birmingham 7.30LEAGUE CUP: Ipswich v Plymouth 7.30OZCHEM TROPHY: Sheffield v Dudley 7.45
FRIDAY MAY 24:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Lakeside v Coventry 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Leicester 7.15
SATURDAY MAY 25:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Swindon 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Leicester v Plymouth 7.30, Workington v Glasgow 7pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Stoke v Mildenhall 7pm
SUNDAY MAY 26:PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Scunthorpe 6.30LEAGUE CUP: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm, Rye House v Plymouth 4pmNATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Coventry 4.30NATIONAL TROPHY: Buxton v Kent 3pm
MONDAY MAY 27:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Peterborough 7.30, Peterborough v Coventry 1pm, Poole v Kings Lynn 7.30, Wolverhampton v Birmingham 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Scunthorpe v Somerset 3pmNATIONAL TROPHY: Kent v Mildenhall 3pmCHALLENGE: Scunthorpe Saints Select v Milton Keynes (follows PL fixture)
TUESDAY MAY 28:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Dudley v Buxton 7.30, Isle of Wight v Kent 7pm
WEDNESDAY MAY 29:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Kings Lynn v Peterborough 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Somerset v Scunthorpe 7.30
