(SPEEDWAY 1)
RICKY Wells is eager to take his opportunity and provide Sheffield with some home success in Sunday’s Premier League Riders’ Championship.The American star will represent the Tigers in the showpiece individual event, with club captain and No.1 Simon Stead ruled out due to a broken leg suffered in mid-season.Wells said: “I’m super-pumped to be in it. It’s definitely a top meeting and even watching it last year I thought ‘wow!’ That was in just about every race.“It’s going to be tough, because there are so many guys who can win it. There’s Doyley (Jason Doyle), Craig Cook, Nick Morris and that’s just the top layer. I just want to get through to the Final and it’s all open from there.”(SPEEDWAY 2)
DUDLEY skipper Ashley Morris enters this weekend hungry for success in two showpiece individual meetings.Morris will make the short trip to Coventry for the British Under-19 Final on Friday where he starts as one of the favourites – and he will also be involved in the National League Riders’ Championship at Rye House on Saturday.He said: “I know I'll be one of the favourites in the Under-19s but I can't let that affect me - it's a strong line-up and it's definitely going to be a tough one.“I had a good meeting at Rye House in the Premier League a couple of weeks ago and I've done well at Coventry this season so I know I am OK with both tracks.”
(SPEEDWAY 3)
SOMERSET boss Garry May says his side will remain focused after running up a 26-point advantage over Edinburgh in the first leg of their KO Cup semi-final replay.The Rebels dominated on home territory as they raced to a 58-32 win in their best all-round display of the season, limiting the Monarchs to just one race advantage - but May expects a backlash from their opponents at Armadale on Friday.He said: “If you had offered us a 26-point first leg lead I would have more than happily taken it. But whilst we can enjoy our moment of glory the job is only half done, and we cannot go to Edinburgh on Friday thinking that we are already in the Final.“Edinburgh are a good team, especially round Armadale, and whilst we obviously go there with a decent lead behind us we cannot, and will not, let any complacency set in, otherwise before we know it Edinburgh will be right back at us.” (SPEEDWAY 4)
PLYMOUTH’S former skipper Ben Barker will return to the St Boniface Arena as one of the leading candidates for the Westernapolis Individual title on Friday.The Devils promotion have invited several riders with extensive track knowledge, including three other ex-Plymouth men Ricky Wells, Jason Bunyan and Paul Starke – whilst Mark Lemon will be looking to add to his victory in the same event when it was staged at Exeter in 2004.Plymouth co-promoter Seemond Stephens said: “They have all been invited back for this meeting because they have shown good form on their appearances at the St Boniface Arena in the past.“It will be interesting to see how our captain Mark Lemon shapes up in his attempt to pull off a repeat victory, which would make him only the second rider to win the Westernapolis on two different tracks.”
(SPEEDWAY 5)
RYE House boss John Sampford admits the Rockets’ trip to Berwick on Saturday allows his riders the chance to maintain race sharpness ahead of the KO Cup Final.Sampford’s side are awaiting the completion of the Edinburgh/Somerset semi-final replay and now head to Shielfield Park for their final away fixture of the regular Premier League campaign.Sampford said: “As I’ve said several times before, our closing League fixtures are all about keeping the guys on-track, giving them another meeting and very much building momentum to the Cup Final.“The records show that Shielfield Park has not historically been a happy hunting ground for Rockets teams, although we came really close to victory on two separate occasions in 2011. The side we’ve got this year, though, is more than capable of going virtually anywhere and giving a good performance, as we’ve already shown twice at another so-called ‘graveyard’ in Sheffield.”(FIXTURES)
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 19:LEAGUE CUP FINAL 1st leg: Ipswich v Newcastle 7.30
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 20:BRITISH UNDER-19 FINAL: Coventry 7.30PREMIER LEAGUE KO CUP S/F REPLAY 2nd leg: Edinburgh v Somerset 7.30WESTERNAPOLIS: Plymouth 7.15
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21:PREMIER LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS: Workington v Edinburgh 6.30PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Rye House 7pm, Workington v Edinburgh (follows previous fixture)NATIONAL LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Rye House 7pm
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22:PREMIER LEAGUE RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP: Sheffield 5pmNATIONAL LEAGUE KO CUP S/F 2nd leg: Mildenhall v Isle of Wight 4.30BRITISH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP Round 6: Iwade 12pm
