(SPEEDWAY 1)
WOLVERHAMPTON have two major injury doubts ahead of their Elite League derby trip to Birmingham on Wednesday.The Monmore club are sweating on the fitness of both Ty Proctor (back) and Adam Skornicki (bruising) after both crashed over the weekend.Wolves promoter Chris Van Straaten said: “I would say both riders are major doubts for Wednesday and that’s the last thing we need when we go to a place like Birmingham.“They’re in brilliant form right now and it will be hard enough going there with a full strength team. We will know more in the next 24 hours.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
LEICESTER completed a full house of seven points from two Premier League matches over the weekend with a 49-40 win at Glasgow.The Lions have vaulted into the top three in the table with the success at Ashfield, with Magnus Karlsson continuing his strong run of form with 14-point haul - and co-promoter Alan Jones highlighted the importance of improving their away record.Jones said: “Last season the sixth club in the play-offs was us on 41 points and if the pattern is similar again then maintaining an unbeaten home record will not be enough as we will fall short. “So we just have to get some points on the board away from home, and thankfully it all came right at Glasgow.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
BERWICK will be without French youngster David Bellego for their televised Premier League clash with Newcastle on Tuesday.Bellego has been handed a three-day suspension by his Federation after turning down a place in the national team for the World Cup qualifier in Hungary on Monday.Bandits boss Ian Rae said: “David’s participation in the event meant a round trip of nearly 3,000 miles from Berwick to a place away at the far side of Hungary, close to their border with the Ukraine, and as the FFM were not offering to pay any part of travelling expenses - speedway in France is really more of an amateur pastime than a professional sport - he declined selection.“He couldn’t afford to go by road with his bikes, which would have prevented him being back here for the match on Tuesday as well as wrecking his bank account, so David told the FFM – ages ago, as soon as he was notified of their intention to include him - it just wasn’t possible for him to accept, not least because he felt obliged to race for the Bandits, who are his main source of speedway income, the next night. Sadly the French Federation then informed him that his racing licence would be suspended for three days.”(SPEEDWAY 4)
JON Armstrong returned to the Mildenhall team in style by combining with Stefan Nielsen to secure a last-heat National Trophy win over the Isle of Wight.Armstrong had missed the Fen Tigers’ trip to Coventry on Friday as he was attending the birth of his daughter, but he came back with 13+1 including the Heat 15 5-1 confirming a 47-42 win, with the Islanders also taking a point from the meeting.Armstrong said: “That was a big win for us. We really had to dig deep to win today. They came here full of confidence and we had to work so hard to beat them, but we did. The team meeting at the interval geed us all up and helped us focus again for the last few races.“I am really happy and enjoying myself. It’s great helping the younger lads too - they are coming to me for advice, which is nice.”(SPEEDWAY 5)
JOSH Auty claimed the Kenny Smith Memorial Trophy by winning David Howe’s Testimonial at Scunthorpe on Sunday.Auty won the Final ahead of Morten Risager, Ashley Birks and Rusty Harrison, although Howe’s own involvement in the meeting ended with a Heat 9 crash.Howe had scored five points from his first two rides but came to grief when battling with Harrison and Carl Wilkinson.He said: “I’ve hurt my hand but hopefully I’ll be alright for Friday (at Edinburgh). It sounds like there was some good racing out there. Unfortunately I didn’t see a lot of it but I’m pleased a Scunthorpe rider won the Kenny Smith Memorial and I hope everyone has enjoyed themselves.”
(FIXTURES)
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 King’s 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: King’s Lynn v Isle of Wight OFF
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: Edinburgh v Scunthorpe 7.30, Plymouth v Leicester 7.15
