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LAKESIDE co-promoter Jon Cook says the Hammers must maintain their focus as they host Wolverhampton in a top-five clash on a busy Friday night of Elite League racing.Cook said: We need three League points to keep the fight for play-off qualification a five horse race and can't relax just because our rivals have injury problems.Elsewhere, fourth-placed Swindon travel to Coventry who welcome back former captain Chris Harris as a guest for regular No.1 Krzysztof Kasprzak.And Danish youngster Mikkel Bech makes his first appearance at Elite League level since his brief spell with Swindon in 2011, as he stands in for Poole in the South coast battle at Eastbourne.(SPEEDWAY 2)
BEN Barker broke the Ipswich track record in the first race of the Witches 55-35 win over Rye House on Thursday.Barker went on to top-score for the Foxhall side with 14 points with Cameron Heeps adding an impressive 10+3 at reserve as the Witches moved into the top five of the Premier League.Ipswich boss Pete Simmons said: I said if Ben could make a start in Heat 1 that the track record would be under serious threat of being broken. I am chuffed for Ben that he did just that and that he continued to ride so well for the rest of the meeting.As so often happens here at Foxhall our team took a while to get going (apart from Ben) but they all came good at the end and Cameron thoroughly deserved his nomination for Heat 15.
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WORKINGTON boss Tony Jackson is expecting some titanic battles between Comets skipper Richard Lawson and former favourite Craig Cook when his side meet Edinburgh this weekend.The clubs clash at Armadale on Friday and then Derwent Park on Saturday in two eagerly-awaited Premier League encounters, with both No.1s in blistering form.Jackson said: Our matches against Edinburgh are always keenly contested affairs and these days they have extra spice with ex-Comet Craig Cook riding for the Monarchs. Both Cookie and Richard Lawson come from a background of moto-cross, and they both started out at the same time with the Comets so it is great to see them both doing so well now. I am sure a lot of fans will turn up to see Craig and Richard going head to head around Derwent Park on Saturday but of course the Monarchs are not just about Craig Cook. They have proved over the past week or so that they can score points from anywhere, so we will have to be firing on all cylinders to claim the points.(SPEEDWAY 4)
FORMER Kent captain David Mason is to return to the club in an official coaching role.Mason lost his place with the Kings earlier this season when the National League newcomers moved for Benji Compton, but is now to assist the clubs younger riders especially in mechanical preparation.Manager John Sampford said: I am delighted to have David back on board. I believe that he will help to get the best out of the younger members which should take the whole team forward.Kent, meanwhile, have been boosted by the news that Ben Morley and Adam Kirby have been declared fit to race next week following crashes at the Isle of Wight on Tuesday.
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KRZYSZTOF Kasprzak has announced the format for his Testimonial meeting at Poole on Wednesday September 11.The meeting will be run as a 15-heat team event between a Poole side against an all-star Krzyss Polestars international line-up, with the Pirates to be managed as usual by Neil Middleditch and the Polestarswho will feature several non-UK regularsby Kasprzaks current Coventry boss Gary Havelock.Kasprzak said: I am getting very excited about my meeting which promises to be a good night of racing. I am putting together a side of young riders who could be GP stars of the future. I shall be announcing their names in the weeks leading up to my meeting, and maybe a few surprises as well.(FIXTURES)
FRIDAY JUNE 21:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Swindon 7.30, Eastbourne v Poole 7.45, Lakeside v Wolverhampton 8pmPREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Workington 7.30, Scunthorpe v Sheffield 7.30WESTERNAPOLIS: Plymouth OFF
SATURDAY JUNE 22:PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Plymouth 7pm, Leicester v Somerset 7.30, Rye House v Newcastle 7pm, Workington v Edinburgh 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Coventry 7pm
SUNDAY JUNE 23:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Berwick 3pm, Newcastle v Plymouth 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 2nd leg: Buxton v Dudley 3pm
MONDAY JUNE 24:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Wolverhampton v Eastbourne 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP 1st leg: Kent v Isle of Wight 6.30
TUESDAY JUNE 25:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Mildenhall 7.30, Isle of Wight v Stoke 7pm
