(SPEEDWAY 1)
EDINBURGH star Craig Cook will launch his defence of the Premier League Riders’ Championship in a mouth-watering first race at Owlerton on September 22 (5pm).Cook has been drawn on the outside gate position for Heat 1 and will go up against three other Sheffield track specialists – current Tigers ace Ricky Wells, former favourite Josh Auty and regular guest Richard Lawson, who has stood in on several occasions this year for the injured Simon Stead.The second-highest averaged rider behind Cook going into the event is Somerset’s Jason Doyle, who kicks off in Heat 4 and faces an immediate clash with Workington’s Rene Bach – both riders having crashed out of the Final in separate incidents in a dramatic conclusion to the 2012 event.PLRC DRAW: Richard Lawson (Workington), Ricky Wells (Sheffield), Josh Auty (Scunthorpe), Craig Cook (Edinburgh), Richie Worrall (Newcastle), Micky Dyer (Redcar), Nick Morris (Somerset), Theo Pijper (Edinburgh), Seb Alden (Berwick), Dakota North (Glasgow), Olly Allen (Rye House), Mikkel Bech (Plymouth), Rene Bach (Workington), Morten Risager (Ipswich), Jason Doyle (Somerset), Magnus Karlsson (Leicester).(SPEEDWAY 2)
WOLVERHAMPTON legend Sam Ermolenko is to make a dramatic return to the shale in the showpiece Joe Hughes Invitational at Monmore on Monday, September 16.Ermolenko has agreed to race alongside fellow Californian Greg Hancock and a host of other top stars in the event which will raise funds for new training facilities in Burton, and for Cancer Research.Ermolenko said: “I’ve been doing a little bit of training and I feel like I’ve been riding pretty well, like when I did a couple of match races at the Danny King Testimonial.“After doing a bit of practising I feel I’m not going to put anyone in danger by riding. Morgan (Hughes) asked me if I’d like to ride in the meeting and I was happy to say yes. It will be great to get back on a bike in a competitive meeting to honour Joe who was a real legend.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
SHEFFIELD reserve Simon Lambert suffered a suspected broken ankle in a crash at Ipswich on Thursday.It is the second time this season the unlucky Lambert has been hit by this injury, and it added to a catalogue of problems for the Tigers in their 32-60 defeat as the Witches extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table.Sheffield boss David Hoggart said: “The scoreline only went wonky when we lost Simon, up until that point we were right in it. It was such a tough night though, we were riding with three riders by the end and that’s an impossible situation.”Ipswich co-promoter Chris Louis added: “While I was confident that we would take the win it was a shame that Sheffield had so many things go wrong for them. All of them were out of their control and I feel disappointed for the fans missing out on what could have been if all of their team had stayed fit.”(SPEEDWAY 4)
KENT star Benji Compton plans to auction his racing helmet at the end of the season in aid of the seriously injured Ricky Ashworth.Compton, who returned to the sport this season, will have his Arai VX Pro helmet up for grabs following the Kings’ final meeting of the campaign on September 16 when they stage the Silver Ski Holidays Championship.Compton said: “The helmet will be signed by all the Kent team plus other riders I meet on my travels, maybe a few more Elite riders.“I’m using the helmet at the moment but want to help raise funds in aid of Ricky Ashworth. He is a very good friend of mine and I would like to support the family with the medical and travelling costs.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
STOKE boss Malcolm Vasey had no complaints over the decision to abandon the Potters’ National League match at King’s Lynn following a crash for the Young Stars’ Lewis Rose.The incident took in Heat 10 with Rose taken to hospital with a back injury after extensive on-track treatment, and with no county ambulance available for an hour the result was declared as a 38-21 win for the home side.Vasey said: “Lewis has had a number of guest bookings for Stoke recently and we wish him well. It was disappointing for the spectators we were unable to give them a full 15 heats but it was no fault of King’s Lynn Speedway and unfortunately we had no alternative but to abandon the meeting. “I felt we were a little better here than we were in the KO Cup earlier in the season. Steve (Worrall) rode extremely well for us, and we were about to use the tactical rides in Heats 11 and 12, one of which Steve would have been in.”(FIXTURES)
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6:SKY SPORTS ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v King’s Lynn 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Ipswich 7.30, Plymouth v Newcastle OFF, 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, Buxton v Stoke (follows previous fixture), Mildenhall v Dudley 4.30SCOTTISH CUP 1st leg: Glasgow v Edinburgh 3pm
