BIG EVENT LATEST…STEFAN Nielsen will defend the British Under-19 Championship at Coventry on September 20.The Somerset and Mildenhall rider snatched a dramatic victory in last year’s meeting staged at Sheffield, and will be going for a double at Brandon.Nielsen won a spectacular Final tussle with Ashley Morris, Joe Jacobs and Tom Perry at Owlerton and will face Morris again, with the Dudley and Workington regular looking to take the title for the first time after previous successes at Youth level.The line-up also includes recent World Under-21 Wild Cards Kyle Howarth and Adam Ellis, Howarth having come agonisingly close to the British Under-21 title earlier this season.Howarth missed out to Robert Branford at Monmore Green but as a regular in both top leagues with Swindon and Workington he will be a major favourite for this event.The meeting also includes three other riders who have won major British junior titles – Brandon Freemantle, Nathan Stoneman and Nathan Greaves.Coventry, the staging club, are represented by Oliver Greenwood and James Shanes who both race for the Storm in the National League with Greenwood now beginning to receive Premier League guest bookings.Connor Coles, Ben Morley, Liam Carr and Max Clegg are all amongst the riders returning from last year’s line-up, with Kent rider Morley having just missed out on a place in the semi-final at Sheffield.World 250cc Champion Daniel Spiller, who is based in Germany, gets a Wild Card for the Brandon event, although Robert Lambert is unavailable due to prior commitments.LINE-UP: Josh Bates (Mildenhall), Liam Carr (Buxton), Max Clegg (Dudley), Connor Coles (Kent), Adam Ellis (Ipswich/Isle of Wight), Brandon Freemantle (Isle of Wight), Nathan Greaves (Dudley), Oliver Greenwood (Coventry), Kyle Howarth (Swindon/Workington), Ben Morley (Kent), Ashley Morris (Workington/Dudley), Stefan Nielsen (Somerset/Mildenhall), Darryl Ritchings (Isle of Wight), James Shanes (Coventry), Daniel Spiller (Unattached), Nathan Stoneman (Mildenhall). Reserves: Adam Kirby (Kent), Jack Kingston (Kent).
*KING’S Lynn No.1 Niels-Kristian Iversen won the Poole-staged Grand Prix Challenge to ensure a place in next year’s full GP series.Krzysztof Kasprzak (Coventry) and Kenneth Bjerre (Peterborough) also confirmed their spots for 2014 with rostrum finishes at Wimborne Road, whilst Iversen’s current position in the top eight of the GP is also likely to spell good news for Birmingham’s Martin Smolinski, who finished fourth at Poole.Smolinski edged out his Brummies team-mate Chris Harris on countback, Harris having taken a late call-up for the meeting and he is likely to be elevated to the first reserve position for next year’s series – whilst fellow Brit Danny King started the meeting well and finished on seven points.Iversen said: “I got what I came for and that was to win the meeting and book my place. It was a good meeting for me and I’m happy to have won it. I can ride the rest of the Grand Prix series without too much pressure on myself and just enjoy the meetings.“I knew if I failed in this one, I still had a chance of the top eight. But I was still very motivated to win the meeting. I wanted to make it very clear that I want to stay in the Grand Prix.”SPEEDWAYGB EVENTS SERIES 2013BRITISH UNDER-21 FINAL: ROBERT BRANFORDBRITISH FINAL: TAI WOFFINDENPREMIER LEAGUE PAIRS: SOMERSETPREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: EDINBURGHPREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield, Sept 22ELITE LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Swindon, Oct 12NATIONAL LEAGUE MAJOR EVENTS:NATIONAL LEAGUE PAIRS: DUDLEYNATIONAL LEAGUE FOURS: DUDLEYNATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House, Sept 21BRITISH SPEEDWAY FIM EVENT DATES:WORLD UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP Round 2: PIOTR PAWLICKIGRAND PRIX CHALLENGE: NIELS-KRISTIAN IVERSEN
ELITE LEAGUE LATEST…
BELLE VUE skipper Craig Cook is delighted with the Aces’ current run of form which now includes dramatic away successes at title-chasing Swindon and Wolverhampton.Cook said: “It's been an honour for me to take over as the captain the Aces, and I'm really relishing the opportunity because it's helping me to progress as a person as well as a rider. I'm really enjoying it.“I've been doing my very best to keep everyone geed up, and all the guys have responded well and brought home the points when it really mattered. There's such a great team spirit in the pits again, and even though we know we won't be winning the league this year it's important for all of us to get out on the track and just enjoy what we do for a living.”BIRMINGHAM boss Phil Morris says his team need to maintain the right attitude when Coventry visit Perry Barr on Wednesday, with the Brummies now favourites to finish top of the table.Morris said: “This, in theory, should be one of our easier matches but we’ll take no prisoners.“Forget the league table and look at Coventry on paper and they have a solid unit, Scott (Nicholls) and Krzysztof (Kasprzak) need no introduction whilst we know how fast Olly (Allen) can be on his day. Three points are needed as we want to finish top of the league.”COVENTRY skipper Scott Nicholls accepted the Bees had run into a team in top form as Peterborough completed a Bank Holiday double over his side with a 50-40 win at Brandon.Nicholls said: “You’re never happy to lose, and that’s been the story too many times this season although it was a great meeting to watch.“It would have been much nicer to have won it, but Peterborough are the side in form right now. They’re doing an early-season Birmingham – on paper they maybe don’t look the strongest outfit, but the way everyone is riding they’re high on confidence and that’s such a big part of speedway.”EASTBOURNE could make a new signing to replace Lukas Dryml for their closing fixtures if the Czech Republic rider continues to be ruled out with a broken collarbone.Eagles boss Trevor Geer told Speedway Star: “Lukas is seeing a consultant, and we hope it all goes well for him. If he can’t do it, there are only three more home meetings left for us and only two more nights.“If we could get a big name to come in for those two nights that would be great. We’ve got quite a few points available.”KING’S LYNN boss Rob Lyon admitted the point dropped by the Stars in their 48-43 home win over Coventry was a blow to their play-off aspirations.Lyon told Lynn News: “Ideally I would have liked three points. We knew Coventry would be tough, without doubt they have got riders that can do damage around here.“If we are still in the mix we need to strengthen our team. It’s pretty clear we can’t make it with the team we have now.”LAKESIDE reported their biggest crowd of the season for Friday’s vital 50-43 win over Poole which keeps their play-off hopes alive.The Hammers confirmed an attendance well in excess of 2,000 for a meeting which boiled up to a big finish with Piotr Swiderski and Peter Karlsson both overhauling double World Champion Greg Hancock in the last race to secure maximum points.Co-promoter Jon Cook told the club’s website: “What a night of racing that was. The support the boys had was incredible and they came up with a performance to match it. Now we need to take that momentum into our remaining four away matches.”PETERBOROUGH followed up their club record-breaking 70-20 demolition of Coventry at the Showground with a narrower 50-40 win in the return fixture at Brandon – a result which was just as important as it gave the Panthers four more points in their play-off push.Co-boss Ryan Sullivan said: “A couple of guys had trouble and Dak (North) had a nasty crash in his first ride, but there were some outstanding performances in the rest of the team. They were making great starts, great first bends, riding very hard and riding as a team.“Getting all four points was the crucial thing, and with Dak and Norbi (Kosciuch) struggling I was worried about Heat 12, but Patrick came in and did a great race there.”POOLE kept their play-off hopes alive with a late rally to secure all three points from a win over Swindon – and boss Neil Middleditch had particular praise for reserve Josh Grajczonek.Middleditch said: “Josh typified the victory. He rode really well throughout and more than deserved the rider of the meeting award. “The fact he never gave up in Heat 14 was an example for any young rider in speedway. He snatched a third place on the line and as a result of that the club banked all three league points.”SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter took some positives from the Robins’ display at Poole on Bank Holiday Monday as they lost 41-49 without the injured Peter Kildemand – who the club know is vital to their play-off aspirations.Rossiter said: “It was unfortunate that we had the outside gates in the last race but that's speedway. I'm proud of the efforts of the boys, especially without Peter who was a major player in us winning the league here against Poole last year.“I rested him because he's just not the same rider, he was a shadow of his normal self in the GP Challenge on Saturday but hopefully he will be back with us at home on Thursday.”WOLVERHAMPTON No.1 Freddie Lindgren admitted the loss of fellow Swede Jacob Thorssell with a suspected broken arm was a big setback to the Monmore side in their shock Bank Holiday Monday home defeat to Belle Vue.Lindgren said: “It's definitely not a good result for us, but losing Jacob early on was a massive blow for us.“It was a bad night at the office really, but we have to make sure we put that behind us as soon as possible.”
PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST…
BERWICK boss Ian Rae said a string of early errors were contributory factors to the Bandits’ 20-point defeat at Rye House on Bank Holiday Monday, to follow on from losing at Leicester the previous evening.Rae said: “We could have run Rye House much closer but we lost too many unnecessary and unlucky points too early on and really disadvantaged ourselves and had it not been for that then who knows what score we might have been capable off. The skills were there but the morale took an early hammering and it didn't help.”EDINBURGH No.1 Craig Cook led his side to a convincing win over Rye House with a paid maximum, and stressed the importance of finishing top of the table ahead of the Premier League play-offs.Cook told The Scotsman: “I never doubted we would guarantee our spot in the top six but we now must look to finish in top position so we can choose who we want to face in the group knockout stage, that can give you a big advantage.”GLASGOW skipper Joe Screen has brought down the curtain on a hugely successful racing career, bringing his retirement decision forward after a crash at Redcar last week.Screen said: “That crash was pretty scary, I was lucky to walk away with just injuring my hand. What happened last week, it was quite a shock. I’ve not dropped like that for a while which brought it home a little bit. I’m just going to get my hand right and take it from there.”IPSWICH kept up their highly impressive run with a rampant 56-36 win at bottom club Glasgow to emphasise their position as serious Premier League title contenders.Manager Pete Simmons said: “It was a very long day but everyone was up for it and it showed with a great effort in all departments. We just need the same attitude at Sheffield on Thursday night and we will certainly be pushing to get one of those important top positions in the final League table.”LEICESTER co-promoter Alan Jones insists the Lions can still make the Premier League play-offs despite suffering an array of problems in their 38-51 defeat at Scunthorpe on Bank Holiday Monday.Jones told the Leicester Mercury: “The team put up a commendable performance in the face of some bad luck. (Lasse) Bjerre rode courageously after being knocked about and that affected his performance. Magnus Karlsson was head and shoulders above everyone else and did not deserve to be on the losing side. The result is not the end of our chances, as there are still seven match points to be gained.”NEWCASTLE remain well-placed in the Premier League table with home matches in hand after getting the better of top-six rivals Workington on Sunday, avenging a defeat the previous evening at Derwent Park.Manager George English said: “We knew this match was going to be a tough one and so it proved with Rene Bach and co. really knowing the quickest way round Brough and we had to fight hard. Most pleasing was to see how Andrew Tully and Ludvig Lindgren upped their game from the night before, and with Anton Rosen taking his first home win it was a very positive night indeed.”PLYMOUTH’S recent signing Hynek Stichauer has quit British Speedway leaving the Devils to operate the rider-replacement facility for their final matches of the season.Co-promoter Ashley Taylor said: “Hynek has been suffering from a lack of confidence and has returned home to the Czech Republic. He knows that he has not been doing what was expected of him and will be taking a break from Premier League racing.”REDCAR were handed a play-off lifeline with a convincing home win over Glasgow, with rivals Leicester then being unable to gain ground over the Bank Holiday weekend – scoring three points at home to Berwick but then missing out at Scunthorpe on Monday.Redcar boss Jitendra Duffill told gazettelive.co.uk: “We knew we needed three points and other results to go our way too. But although the final play-off place is probably still Leicester’s to throw away, they have a tough run-in with Edinburgh at home and Newcastle away.”RYE HOUSE continue to be without Jason Garrity, who broke his leg in mid-May and whose comeback has been delayed in recent weeks with a run-out last Thursday proving problematic.Rockets boss John Sampford said: “Jason had a practice at Sheffield and felt OK afterwards, only to wake up (on Friday) morning with more pain than before.”SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey has confirmed the closing weeks of the season have given him a major boost, and that the Scorpions will return in 2014.Godfrey said: “Richard (Hollingsworth) stepping down as team manager early in the season was a big blow. Although, in the end, team managing for the away meetings did me the world of good, because it got me closer to the riders; we have a good laugh during our away meetings. I can confirm that I do intend to run Scunthorpe Speedway next year.”SHEFFIELD manager David Hoggart had no complaints over the effort from his injury-hit side as they missed out narrowly to local rivals Scunthorpe at Owlerton last Thursday.Hoggart said: “We gave it everything but obviously we’re disappointed not to get anything considering all the effort we put in. We hate losing but it’s not through a lack of effort, the boys tried their hardest all night but it just didn’t happen again.”SOMERSET boss Garry May expects the Rebels’ KO Cup semi-final against Edinburgh, which concludes at Armadale on Friday, to be too close to call.May said: “Our two Premier League matches against Edinburgh this year have shown that this semi-final looks like it could be a very close affair, and although we lost both of those league matches, albeit narrowly, the slate will be wiped clean.”WORKINGTON moved a step closer to securing a play-off place last weekend with a home victory over Newcastle on Saturday - although there is a feeling within the Comets camp that they could have taken more from the weekend had things gone their way in the return fixture at Brough Park on Sunday.Manager Tony Jackson said: “Saturday’s performance at home against the Diamonds was magnificent, with the whole team pitching in with valuable points as we inflicted the biggest defeat so far this season on a very good Diamonds side. Admittedly the loss of Stuart Robson was a blow to them but we were also missing Tero Aarnio, and I don’t think rider replacement did either side any favours on the night.“We also felt that we deserved to come away from Brough Park with something the following day, but a couple of decisions didn’t go our way and we just missed out on picking up a match point. However, although it counts for nothing, we can take heart from the fact that we achieved an aggregate success over one of the league’s form teams, which is a major confidence boost for us at just the right time.”FIXTURE PICTURE…
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v Coventry 7.30, King’s Lynn v Lakeside 7.30
THURSDAY AUGUST 29:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Poole 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Ipswich 7.45TEESSIDE SILVER HELMET: Redcar 7.30
FRIDAY AUGUST 30:PREMIER LEAGUE: Plymouth v Sheffield 7.15PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Somerset 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Coventry v Dudley 7.30SATURDAY AUGUST 31:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Birmingham 7pm, Eastbourne v Peterborough (follows previous match)PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Plymouth 7.30, Rye House v Scunthorpe 6pm, Leicester v Edinburgh 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Rye House v Redcar (follows PL fixture)NATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v King’s Lynn 7pmTYNE/TWEED TROPHY: Berwick v Newcastle 7pmSUNDAY SEPTEMBER 1:PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Sheffield 3pm, Newcastle v Berwick 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Mildenhall 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Poole v Lakeside 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Kent v Isle of Wight 6.30
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 3:NATIONAL LEAGUE: Dudley v Buxton 7.30, Isle of Wight v Kent 7pm
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 5:PREMIER LEAGUE: Ipswich v Sheffield 7.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: King’s Lynn v Stoke 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6:PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30, Plymouth v Newcastle 7.15, Somerset v Berwick 7.30
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7:PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v Workington 7pmNATIONAL LEAGUE: Stoke v Kent 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8:PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle v Leicester 6.30NATIONAL LEAGUE: Buxton v Isle of Wight 3pm, Mildenhall v Dudley 4.30SCOTTISH CUP 2nd leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 9:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Poole 7.30, Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30, Swindon v Lakeside 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Workington v Edinburgh 7pm
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 10:NATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 1st leg: Dudley v King’s Lynn 7.30
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 11:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Birmingham v King’s Lynn 7.30KRZYSZTOF KASPRZAK TESTIMONIAL: Poole 7.30
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