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GREAT Britain captain Chris Harris has been handed a late call-up to the Grand Prix Challenge at Poole on Saturday (6.30pm) – and therefore has the opportunity to reach the 2014 GP series with a top-three finish.Harris and Swindon’s Peter Kildemand are the latest additions to the line-up due to visa issues for Alexandr Loktaev and the withdrawal of Matej Zagar who is well-placed in the top eight of this year’s competition.It means there are two British riders competing at Wimborne Road as Danny King had already been named as Wild Card, whilst Ben Barker and Lewis Bridger take over as meeting reserves.GP CHALLENGE: Vaclav Milik (Cze), Maciej Janowski (Pol), Krzysztof Kasprzak (Pol), Peter Kildemand (Den), Timo Lahti (Fin), Hans Andersen (Den), Kenneth Bjerre (Den), Troy Batchelor (Aus), Danny King (GB), Niels-Kristian Iversen (Den), Tomas H Jonasson (Swe), Michael Jepsen Jensen (Den), Piotr Pawlicki (Pol), Martin Smolinski (Ger), Chris Harris (GB), Daniel Nermark (Swe). Reserves: Ben Barker (GB), Lewis Bridger (GB).
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POOLE manager Neil Middleditch knows the pressure is on after his side lost all three Elite League points to Lakeside in a dramatic finale at Purfleet on Friday.Hammers duo Peter Karlsson and Piotr Swiderski squeezed out Greg Hancock for a 3-3 in Heat 15 to give the home side a 50-43 win, leaving them six points clear of the Pirates in fourth place with both sides having four matches to come.Middleditch said: “I have said all along that until it is mathematically impossible we will not give up fighting, but failing to pick up a league point from our last two meetings against Peterborough and Lakeside has made life difficult for ourselves.“Of course we are disappointed to coming away from Lakeside missing out by one point on the night. It’s the most frustrating result for an away side. But we will pick our heads up on Monday and go again against Swindon in what I’m sure will be another dramatic meeting.”(SPEEDWAY 3)
PETERBOROUGH’S late-season charge continued as the Showground side racked up a club record victory with a 70-20 demolition of Coventry.Ryan Fisher scored a paid maximum from six rides with Patrick Hougaard, Joonas Kylmakorpi and Krzysztof Buczkowski also unbeaten to leave the Panthers eight points behind fourth-placed Lakeside, but with two home matches in hand – whilst the Bees’ bad night was compounded by a broken leg suffered by Stuart Robson in a Heat 12 crash.Peterborough co-boss Ryan Sulivan said: “The boys were outstanding. You can see every rider giving it 100 per cent and we can’t ask for more than that. We have to make sure we keep winning and keep piling up the points, and we’re doing that. “This has boosted our confidence – the boys’ heads were down a bit after Birmingham but I think perhaps they took that loss on Wednesday out on Coventry. The confidence is up again now and we have to take that to Coventry (on Monday) and do it again.”
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EDINBURGH are certain of a Premier League play-off place after a 58-34 win over Rye House – but the Monarchs have two major injury concerns.Heat-leader Claus Vissing was ruled out of the meeting after a Heat 4 crash with the Rockets’ Kasper Lykke, and has suffered an injury in the hip/rib area.Meanwhile Josh Bates, who was set to guest at reserve for the Monarchs in their remaining fixtures, suffered a suspected broken wrist when he came to grief in Heat 11.Edinburgh boss Alex Harkess said: “We did well but it is very disappointing to reach such an important stage of the season and possibly lose two important riders.”
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SCUNTHORPE secured a second 46-44 away win in two nights by taking the honours at Plymouth to maintain their outside chance of a Premier League play-off place.Skipper Ashley Birks headed a solid Scorpions performance with a score of 10+1 in a meeting delayed due to a pre-meeting downpour.Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey said: “A big well done to the Plymouth promotion in getting that meeting on, after the shower. All of our riders wanted to do it, because it’s a long way to come for a rain off!“It’s a shame the season didn’t start about six weeks ago, when Nicolai Klindt came in. I think we must be the form team in the Premier League at the minute. Miracles could still happen and we will go into the big Bank Holiday meeting against Leicester on Monday gunning for three points, to keep the dream alive for just a little longer.”(FIXTURES)
SATURDAY AUGUST 24:GRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: Poole 6.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Rye House OFF, Workington v Newcastle 7pm
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Isle of Wight 7pm
SUNDAY AUGUST 25:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Ipswich 3pm, Leicester v Berwick 6pm, Newcastle v Workington 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Dudley 3pm, Mildenhall v Stoke 4.30
MONDAY AUGUST 26:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Peterborough 7.30, Poole v Swindon 4pm, Wolverhampton v Belle Vue 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Berwick 2pm, Scunthorpe v Leicester 3pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Dudley 3pmBRITISH 125cc FINAL: Rye House (follows PL fixture)CHALLENGE: Scunthorpe Select v Halifax (follows PL fixture)
TUESDAY AUGUST 27:PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Somerset v Edinburgh 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Isle of Wight 7.30
